1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GT

**Confirmed matching body, gearbox and engine numbers.**

• Ordered through H.R. Owen, London in 1972 and supplied via Maranello Concessionaires Ltd., Surrey in April 1973
• Originally supplied in Blu Scuro (Dark Blue 20.A.357) with Beige leather (VM 3234) interior at a total cost of £4,556.00
• The history file includes previous blue logbooks, main dealer service receipts, archive order forms and historical MOTs
• The odometer reading is 49,800 miles (atoc) corroborated by the historical invoices, showing the car has had little use in recent years
• This car offers a unique opportunity to enhance the bodywork whilst re-instating the original dark blue paint as supplied

The Dino’s voluptuous bodywork, which many people regard as the prettiest ever to grace a road-going Ferrari, was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti and covered a tubular chassis which carried wishbone independent suspension at each corner. The compact, four-cam engine which delivered 190bhp, was mounted transversely above the five-speed gearbox and just ahead of the rear axle, allowing for both a comfortable cockpit and some usable boot space. The Dino was established as the international playboy’s car of choice when it starred in the 1971 TV series “The Persuaders!”, the opening credits featuring a race on the Cote D’Azur between Tony Curtis’ Dino and Roger Moore’s Aston Martin DBS, now regarded as an iconic piece of footage, capturing the very essence of what these cars are all about.

The 246 Dino was hugely successful but just 488 246 GT Dinos were produced in right-hand drive, one of which was this E-Series car, chassis #06098. Ordered through H.R. Owen, London in 1972 and supplied via Maranello Concessionaires Ltd., Surrey in April 1973 at a total cost of £4,556, seemingly modest compared to the £15,000 price of a contemporary Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupe. This Dino was supplied in the very rare colour of Blu Scuro (Dark Blue 20.A.357) complemented by a Beige leather (VM 3234) interior fitted with electric windows and, according to the archive records, the purchase price included five wheels and four gallons of petrol at £1.50.

It appears the car has remained on the registration number ‘TBY 176L’ from new and the history file goes into more ownership and maintenance detail from 1984 when Mr L Foster of Southport bought the car from Mr R Brittain of Norfolk in May of that year. Mr Foster retained the services of Graypaul Ferrari Ltd., together with a number of specialists culminating in an engine and gearbox rebuild in November 1986. We are unsure when the colour was changed from the original Blu Scuro and subsequent invoices show no paint shop invoices. Furthermore, we have confirmed via Ferrari archives that the gearbox and body numbers match factory records. The engine number is yet to be established (as of May 2021) and we will endeavour to confirm the engine number prior to sale, and although the history file shows no indication of a replacement engine, we invite bidders to inspect the car to verify.

In November 1986, as confirmed by the accompanying MOT Certificate, the mileage was recorded at 48,432 miles. The car was bought by Mr G. Garret of Cheshire in 1988, later registered to Mr Garret’s son in October 2020, the last registered keeper. Throughout the Garret family’s ownership, the Dino was very lightly used although periodically maintained with notable invoices from Rectory Garage, Cheshire in 1988 at 49,004 miles, JCT600 Ferrari, Bradford in 1991 and Superformance UK Ltd., Hertfordshire in 2011. Subsequent MOT Certificates register mileages at 49,282 in 1991, 49,442 in 1994, 49,568 in 2004  and was last MOT’d in 2013 at 49,700 miles. We are led to believe that Mr Garret Sr. suffered periods of extended illness that limited his use of the car during the decades of his ownership, and upon his death the car was registered to his son in 2020. The invoices and MOT Certificates subsequent to 1986 show double-digit increments and the current odometer reading was 49,800 miles at the time of cataloguing.

In conclusion, we consider this Dino as the perfect contender for a rolling-restoration, the car performed well at low speed and would benefit from a thorough “going over” of the mechanical components. The body shows signs of blistering beneath the paint in a number of places, and if kept under control, may not worsen. The Dino’s condition however presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy the car, without being too precious, and then return the car to its original dark blue paintwork whilst attending to the body. Most Dinos on the market have been recently restored with prices reflecting the expenditure of the works, the opportunity, therefore, is rare at this guide price.

Supplied to auction with a history file showing period receipts, copy order forms and build records from the Ferrari archives, historical MOTs, yellow tyre “chock” and old “blue” logbook. We welcome any pre-auction inspection.

*Forming part of A Sale of Ferraris in association with Ferrari Owners' Club of Great Britain, the buyer of this lot will be entitled to one years free membership with Ferrari Owners Club of Great Britain*