Estimate: £75000 - £85000

Sold: £85350

This classic and always sought-after Ferrari was named after Enzo Ferrari’s son, Alfredino, who died in 1956, aged 24. Although ill for most of his life, Dino had acquired an engineering degree and had earlier presented his arguments for a V6 high-performance engine in a two part article in the Italian magazine Velocita. Enzo Ferrari commented: ‘For reasons of mechanical efficiency he finally came to the conclusion that the engine should be a V6 and we accept his decision.’ Thus was born the famous Tipo 156 which first burst into song five months after Dino had passed away. Ferrari was determined to honour his son to the best of his ability and, subsequently, ‘Dino’ was the name given to a new line of mid-engined production Ferrari V6 coupés which first went on sale in 1969 in two litre form.

Only 4,000 definitive Dino’s were built before the introduction of the completely restyled, V8 engined 308 in 1973. The voluptuous bodywork, which to many people is the prettiest ever to grace a road going Ferrari, was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. It 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 both a comfortable cockpit and usable boot space.

Enclosed within the extensive history file that accompanies this car are two stages of restoration. The first takes place at Maranello, Accredited Ferrari dealers in Surrey in 1979. This was mainly a thoroughly mechanical overhaul and rebuild with detailed records available for inspection. Approximately ten years later, the car, now running beautifully, was given to Moto Technique Ltd in Surrey for a comprehensive body-off restoration. The work carried out here would have been to an extremely high standard as their reputation indicates. A further thorough service followed including removal of callipers all round, linkage cables and various other issues that had accrued over a period of time. MoT test certificates exist indicating the mileage to be correct at 33,500. The overall impression from reading through the history is one of a detailed and conscientious series of recent owners ultimately delivering an extremely competent and well presented GT Dino. This is also backed up by the original owners wallet which still contains documentation from when it was owned in 1976 by Mr Ollbrich in Nice, France, the original warranty card from Maranello Concessionaires Ltd dated 1973 and, perhaps most telling, the original (unused and bagged) polishing mitt that came with the car.

The Ferrari Dino is not only a design icon but an investment opportunity that is proving popular with people looking for something a little more reliable that many of the financial products available today. Try walking into a pub and boasting that you have just bought an ISA!