The Dino 246 GTS is the spider version of the small central berlinetta, even if in effect the configuration is a targa type. Presented in 1972, three years after the coupé, this immediately met with resounding success, so much so that the spider-targa became a classic of the mid-engined sports cars of the Prancing Horse.
The Dino brand, born in 1969, is strategic for Ferrari for a number of reasons: the Maranello company enters the small sports car market by offering a six-cylinder car without distorting the history of the Prancing Horse. In addition, the company is able to homologate the road engines necessary to be able to race with the exact same engines in Formula 2.
The central arrangement of the engine allows the men of Maranello to experiment with a new architecture without betraying the creed of the founder Enzo Ferrari but above all, romantically speaking, he manages to pay homage to his son Alfredo, who died in 1956 from Duchenne's dystrophy at the age of only twenty-four, as well as a designer of the 65° V6 mounted on this small car.
After three years of its first marketing and a series of small and constant updates, in 1972 Ferrari decided to add the open version to the list: the Dino 246 GTS. The numbers indicate displacement (2.400 liters) and numbers of cylinders (six) while the acronym GTS means Gran Turismo Spider. Not the classic discovery, in spider or convertible version, but a targa-type configuration with a removable hard top, to be stored in the rear hood.
The Dino line is no exception, remaining virtually unchanged throughout its production cycle thanks to the sinuous and seductive lines designed by the master Aldo Brovarone of Pininfarina, inspired by the Dino Berlinetta Speciale prototype exhibited in Paris in 1966.
The small and compact car body conveys agility while the soft and enveloping mudguards seduce the eye by harmoniously balancing elegance and sportiness, as is expected of every Ferrari.
Loopholes scattered here and there, and the characteristic sunken air intake on the side accentuate the general aggressiveness, without ever leading to boorishness or stylistic excesses. Sitting low to the ground, with a driving position similar to prototype sports, they identify the passionate driver with an experienced driver.
The more experienced, in the GTS, will be able to recognize the small external details that distinguish the third evolution of the Dino 246, also known as type 607 E, which differs from the intermediate version, type M, for the following improvements: more angular bumpers, position wiper rest, new country wheels, rear license plate light and the door opening command complete the swan song of one of the most successful berlinettas from the Maranello company.
In addition, the license plate version is easily distinguished from its closed little sister due to the absence of the third light after the side window, with a thicker central pillar and embellished with three vertical air vents.
Internally, the Daytona-style seats make their debut, with the texture of the leather inspired by the interiors of the famous twelve-cylinder made in Maranello.
The engine remains a guarantee, a V6 at 65° of 2,418 cm³, with bore and stroke equal to 92.5 by 60 millimeters, but it is further updated: the introduction of the Weber DCN F/13 double-barrel carburettors arranged in the center of the V , the electronic ignition and distribution system raise the power of the 135 CS engine to 195 horsepower.
Capable of covering from 0 to100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and reaching a maximum speed of 235 km/h, the Dino 246 GTS conquers a leading position in the world of small sports cars of the early 1970s.
The 607 chassis is typically Ferrari, with a tubular steel structure that stands out from the rest of the Prancing Horse range for the even numbering, typical of the Maranello's racing cars.
The success of the GTS is surprising, and a few numbers are enough to decree its importance within the Ferrari landscape: of the 2.487 Dino 246s marketed between 1969 and 1974, 1.274 are uncovered, about half of the production. Considering the introduction on the market of the GTS version which took place only in 1972, these numbers explain better than any other explanation the commercial success of the latter model.
The legacy of the targa configuration in Maranello will be transferred to the eight-cylinder mid-engined Gran Turismo, where the subsequent spider-targa versions will be the load-bearing column of Ferrari production for about twenty years, often achieving greater sales results than the contemporary closed configuration. .
DATA SHEET
Spider body, two seats
Rear-wheel Drive
Size and Weights
Length 4235
Width 1700
Height 1135
Wheelbase 2340 mm
Front track 1425 mm
Rear track 1430 mm
Unladen mass 1080 Kg
65 liter tank
Engine
Displacement 2419.20 cm³
Type V6 65° water cooled
Posterior-transverse position
Bore and stroke 92.5x60 mm
Cast iron base and light alloy heads
Compression ratio 9:1
Double shaft distribution, two valves per cylinder
Powered by three Weber 40 DCN F/13 double-barrel carburettors
Mechanics
Power 143 kW/195 hp at 7600 rpm
Specific Power 81 hp/liter and 93 nm/liter
Torque 225 Nm at 5500 rpm
Mono ignition, one distributor
12 V electrical system
Wet sump lubrication
Single plate clutch
Five-speed mechanical gearbox and RM, self-locking differential
Frame
Trellis of elliptical and circular section tubes
Steering with rack and pinion
Front suspension independent wheels, wishbones, anti-roll bar, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers
Rear suspension independent wheels, wishbones, anti-roll bar, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers
Ventilated front disc brakes (270mm)
Rear ventilated disc brakes (254 mm) with brake booster and brake distributor
Front tires 205/70 VR 14
Rear tires 205/70 VR 14
14" wheels made of light alloy
Performance declared
Speed 235 Km/h
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in 31.6 seconds, from 0 to 400 meters in 15.3 seconds, from 0 to 1000 meters in 27.5 seconds
Luca Saitta