The Abarth's most outstanding car design of the '50s

So far, the public had thought that the Abarth is synonymous with Fiat. The opinion is actually not wrong, as we can see the most of its cars are built based on the Fiat cars, moreover, the brand has also been acquired by that Italian automotive giant to become its subsidiary in the 1971.

1953 Abarth 1100 Sport coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia is displayed for the first time at the 1953 Turin Motor Show. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/32gWFUh)

Actually the Carlo Abarth established the auto brand in 1947 as an independent car manufacturer, and not affiliated with any other brands. As we all know, Abarth progressed to become an independent automaker is started with a couple of half-finished Cisitalia 2013 car types, then completing the cars and named the Abarth 204A.

Interior view of the 1953 Abarth 205 Sports 1100 coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3mQLzgu)

In 1950, this Turin-based company is managed to make a new chassis and body, then installed  a Fiat 1100 upgraded engine on it and launched as the Abarth 205. However, as the car is considered more expensive than the Ferrari 166, so only three examples (some parties said four units) had ever produced by the company.

1953 Abarth 1100 Sport coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia uses a Fiat's V8 upgraded engine. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3mQLzgu)

Then one unit of the 205 was handed over to the Italian coachbuilder named Carrozzeria Ghia. And those unit then recieving coachwork by Ghia and an engine and transmission developed from the new Fiat 1100-103, but whoever commissioned the coachbuilder to create the Abarth 1100 Sport remains a mystery even to this day.

From this kind of the Abarth 205 (in picture is the 1950 Abarth 205 Vignale Berlinetta) then Ghia constructed the Abarth 205 Sports 1100. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2JBt5Ch)

The unusual car design is believed to have been done by Giovanni Michelotti and was constructed concurrently with the Ghia-bodied Chrysler of the same period. There were some of the design cues from the Ghia-bodied Chrysler also incorporated into this Abarth model include a broad oval grille opening, canopy-like roof element, and wide low posture.

1953 Abarth 205 1100 Sport sold to Bill Vaughn who later displayed it at the 1954 New York Auto Show as 'Vaughn SS Wildcat'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3mQLzgu)

The Italian coachbuilder presented the Berlinetta version for the first time at the Turin Motor Show in 1953 called the Abarth 205 Number Four. Then the Abarth sold to the American singer named Bill Vaughn, who later displayed it at the 1954 New York Auto Show as 'Vaughn SS Wildcat' featured with 'the first overhead camshaft V8 in the USA.'

Vaughn had envisioned that would work with Ghia to produce a small series of this car by using a V8 engine. Although until the end this dream never came true and this car remains the only one that ever existed.

Abarth 1100 Ghia (VIN 205-104), built toghether with her twin based on a Simca Chassis (Simca on the left). (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3mQLzgu)

The whereabouts of the car ever had not known for several decades, before it was re-discovered in 1982 by Russ Baer in a barn in Ashton, Maryland and ultimately saved by Pat Braden, both of whom helped to preserve the car.

Likewise the next two owners, before entered the care of a collector in 2010 who spent the next five years in a thorough and correct restoration. The work involves researching the authenticity and accuracy of each component. Upon completion, the car was shown at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it won its class and was nominated for Best of Show. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DYLER.COM | CONCEPTCARZ.COM | DRIVETRIBE.COM | CARSTYLING.RU ]

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One of the rare classic racing car, Ford GT Competition Prototype

For the American automotive giant, Ford Motor Company, the figure of the 1965 Ford GT Competition Roadster is one of the historic cars for them. Because the Ford GT Roadster car with chassis number #109 is the only Ford GT Roadster to have competed in the Le Mans race in 1965. Furthermore, the GT (Grand Touring) labeled car is equipped with a Ford V8 engine, which has various specifications ranging from 4.2 liters, 4.7 liters, to 7.0 liters.

1965 Ford GT Competition Roadster prototype. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2TPx9Rc)

As quoted from Carscoops, the Ford GT Competition has a pretty fantastic record in the American automotive giant racing history, in which the car is also known as a part of the Ford Motor Company effort to beat Ferrari in a prestigious world's racing event such 24 Hours of Le Mans, after the Italian company refused to be bought by Ford in the 1960s.

1965 Ford GT Competition Roadster prototype. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2TPx9Rc)

This car is built on the same platform as the famous Ford GT40. At that time, Ford only made 12 units of the Ford GT prototype. Five of them are prototypes built in the roadster format. Currently, only three units of the Ford GT Roadster are existed, namely the roadster with chassis numbers #108, #109, and #111, and of all the roadsters, the GT/109 is the only one has the most prestigious track record and a unique historical journey as well.

