Fantasy Junction

Description

1968 Fiat Dino Spider
s/n 135AS0000715
French Blue with Black Interior

The story of the Fiat Dino begins, like those of most of Italy’s great cars, with the engine. A 2 liter quad cam V6 derived from the Dino 196 race car engine was converted for road use by Aurelio Lampredi (who also designed early Ferrari V12 motors), and placed into volume production in order to homologate the motor for racing use in Formula 2. 500 units needed to be produced and Ferrari knew they would not be able to produce or sell so many cars during this period, so the motors were employed in a new flagship Fiat Dino, in addition to the 206 Dino. The Fiat Dino was available in closed or open form, bodied by Bertone and Pininfarina respectively. 24% of the Dinos produced were Spiders while the remaining cars were coupes.

For many years, the cars were underappreciated and otherwise overlooked by the collector community, in large part because of their Fiat badging. The fact of the matter is that they were and remain technically sophisticated, spirited Italian cars with attractive bodywork by Italy’s best known designers, and an exceptional Ferrari engine.

The Dino was developed over its production run, and a raft of changes was implemented after approximately 850 Spiders were built, making the last 283 2.0 liter Dino Spiders meaningfully different from earlier cars. The engines were improved with a revised cylinder head with new valvetrain, different carburetors, and revised chain tensioners. The distributor and exhaust system designs were also revised. The gearbox internals were strengthened and the suspension design revised. Thicker brake rotors were also fitted. The interior was also updated, including the fitment of a wood-rimmed steering wheel and redesigned dashboard, as well as the elimination of perforated upholstery. A zip out rear window was also added to the soft top.

This particular car is one such late production two liter car and is an excellent original example that has reportedly covered 88,000 kilometers (54,500 miles) from new. During its most recent ownership period this particular example has shared a stable with a 250 GTO, a 250 Testarossa, and many other historically significant and important Italian automobiles. The previous owner had the car for 14 years and reports that it has had four owners from new. It previously resided in Alaska, California, and Florida. The structure is excellent and appears to be all original, like the rest of the car, which is wonderfully honest, correct, and fundamentally undisturbed.

The car was repainted in its original French Blue and makes a strong cosmetic impression. The body is straight and very solid. The paintwork is generally very nice, with a few superficial cracks at the corners of the apertures and the occasional light scratch, but otherwise few blemishes to report. The chrome is in very good condition with some waviness to the bumpers but no pitting or major scratches. The badges are original throughout and are all present, which is particularly important on these cars as many of these items are extremely difficult to find. The glass and lights are very good to excellent, including Carello headlamps. The front windscreen has a few marks but no major flaws. The car sits on correct Cromodora alloys with knock offs, and appear to be in very nice unrestored condition.

The interior is in fantastic original condition, which is all the more impressive because these cars were notorious for having interiors that were not very durable. The upholstery has the correct “snake skin” texture, as does the tonneau cover. The upholstery is in excellent shape, including the seats, door panels, console, and dashboard. There is one small area on the driver’s bolster where the piping has worn. The steering wheel has been refinished and looks excellent although there are some surface cracks in the finish that can be felt when handling the steering wheel. The dashboard trim, switches, and instruments are all in excellent original condition, as are the blue carpets.

The engine is impressively clean and well-detailed in its presentation. The correct grey hammertone finish is present on the airbox and is in excellent shape. The engine itself is also very clean and well-detailed and the decals are also present and very nice. The original windscreen washer fluid reservoir is also present. The inner fenders are also very nice and the correct Magnetti Marelli coil is present. The original Dinoplex ignition box comes with the car but is not currently installed. The distributor was rebuilt by specialists in the UK Superformance. The trunk is very good unrestored condition, with a few holes corn in the carpet but a nice honest presentation.

The car runs and drives very well. It is well tuned and starts easily. Naturally, it sounds like a Ferrari Dino, which is a fantastic car to sound like. Certain other aspects are very strongly reminiscent of the Ferrari experience, such as the sound of the fuel pump before starting, the air horns, and the Vitaloni side mirror. The gearbox has excellent synchromesh, and the clutch works as it should. The brakes are effective and the chassis and suspension are tight. Overall, the car is a pleasure to drive, being a usable, visceral, and capable car that pushes all the right buttons for a classic car driving experience.

This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a wonderfully original and unmolested Dino Spider. A rare late production 2.0 liter car, this car incorporates numerous mechanical updates while retaining the beauty and knock-off wheels of the early cars. This one is structurally original and extremely solid, and has a superb original interior. It has never needed to be restored and has a cohesiveness and honesty that is almost never present in restored cars. It runs and drives well and is ready to be enjoyed by an appreciative new owner who will particularly enjoy how much nicer this example is than the majority of Fiat Dinos out there. It comes with owner’s manual, jack, knock-off hammer, and original tool roll with tools.

The above vehicle information is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated. All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. Vehicles are subject to prior sale. All advertised to be true but not guaranteed. We assume no liability for errors or omissions.

Inquire About This Car

Fantasy Junction  •  510-653-7555  •  1145 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608