In the last few months, some cars of the secondary Ferrari brand, Dino, have changed hands for considerable sums. This beautiful sports car polarizes opinion and has not always been regarded as a “genuine” Ferrari, especially by hardened “Ferraristi”. As Matthias Bartz tells us in this interview, that has now changed. In 2012, this expert on the brand compiled the prize-winning Dino Compendium and published it himself. It is considered to be a well-written specialist work which serves as both a detailed source of information and a stylish coffee-table book. In this interview, you can find out not only how the book came about, but, if you are a classic car collector, what to look out for when buying one of these vehicles.
Q: Why are you so enthusiastic about the Dino?
I have always been interested in classic cars from the 1960s and 70s and even when I was young I was already obsessed by MGs of one kind or another. The Dino was always a dream car for me. I was really fascinated by the Pininfarina design. I enjoyed some success in my career, so, by about the start of the new millennium, the time had come and I was able to park the first of what is now six Dinos in my garage….
Q: But among Ferraristi, the Dino is a poor relation. It can’t be due to its “only” having six cylinders, because of the more than adequate performance of its engine, nor can it be due to the design. So what is it that some traditionalists (still) turn their noses up at?
Yes, that’s right. For many years, the Dino was not regarded as a Ferrari. Even while it was still being produced, Ferrari had some technical marketing problems with its new Dino brand. The customers wanted to drive Ferraris and not Dinos. That’s why some dealers offered to add the prancing horse and the Ferrari logo to the cars. Dino badges disappeared in 1977 under pressure from the dealers and the Dino brand was withdrawn in 1980. Nowadays, the image has completely changed. The Dino is a cult car, Ferrari badges on a Dino are frowned upon and a few years ago Ferrari owners voted the Ferrari Dino 246 GT the most beautiful Ferrari ever built (in a survey on the Ferrari owners’ website).
Q: Today, the Dino seems to have grown up to become a Ferrari in its own right – certainly if the prices they have gone for at auction in recent months are any indication…
You’re quite right, it’s the cult factor.
Q: So the time was right for a book like yours?
The book was born of my passion for these cars and because I wanted to address the highly complex and ever more important subject of originality. I wanted it to be a book for fans but also to have something of the character of a coffee-table book. I think it succeeded very well …. the Classic & Sports Car magazine voted the Dino Compendium the best car book of 2012.
Q: Another factor contributing to the increased popularity of the Dino must also be that new vehicles have been coming onto the market. What were the highlights for you over recent months?
One highlight this year was definitely the auctioning by Bonhams of the 206 GT and the 246 GT L Series from the Violati collection. Both cars had been in the collection since the 1970s and were still largely untouched in their original condition. That’s a very rare occurrence, because most Dinos have been restored at least once in their lives, often not very professionally ….
Q: But there’s a good and a bad side to everything – were there some “lowlights” too?
More and more Dinos with fake /changed chassis numbers are coming onto the market. When you buy, you really have to check that the numbers are correct. Especially in the 1970s, many Dinos were stolen and the chassis numbers changed. For confidence, you should have a Ferrari Classic certificate, which confirms that the car is an original.
Q: For any potential Dino buyers – which types of Dino are most desirable as collectors’ items?
The main car for collectors is the Dino 206 GT. Only 154 of them were ever built and their bodywork is all aluminum. The Dino 246 GT L Series (first series ) is interesting, too. This car too was only made in relatively small numbers and, like the 206 GT, has center-bolt wheels. Later in production, some of the cars were made with flared wheel arches and 7.5 inch wide Campagnolo wheels. Those cars are also very sought-after and change hands at a considerable premium.
Q: For any potential Dino buyers – are there any particular details that you should look out for in order to judge whether a car is original? There are perhaps other things as well as making sure the numbers match?
Yes, this is a very complicated area because even within one series there were lots of changes in and on the cars. Early cars are often seen with the nose from a later body. If a Dino suffered front-end damage, only the later body shape was available as a replacement; that was always the case, even in the 1970s. That’s why you see countless cars with the wrong front end.
Q: When will you next sit behind the wheel of a Dino?
As soon as the winter is over, Dinos will be out on twisty country roads. The same is true of my cars. Dinos like to be driven and, once the engine is warmed up, to take some corners!
http://www.dino-book.com/
The post From Underdog to Cult Object – Interview with Dino Expert M. Bartz appeared first on The Classic Car Trust.