Which dinosaur would you like?
07/07/2014
No sooner have we become accustomed to Ferrari's Dino 246 GT achieving high prices at auctions that start with a two or even a three in six figures than a Fiat Dino 2400 Spider( 1971 model year) surprises us at the Artcurial auction on the occasion of the Le Mans Classic on July 5, 2014 with a sale price of EUR 139,500 or CHF 170,190 . Around three years ago, this would have been a good result for the Dino 246 GT, while the Fiat version with the same engine was well below the hundred-thousand mark at the time. At the same auction, Artcurial also sold a 1972 Dino 246 GT for 255,200 euros or CHF 311,344.
It is not really clear that the Fiat should be worth less than its brother from the house of Enzo Ferrari. The Fiat Dino 2400 Spider was only built 420 times, making it much rarer than the Dino 246 GT. Its design comes from Pininfarina, just like that of the mid-engined sports car from Maranello. However, the engine is located at the front, with a flange-mounted gearbox.
Anyone comparing the two vehicles from behind the steering wheel will notice considerable differences. If the engine really is the soul of a car, then in this case the other parts of the vehicle obviously have a significant influence on the driving experience. The Fiat is more of a touring and pleasure vehicle than a cornering predator. The seating position alone, but above all of course the beguiling openness, make it more of a cruiser than a racing car. The Dino 246 GT, on the other hand, has often been compared to a go-kart for good reason. Even today, almost 50 years after its launch, it is incredibly agile and easy to handle. You don't want to stroll around in it, it excites the racing driver in the everyday motorist.
So why is the Dino from Ferrari still worth twice as much as its illegitimate brother from Turin? In today's world, the Fiat actually fits at least as well as the Ferrari, which never bore this name because only twelve-cylinder engines were good enough for the "Commendatore"'s prancing horse. However, this flaw obviously couldn't stop collectors and investors from repeatedly raising the price and leaving many a Maranello design with eight and twelve cylinders behind. And the Fiat Dino Spider is now also benefiting from this price increase, happily sailing along in the slipstream.
However, if you want to spend less, the Fiat Dino Coupé, designed by Bertone, is still a much cheaper alternative that is no different from its open-top sister in terms of drive system.
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