1965 Ford GT Competition Roadster prototype. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2TPx9Rc)

And what is even more amazing is that it is the earliest Ford GTs ever produced. Yes, this car was built by Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England to compete with other competitors in the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 1965. But when competing at the Le Mans circuit with Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier behind the wheel, this Ford car is stopped due to experiencing the gearbox problem on the 11th-laps. After that, the GT/109 was sent to America for repair, and for the next three years, it served as a test vehicle for the racing and passenger car components.

1965 Ford GT Competition Roadster prototype. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2TPx9Rc)

In 1968, when the car has been retired and stored in a Ford warehouse in Detroit then it's purchased by a Californian auto builder and Hollywood's stuntman named Dean Jeffries who continued to maintain the car until he died in 2013. Soon Ford's racing car ownership had changed after being purchased by Dana Mecum from Dean Jeffries' son.

Then Dana Mecum commissioned a famous restoration house of Harley Cluxton III from GTC Mirage Racing to carry out the process of restoring the car so that it looks new again. Now the Ford GT Competition Prototype #109 is claimed to be one of the most desirable cars in the world.

So do not be surprised if Mecum Auction in July 2020 then estimates that this car can be sold at the starting prices of the US. $7.5 million to $10 million (or approximately Rp.112.5 billion and above). *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSCOOPS | ]

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One-off Exner Jr. SIMCA Special Roadster

This is one and the only car that was born from the magic hand scratches of Virgil Exner Jr., a well-known American automotive designer that has used as his thesis when completing the Master's program at the University of Notre Dame, France in 1955.

The unique-styled SIMCA Special designed by Virgil Exner Jr. as his thesis when completing the Master's program at the University of Notre Dame in 1955. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37NaFIU)

This rear double-wings car body that resembles a batmobile is made of fiberglass and worked on by Virgil Exner Jr. himself at the Dual-Ghia assembly plant. This unique car building work was carried out on a 1950 Fiat 1100 chassis which was purchased with the help of Paul Farago, a Dual-Ghia's engineer.

The used 1950 Fiat 1100 car mechanically was a SIMCA which later in this project functioned as a donor for the chassis and mechanical parts. As information, the SIMCA is a French car manufacturer founded in 1934 by Fiat. The construction work of this unique car carrying a  SIMCA-Fiat's 1,200 cc, 4 cylinder engine lasted about 3 years (1956 to 1959).

Finally, the one-off Virgil Exner Jr unique car creation named SIMCA Special has finished being built and its visual debut featured on the pages of the American magazine 'Road & Track' in April 1959 and then for the first time the car's physical form can be seen and touched in the SIMCA's booth at the 1959 Paris International Motor Show.

The unique-styled SIMCA Special built based on the used 1950 Fiat 1100 car mechanically was a SIMCA which later in this project functioned as a donor for the chassis and mechanical parts. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37NaFIU)

After that, this car was sold to a Chrysler dealer who showed it off for years in their showroom. In 1965, the car was purchased by one of Exner's associates named Beau Hickory. And during Hickory's care, the car got the addition of the Opel's panoramic and central cockpit arch windscreen.

Then the car's ownership changed after Hickory sold it to a fanatic fan of French cars in America. But in 1985, Hickory found the car in a neglected condition and the engine had been swapped for a Datsun B210's 1,200 cc, 4 cylinder engine. Then he decided to purchase it back and did restoration work on this car at once.

While in Beau Hickory care, the unique-styled SIMCA Special got the addition of the Opel's panoramic and central cockpit arch windscreen. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37NaFIU)

And after the restoration process was complete, the car was driven by Beau Hickory for years around San Francisco. Although the engine has been swapped, the rest of the car retains much of Exner Jr.’s original styling cues. And during that time, the SIMCA Special roadster car received good publications and was featured in, among others, the Motor Trend, Vanity Fair, Men's Health and Self.

