1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT

An official letter dated March 18th, 2015 from the Maranello Archive confirms that this left-hand drive 246 GT Dino was manufactured in April 1972 and delivered new to Ferrari"s authorised dealer, Luigi Chinetti in New York and on to its first owner in Ohio. The car"s factory specification included air conditioning, electric windows and Cromodora wheels. Alhough not officially designated as such, there were three distinct series in the production of the 246 Dino and Chassis 03846 is an example from the last, known as the "E" series.

The official Dino Register traces this Dino"s history almost from new, showing early ownership in Texas by a Dr Ahlschier, then, in 1988 via Ed Niles (a well-known Ferrari expert in the USA) to Mr Leslie Ward in England, whose ownership lasted for the next twenty seven years.

After importation to England in 1988 the car was unregistered during its restoration, finally being recorded with the DVLA in 1994 with MoT Certificates confirming that the car has travelled only 7,910 miles during the last twenty one years. Although little used during this period, a number of invoices in the history file confirm that the car has always been serviced and fully maintained. Most importantly, and very unusually for a Ferrari Dino, the car is described by the vendor as remarkably rust-free due, no doubt, to its long sojourn in the dry State of Texas, followed by careful storage and very little use since its arrival in England.

In 1989, the engine was fully rebuilt by BGM Motor Engineers of Derby and in 2003, FAB Racing in Earl Shilton completely rebuilt the gearbox and synchromesh and a new clutch was fitted. In May 2015, the car was fully serviced by the experienced ex Graypaul Ferrari mechanics at McGurk Performance Cars.

The car is exceptionally complete with its original sales invoice, very rare factory warranty card (showing the "service stamps"), owner's handbook, service manual, document wallet folder, tool kit, jack and bag. It has its UK V5 registration certificate, current MoT in March 2015 with no advisories, a large history file with original receipts and invoices and, in April, the car underwent full "Swissvax Approved" detailing.

We welcome and encourage all pre-sale inspections and potential buyers should contact the office for further details. This 'E' Series Dino represents an exciting find for any collector and offers superb value given current market conditions.

Photo Credit: Tim Scott, Fluid Images

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