To this day, the soft edges and curved lines of the Ferrari Dino distinguish one of the most stunning cars to emanate from the Prancing Horse’s stable. The intricate design styled by Pininfarina’s Aldo Brovarone and Leonardo Fioravanti was brought to life by Scaglietti to stunning effect. The 246 GT and GTS are widely acknowledged as Ferrari’s first mass produced cars—albeit badged under a dedicated “Dino” nameplate—but it is the earlier 206 GT that laid the foundations of the sports car’s legacy.

Entering production in 1967, the Dino 206 GT represented a notable departure from the tried-and-tested Ferrari formula that hinged upon impressive V-12 power. Instead, Maranello bosses earmarked the car for a more accessible price point, and so opted for a high-revving 2.0-litre V-6 engine intended for race application and realised by Enzo Ferrari’s son, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari. Sadly, Alfredo passed away before the cars propelled by his engine took to the road, but the dedicated Dino sub-brand was named in his honour.

In an effort to differentiate the new Dino brand from regular Ferrari production, Ferrari implemented a new even-number chassis numbering sequence. Its nomenclature was also different from that of Ferraris from the past. While 12-cylinder Ferraris were named for the cubic-centimetre displacement of a single cylinder, the Dino 206’s name was derived simply from its 2.0-litre, six-cylinder engine, hence “206”.

The 206 GT was light and nimble, wearing all-aluminium bodywork and built around a transverse-mounted engine layout. Featuring electronic ignition and direct rack-and-pinion steering for the first time in a car built by Ferrari, the 206 GT also boasted fully independent suspension and disc brakes on all four corners. 153 examples of the Dino 206 GT were made over two years—all in left-hand-drive—before the model made way for the 246 GT and GTS. The earliest version of the Dino, with its flowing shape evocative of the timeless Italian design trends of its era, remains highly coveted by enthusiasts.

The example offered here, chassis 00294, is documented to have been completed by the factory on 20 December 1968, originally finished in Rosso Dino over a Nero Simipelle interior with cloth inserts coloured orange. On 14 January 1969 the car was delivered new to the Roman dealer, Motor S.a.s. di Carla Allegretti e C, and the Ferrari’s first road registration plate was “Roma D 69280”. Just two weeks after being added to the dealer’s stock list, the Dino was acquired by its first owner, a resident of the “Eternal City”. The car was enjoyed by eight owners in its first 12 years in Italy, spread across residences in Rome, Milan, Terni, Viterbo, and Frosinone.

At some point after its return to Roman ownership in 1981—from which point the car stayed with the same family until 2016—it is believed that the interior of the 206 GT was retrimmed with all-black seats, losing its orange inserts. While in the care of its long-term family ownership, the Ferrari was also subject to a bare-metal respray, returning in its factory-correct shade of Rosso Dino. After being acquired at auction in 2016, the car was registered in the UK in the August of that year. In November 2020, the Dino was subject to £13,702-worth of expenditure at Ferrari Jardine Colchester, performing a service and replacing the timing chain.

With its matching-numbers chassis, engine, and gearbox adhering to factory records, this rarest type of Dino will appeal to Ferrari enthusiasts and sports car drivers alike. The 206 GT is offered for sale with a copy of its estratto cronologico (detailing its ownership history in Italy), maintenance manual, a pair of period-correct Carello headlights, and toolkit. While there are Ferraris aplenty in the collector car world, a fine Dino 206 GT such as this one is worthy of a close look and serious consideration.