Initially, the unique-styled SIMCA Special uses a SIMCA-Fiat's 1,200 cc, 4 cylinder engine before swapped with a Datsun B210's 1,200 cc, 4 cylinder engine. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37NaFIU)

In early 2005, the car was offered for sale at auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bidding reached $185,000 but was not enough to satisfy reserve. In 2007, it returned to auction, this time on the east coast at the Kruse auction in Hershey, where it sold for $550,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

In 2012, the car is scheduled to cross Mecum's auction block where it is offered at No Reserve. It was put up for sale in the USA by Dana Mecum’s at its "25th Original Spring Classic Auction", which took place on May 15-16, 2012. Do You know the Mecum's auction results above? If does, let's Us know through the comment section below. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CONCEPTCARZ.COM | CARSTYLING.RU | JOURNAL.CLASSICCARS.COM | WIKIPEDIA]

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Ford GT70, the hero with no podium

High-performance car development projects are often carried out by world-renowned manufacturers as an effort to maintain the achievements that have been achieved in the racing arena by their previous cars. This was also done by Ford Motor Company, one of the leading American automotive manufacturers when it started making the Ford GT70 sports car with the hope of being the successor to its legendary Ford GT40 sports car.

The Ford GT70 is the Ford GT You never knew existed. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/34zq2CL)

Then to make it happen, the Ford Motor Company immediately developed the car at its Brentwood-based subsidiary, Ford of Britain. And this special Ford GT70 project aims to realize a capable racing car figure that complies with the FIA standard homogenization rules so that it can compete in the World Rally Championship.

The Ford GT70 is wrapped by the BP-legendary racing livery. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3jCifbD)

As quoted from Wikipedia, the Ford GT70 project was started in 1970 and the physical form of the car was designed by Ercole Spada, an Italian designer who had worked for the famous design house Zagato. When traced from its lineage in the Ford Motor Company manufacturing environment, this race car candidate is arguably the younger brother of the Ford GT40 and is expected to be able to compete with rivals' high-speed rally cars such as the Porsche 911 and Renault Alpine.

So it is not surprising that the maker was not half-hearted when undergoing this GT70 project, where the car figure featuring a center-mounted engine with rear-wheel drive in its development also involved Len Bailey, who had been the chief engineer on the previous Ford GT40 project, was asked to help design the bodywork and chassis.

Interior view of the Ford GT70. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/34zq2CL)

Initially, this car was powered by a 2.6-liter, V6 engine taken from the Capri RS2600 which is capable of spraying power up to 240 bhp. Do not stop there, the Ford GT70 is also built on a lightweight special chassis, then covered with an aerodynamic body, and also installed with some of the best racing components. Yes, it is known that the GT70s does use a fiberglass body to keep the weight light, is equipped with four 13-inches studs, and four-spoke wheels designed especially for the car by Len Bailey.

When the Ford GT70 used in the rally events, it never got its winning podium so it was considered not up to expectations because it experienced many problems such as the frame not being stiff enough, the cockpit being cramped, and its V6 engine installed inside the original car having too high a center of gravity and etc.

Initially, the Ford GT70 is uses a 2.6-liter, V6 rear-mounted engine taken from the Capri RS2600 which is capable of spraying power up to 240 bhp. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/34zq2CL)

Then Ford Motor Company decided to cease the GT70 project in 1973 and more focused on empowering all of its resources in the Ford Escort platform development which was considered more promising. As a result, during the GT70 project rolled in, it was only able to produce 6 cars. And one of these GT70 cars ran by Ford of France which later swapped its V6 with a 1.6-liter Cosworth BDA straight-four engine in order to reduce the center of gravity for racing.

If We look again, it's not just the GT70 sports car, which initially was predicted as the successor to the legendary Ford GT40 breed, but ended up being a failed project. But it turns out that there is still one more failed project developed by the American manufacturer, namely one and the only Ford GT90 ever made in 1995. So actually the Ford GT breed consists of the Ford GT40, Ford GT70, Ford GT90, and finally the Ford GT that We've seen today. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | AUTOMOBILEMAG]

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Only James Bond who ever drove this Toyota 2000GT Roadster

The world are shocked when knew, Sean Connery, the legendary great actor known for his roles as James Bond, reportedly died at the age of 90, Saturday, October 31, 2020. His death was confirmed by his family, and the BBC reported that the actor died in his sleep while in Nassau, Bahama.

1967 Toyota 2000GT Roadster which only made 2 units is drove by James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1967 movie-titled 'You Only Live Twice'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2JrmTgj)

Apart from appearing as Secret Agent 007, Sean Connery is also known to have played in films such as The Wind and the Lion, The Man Who Would Be King, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Sean Connery also won an Academy Awards for the Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987) and many others.

