1965 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale (Pininfarina)

The Pininfarina berlinetta, with a rear-mounted V6 engine, was a forerunner of what was to become the Ferrari Dino 206 and 246 GT, and this prototype already shows several features which the production model would have, such as the concave side air intakes, the line of the roof and the inverted curve rear window, and the contours of the front wings.

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The DINO Berlinetta Speciale, presented in Paris, in 1965 at the Pininfarina stand was designed by Aldo Brovarone. This prototype may be considered the last prototype seen by the founder of Pininfarina and was then one of the first models to be carried on by his son Sergio.

It was another revolutionary design, the first prototype of a new generation of Ferrari middle engine. This design has since inspired many Ferrari central engine models and gave birth to the 206 and 246 Dino generation road versions.

This Berlinetta speciale prototype originates from a lenticular form to which the wheel streamlining and the roof are attached.

The front hood is thin, with a raised profile in which two pairs of headlights are placed in the air intake.

The side, with a pronounced dihedral, opens towards the base of the rear fender where a gouge is at the base of the air intake for the cooling of the engine and the power feed.

The design around the wheels is very pronounced and is reminiscent of the famous modern P2 and P3 models.

Another distinguishing and innovative feature is the rear end of the car where the rear window is vertical and concave with two lateral fins as a frame which then continue on to the tail.

Also in 1965 Brovarone designs the tubular shaped Giulia sport consolidating a period of intense creativity both personally and for the firm.

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In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the name Dino first appeared on a wide range of Ferrari V6 competition engines, designed for use in Formula 1, Formula 2 and other race series. It was Enzo Ferrari who decided, in a very personal tribute, to name this V6 after his son Alfredo " Dino " Ferrari, who had died at the age of 24 years. As a young engineer, Dino Ferrari had been involved in the development of these engines. It is not clear that he had full responsibility for their design, however. This may have been an elaboration perpetuated by his father.

Ferrari became involved in the development of production cars in early 1965 when Enzo Ferrari signed an agreement with the head of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli. This agreement was to provide the V6 Dino engine design for use in a limited run of a top-of-the-range Fiat sports car. The reason for this collaboration stemmed from new Formula 2 regulations that approved use of a homologated 1600cc V6 engine for the 1967 season. This required the manufacture of at least 500 examples for a road-going car, over 12 consecutive months.

Meanwhile, the V6-powered Dino 206 GT and 246 GT/GTS were styled by the coachbuilder Pininfarina for Ferrari. Sergio Pininfarina and his team started work on the mid-engined Berlinetta in March 1965. Designer Aldo Brovarone created the initial plans that already showed certain characteristics of the future production Dino. It was a two-seater short-wheelbase coupé with a very streamlined body. These ideas resulted in the Dino Berlinetta Speciale in 1965, the Dino Berlinetta GT in 1966, and two prototypes in 1967. The project manager, Leonardo Fioravanti, and directors Sergio Pininfarina and Renzo Carli, were all involved in decisions, including aesthetic choices, that led to the production version, the Dino 206 GT. This was the first mid-engined production sports car approved by Ferrari, and it would serve as a base for the whole family of two-seater mid-engined Ferrari, from the 308 GTB/GTS and 328 GTB/GTS through to the current 488 GTB/Spider, with models in between including the F40 (which used the same passenger compartment base as the 308). For many reasons, the Dino 206 GT forms a key part of Ferrari's history, in addition to being one of the most beautiful sports cars ever built.

The story starts with the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, built in record time on a Type 585 tubular chassis, the 206 P competition chassis. This first Dino concept car was finished just in time for the opening of the 52nd Paris Motor Show, in October 1965. It was built on chassis n°0840 from the stock belonging to Ferrari's competition department SEFAC (Scuderia Enzo Ferrari Auto Corse). The side air-intakes, with their elongated form that became part of the signature style of this range, were inserted to cool the rear disc brakes. As on the competition Dinos, these were inboard brakes. The curved rear window swept round to meet the inclined rear pillars that also shape the quarter-light windows. The rear panel was pierced with vents to allow hot air to escape the engine compartment. Getting in and out of the car was not a simple feat with the relatively high and wide door-sills, designed that way due to the structure of the car and also the presence of two lateral competition fuel tanks that were around 40 cm wide. These tanks were connected to two filling points in the front wings. As a competition car, the Dino Berlinetta Speciale was right-hand drive.

The car was liveried in the traditional Ferrari red, a colour that also appeared in the cockpit. The dashboard was black and the cream seats were not adjustable, unlike the pedals. The side windows were operated manually with door handles. The gear gate was typical of Ferrari with a short lever topped with a round polished aluminium knob. The fuse-box was positioned under the dash on the passenger side. There was a leather rimmed three-spoke wheel fitted and other instrumentation was sparse, with just the necessary dials. A large centrally-positioned rev counter was flanked by an oil pressure gauge and a vent, and there was a water temperature gauge inserted on the right. There was no heating or de-icing system on the car. The short single windscreen wiper was not hugely practical.

Having been exhibited on several occasions, including at the 52th Paris Motor Show in October 1965, the Turin Motor Show in November 1965 and the New York Motor Show in April 1966, the Dino Berlinetta Speciale spent some time in Turin, at Pininfarina.

Matthias Bartz
Author of the "Dino Compendium"

В 1965 году, на Парижском салоне ателье Pininfrina представило модель Dino Berlinetta Speciale, созданную на платформе одноименного спортивного автомобиля. Центральное расположение двигателя дало проектировщикам возможность понизить переднюю часть кузова, чтобы обеспечить лучший обзор, а также уменьшить высоту машины. Правда, у концепта был недостаточный обзор назад, возникли и сложности с охлаждением двигателя и шумоизоляцией. Основные стилистические и технические решения, заложенные в этой разработке, определили облик всех среднемоторных Ferrari на многие годы вперед – от Dino 206 и 246GT до выпускаемой сейчас F355. Одним из наиболее интересных ранних проектов стал показанный в 1967 году во Франкфурте прототип Dino 206 Berlinetta Competizione – запоминающийся с первого взгляда ярко-желтый автомобиль с черными спойлерами спереди и сзади и открывающимися вверх дверями типа «крыло чайки».

Rosso Corsa (Владимир Князьков) - Журнал «МОТОР», Октябрь 1996 года