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The Dino 206 GT and 246 GT are mid-engine V6 sports cars built between 1967 and 1974. They were Ferrari’s first mid-engine road cars and the first the company built in significant numbers.
They were not badged as Ferraris. Dino was launched as a separate marque, named for Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari — Enzo’s son, who died in 1956 at 24. Every reference to a “Ferrari Dino” today is a retroactive one.
The V6 architecture they introduced runs directly to the 296 GTB in Ferrari’s current range.
The Dino made its case on balance rather than power. It weighed under 2,400 lb with the engine behind the driver — a layout no Ferrari road car had used before.
| Category | 206 GT | 246 GT |
|---|---|---|
| Years | 1967–1969 | 1969–1974 |
| Engine | 2.0L 65° V6 | 2.4L 65° V6 |
| Block | Aluminum | Cast iron |
| Horsepower | ~180 hp | ~195 hp |
| Transmission | 5-Speed Manual | 5-Speed Manual |
| Body | Aluminum | Steel |
| Wheelbase | 2,280 mm | 2,340 mm |
| Production | 152 | ~3,569 (incl. GTS) |
The 246 is the heavier car and the slower one on paper. It is also the one almost everyone means when they say Dino — Ferrari built roughly 23 of them for every 206.
Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, Enzo’s first son, was born in January 1932 and groomed from childhood to run the company. He studied engineering in Switzerland, writing his thesis on a 1.5-liter engine design.
At the end of 1955 he proposed a V6 for Formula 2. By then he was seriously ill with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and he spent his final months in a hospital bed in Modena, working through the engine’s details with Vittorio Jano and his father. Enzo later recalled his son’s “intensity, intelligence, and attentiveness” in those conversations.
Dino died on 30 June 1956, aged 24. He never saw the engine built.
The V6 Dino proposed became a racing engine first and a road car engine second — and it won before it ever reached a showroom.
Vittorio Jano did the engineering. That much is not disputed. Whether the V6 was Dino’s idea or Jano’s has been argued for seventy years, and the honest answer is that Dino participated in the discussions and Jano designed the engine. Enzo named it for his son regardless.
The script on every Dino badge and cam cover is based on Alfredo’s own signature.
Enzo also founded a journalism prize in his name in 1962, and the circuit at Imola was originally named for Dino alone — Enzo’s name was added only after his own death in 1988.
Enzo held that a Ferrari had twelve cylinders. A V6 sports car priced below the V12 range didn’t qualify, so it got its own marque: Dino badges, Dino literature, and no Prancing Horse anywhere on the car.
The separate brand also had a commercial purpose. The Dino was aimed at the Porsche 911, a segment Ferrari had never competed in, and a different name made the lower price easier to position.
The market ignored the distinction. Buyers called them Ferraris from the start, values now track Ferrari values, and Ferrari Classiche certifies them. Only the badge ever said otherwise.
Pininfarina designed the Dino under Aldo Brovarone and Leonardo Fioravanti, with Scaglietti building the bodies. Its flowing proportions, concave rear window, and faired-in headlights made it one of the most admired designs of its era.
Distinctive features included twin rows of engine-lid vents, quad exhaust outlets, and a rear-hinged engine cover. The 246 GTS introduced a removable targa roof in 1972, while Enzo Ferrari reportedly needed convincing before approving the original design.
The “chairs and flares” option combined Daytona-style seats with widened wheel arches. These configurations are particularly desirable among collectors, with well-preserved examples commanding substantial premiums at auction.
Ferrari built 152 Dino 206 GTs and 3,569 246 GT and GTS cars — making the 246 the first Ferrari-built car produced in genuinely large numbers.
| Variant | Years | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 206 GT | 1967–1969 | 152 |
| 246 GT — L Series | 1969–1970 | 357 |
| 246 GT — M Series | 1970–1971 | 506 |
| 246 GT — E Series | 1971–1974 | 1,432 |
| 246 GTS | 1972–1974 | 1,274 |
| 246 total | 1969–1974 | 3,569 |
Registries differ slightly on the series splits — some list 507 M Series cars, and E Series counts vary depending on whether GTS chassis are included. The 3,569 total and the 1,274 GTS figure are consistent across sources.
The 206 GT is the rare one, and the one collectors chase.
Ferrari switched to a cast-iron block and steel body for the 246 specifically to cut cost. The 206 is the purer car and the 246 is the better one — a distinction that keeps Dino owners arguing.
The 246 GTS debuted in 1972 with a removable targa roof panel, offering open-air driving while retaining the Dino’s mid-engine layout and V6 performance. The roof panel could be stored behind the seats, making it a practical alternative to a traditional convertible.