1964 Aston Martin DB5 is drove by James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1964 movie-titled 'Goldfinger'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37YpPLB)

So when we talk about the character as James Bond, played by the late Sean Connery, whose figure is always familiar with the sophisticated sports cars that always accompany him in every action. Maybe the 007 secret agent fans only know the exotic and iconic British car named Aston Martin DB5 which was driven by the late Sean Connery when he played James Bond.

1967 Toyota 2000GT Roadster which only made 2 units is drove by James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1967 movie-titled 'You Only Live Twice'.. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37Z3RIh)

Did You know, apart from those British sports cars, it turns out that there is another car that is no less cool and iconic called the Toyota 2000GT which was used by him when acting as James Bond in the 1967 movie-titled 'You Only Live Twice'.

1967 Toyota 2000GT Roadster which only made 2 units is drove by James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1967 movie-titled 'You Only Live Twice'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2GlfZrM)

As we already know, this car is the first supercar made by the Japanese automotive giant, Toyota in 1967, in which the creation process also involved Yamaha, another Japanese automotive manufacturer. This car can be said to be a revolutionary car from a Japanese manufacturer, from a manufacturer that is known for its less attractive products, but then with the presence of this figure it can prove that the Japanese can also make a sports car that can match their European and American rivals.

1967 Toyota 2000GT Roadster which only made 2 units is drove by James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1967 movie-titled 'You Only Live Twice'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2GlfZrM)

A total of 351 units in the form of a sports coupe were sold. This happened because the price was very expensive, exceeding the price of the Porsche and Jaguar at that time. Mostly sold in red and white. This Toyota 2000GT car is known to be driven by a 3M-coded engine, with a capacity of 1,988 cc, 6 cylinder in line, DOHC which is taken from the Toyota Crown. This engine was modified by Yamaha to use 3 2-barrel Mikuni-Solex 40 PHH carburetors and mated to a 5-speed manual transmission system.

1967 Toyota 2000GT Roadster which only made 2 units is drove by James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1967 movie-titled 'You Only Live Twice'. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2GlfZrM)

But the legendary Toyota 2000GT that James Bond rode is so iconic that Daniel Craig, the current James Bond actor, admits that the car is his favorite. What makes it so special is that the Toyota 2000GT Roadster used by the Brit's 007 secret agent only produced two units.

So the Toyota 2000GT Roadster model was never mass-produced by the Japanese automotive giant and was only made specifically for the purposes of this movie. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HEMMINGS ]

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We Share Our Condolences

This article is dedicated to the memory of the late Sir Thomas Sean Connery, a legendary great actor who passed away in Nassau, Bahamas on October 31, 2020. 

"In sorrow, we mourn those lost. In gratitude, we embrace those around us. In sympathy, we reach out to those who grieve. May the peace that comes from the memories of love shared comfort you now and in the days ahead. He has left us but memory they left will stay forever in our heart."

One-Off Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione by Pininfarina

After some time ago we discussed one of the car species bearing the prancing horse logo which is scarce and rarely seen to the public called the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale made by Pininfarina in 1965. Now we will discuss other Ferrari Dino cars that are no less cool, namely the 1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione which is also the work of those Turin-based coachbuilder company.

The 1 of 1 1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione Prototipo by Pininfarina. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ou1nHy)

This car is so cool because it has a shape that is very different from the previous Ferrari Dino model, such it has a a unique fishbowl-style cockpit features and a very low driving position. This unique car was created only as a design study and not for production purposes, with many design elements clearly influenced by the 1967 Dino 206 GT.

1966 Ferrari Dino 206 Sports Racer, on which the Competizione is built based of. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ou1nHy)

At that time, Ferrari asked the Pininfarina design house to build a road-legal supercar using racing car techniques and technology. This car is designed by Paolo Martin and built on one of the 18 chassis Ferrari Dino 206SP racing cars in the 1966. It's no surprise that the designer borrowed heavily from the 206SP.

1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione has many unique features such fishbowl-style cockpit, duck-beak front wing, rear spoiler, cobalt-blue racing harnesses and also gull-wing doors. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ou1nHy)

However, the Dino 206 Competizione also carries several distinctive features, such as the gull wing door styled. Originally, the car designed by Paolo Martin did not feature wings, but later that was added because Pininfarina thought wings helped the perception they were more at the forefront of racing technology. This car is now equipped with a duck-beak front wing, rear spoiler, and also cobalt-blue racing harnesses that give a more characteristic impression.

