DINO COMMENTS

    Several readers pointed out where the quote “almost a Ferrari” came from. Memory is sometimes a poor retainer of information.

    The 1969 246 GT sales brochure has the caption under several photos of the car in three languages; Italian, French and English.

    Right there in Ferrari’s own advertising is the famous, “Tiny, brilliant, safe … almost a Ferrari”.

    Mea culpa.

    But, while many have pointed to that admission by the factory to mean a Dino is not a ‘real’ Ferrari I would like to not place the saying in a negative light.

    Enzo Ferrari was a man; his cars are called Ferraris. Dino was the son and therefore was not the father, so the cars named after Dino would have been similar too, but not the same as the father’s cars.

    The Dino cars are not anything less than a Ferrari in build, or construction, or performance; they are a product of branding another, less expensive alternative to the more exclusive V-12 cars.

    The Dino retained much of the Ferrari soul, crisp handling, solid road feel and a wonderful engine that had great flexibility throughout the entire rev-range.

    Would it have been better with more horsepower? Everything is better with more horsepower.

    As someone who has spent a lot of time driving many different Dinos, I can attest it is adequate, sure-footed in the corners and a blast to drive fast.

    Once again, is a Dino a Ferrari? Of course.

 

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