Approximately 1,274 examples were produced, making the GTS rarer than the fixed-roof 246 GT. Its distinctive design and open-air driving experience have made it one of the most desirable Dino variants among collectors.
A 246 GT typically trades between $250,000 and $550,000, with GTS cars running higher and the 206 GT higher still.
For most of its life the Dino traded at a discount to every V12 Ferrari of the period. That gap has narrowed sharply as the market has reassessed what “first mid-engine Ferrari” is worth.
| Variant | Value |
|---|---|
| 246 GT — Average | ~$395,000 |
| 246 GT — Range | ~$250,000 – $550,000 |
| 246 GTS — Average | ~$575,000 |
| 246 GTS — Range | ~$350,000 – $750,000 |
| 206 GT | ~$600,000 – $900,000+ |
$1,325,000
A Signal Orange 1974 Dino 246 GTS sold at Gooding & Company's Amelia Island auction in March 2026. It surpassed the previous record of $1,028,000, set by a "chairs and flares" GTS at Pebble Beach in 2025. The 246 GT record stands at $755,000.
Dino values vary considerably with condition, originality, matching numbers, and desirable factory options. A 246 GT sold for just $192,500 in April 2025, illustrating the difference between typical examples and exceptional collector cars.
If you own a Dino or another collector Ferrari, our specialists can value your car or discuss consignment.
A Dino is a fifty-year-old Italian sports car with a small-production V6. It rewards a specialist and punishes a general shop.
Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale is a factory-authorized dealer with a dedicated vintage Ferrari service department and an on-site Ferrari Classiche program.
Ferrari abandoned the V6 road car after the Dino and did not build another for nearly fifty years. When it returned, it returned deliberately.
| Feature | Dino 246 GT (1969–74) | Ferrari 296 GTB (2022–) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.4L 65° V6 | 3.0L 120° V6 + electric motor |
| Horsepower | ~195 hp | 819 hp combined |
| Layout | Transverse mid-engine | Longitudinal mid-engine |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual | 8-speed dual-clutch |
| 0–60 mph | ~7.1 sec | ~2.9 sec |
Ferrari made the connection explicit at launch. The 296 GTB is the first V6 road car to wear a Ferrari badge — which is the thing the Dino never got.
Yes, although Dino was originally marketed as a separate marque. The cars were built by Ferrari in Maranello, styled by Pininfarina, and bodied by Scaglietti, but carried Dino rather than Ferrari badges. Today, they are recognized as collectible Ferraris and qualify for Ferrari Classiche certification.
The Dino was named after Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari’s son, who helped inspire the development of Ferrari’s V6 engine before his death in 1956 at age 24. The distinctive Dino badge was inspired by his signature.
Ferrari Dino 246 GT values average around $395,000, while 246 GTS models typically command higher prices. The rare 206 GT is also highly collectible. A notable auction record was set in March 2026 when a 1974 Dino 246 GTS sold for $1,325,000.
The Dino 206 GT features a 2.0-liter V6, an aluminum body, and a shorter wheelbase, with approximately 152 produced. The 246 GT introduced a larger 2.4-liter V6 with a cast-iron engine block, predominantly steel bodywork, and a wheelbase extended by 60 mm.
“Chairs and flares” refers to a desirable factory-option combination featuring Daytona-style seats and widened wheel arches. Dino 246 models equipped with both features are particularly sought after by collectors and generally command higher prices.
Ferrari produced approximately 152 Dino 206 GTs and 3,569 Dino 246 GT and GTS models between 1967 and 1974, for a commonly cited combined total of 3,721 cars. Published production figures vary slightly between historical sources.
Yes. The Dino 206 GT was Ferrari’s first production mid-engine road car, introducing a layout the company had previously used in racing. Its success helped establish the mid-engine configuration for future Ferrari sports cars.
Yes. The Ferrari Dino and Fiat Dino shared closely related V6 engines developed through a collaboration between Ferrari and Fiat. Fiat produced the Dino Coupe and Spider in sufficient numbers to help Ferrari meet Formula 2 engine homologation requirements.
The Dino 308 GT4, introduced in 1973, succeeded the 246 series as Ferrari’s next Dino-branded sports car. It featured a mid-mounted V8 and four seats. The two-seat Ferrari 308 GTB followed in 1975, while the 308 GT4 eventually adopted Ferrari badging.
The Dino started a line Ferrari took fifty years to return to.
Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale proudly represents Ferrari in Broward County, Greater South Florida, and across the United States.