1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione with its gull-wing doors opened. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ou1nHy)

The engine used is the same engine used by the 3 Ferrari Dino racing cars that competed in the 1966 LeMans race, which is a 6-cylinder mid-mounted longitudinal engine. And the fully functional Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione prototype made its first appearance in public at the 1967 Frankfurt Auto Show.

1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione uses a 6-cylinder mid-mounted longitudinal engine. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ou1nHy)

After that the Pininfarina design house kept it in their own museum in Turin until 2007, when the famous Ferrari collector James Glickenhaus bought it from them and sent it to the United States. Now this unique yellow-colored car is one of Jim Glickenhaus's personal collections and accompanies other Ferrari models that have previously been in his collection such as the Ferrari P4/5 and P4/5 Competizione, Ferrari 512S Modulo Comcept.

That's it, and if the article above is still considered inadequate or inaccurate, or if you have additional information related to the 1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione, please don't hesitate to let us know via the comments column below this article. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | 95CUSTOMS ]

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The rarest Lancia B20 Aurelia Barchetta

It was in the 1950s when racing events became very interesting with the inclusion of so many teams ranging from well-known brands to individuals. At that time the racing cars fighting on the track seemed to have the same shape, namely the open-top sports car, aka the barchetta. And one of them is the Lancia racing car below.

1954 Lancia 'Aurelia' Barchetta by Conrero is sat on display at the 36th Annual Auto e Moto d’Epoca in Padova, Italy on October, 2019. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/35myILO)

Indeed, there is not much and not very clear information about this 1950s classic racing car that are said to have been made andwore the Lancia emblem, due to there are a few and limited sources that provide valid information. So on this occasion we try to collect those few scattered informations and present it in an article about the figure of this classic racing car.

The Lancia 'Aurelia' Barchetta by Conrero is uses a V6, 2,500cc engine which is capable of bursting up to 118 horsepower. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3kx5MXS)

This classic racing car was part of the Lancia racing program in the early 1950s, building four of them for the 1953 Mille Miglia, where it did very well. According to finecars.cc, the rare classic racing car mentioned above is known as the Lancia B20 'Aurelia' Barchetta, it is made under commissioned by Virgillio Conrero for his racing team in the 1954 and its coachwork done by Stabilimenti Industriali Giovanni Farina of Turin.

1954 Lancia 'Aurelia' Barchetta by Conrero has a lightweight body due to it completely made of an aluminium and done by Stabilimenti Industriali Giovanni Farina of Turin. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3opmdba)

As quoted of collectorcarads, this car is known to be in Germany The red colored Lancia barchetta with the chassis number B20-3076, and engine number B20-2726 has been fully restored and is in mint condition. The Lancia barchetta sports car also has a lightweight body due to it completely made of an aluminium and uses a V6, 2,500cc engine which is capable of bursting up to 118 horsepower.

The Lancia 'Aurelia' Barchetta by Conrero raced at the 1954 Coppa d´oro delle Dolomiti and is drove by Cormons Ferri then finished in 28th position. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3kx5MXS)

The car is drove by Cormons Ferri at the 1954 Coppa d´oro delle Dolomiti in the over 2000cc sports car category. On the racing event, the entire laps were completed by this racing car in 3 hours 53'14" with an average speed of 78.153 kph and led it to end the race in 28th position. Also said, that the car once competed in the old Mille Miglia racing event in its heyday.

This is 1951 Lancia B20 'Aurelia' Barchetta is known to be at an auto dealer in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/35vqCAI)

Meanwhile, as quoted by Hemmings, another Lancia barchetta unit is known to be at an auto dealer in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. The car in question has a very smooth silver-colored body and said made in 1951 but was rebodied by Italian coachbuilder ATL in the late 1960's.

The Lancia B20 'Aurelia' Barchetta has a very smooth silver-colored body and said made in 1951 but was rebodied by Italian coachbuilder ATL in the late 1960's. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/35vqCAI)

Then there is another similar Lancia racing car whose bodywork was done by Pininfarina, a Turin-based coachbuilder in 1953, hereinafter known as the Lancia D23 Spyder and said it had raced at the 1953 Mille Miglia.

The Lancia D23 Spyder by Pininfarina ever had raced at the 1953 Mille Miglia. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/31Jxh9n)

That's it, and if the article above is still considered inadequate or inaccurate, or if you have additional information related to these Lancia classic racing cars, please don't hesitate to let us know via the comments column below this article. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | FINECARS.CC | AUTOEVOLUTION | COLLECTORCARADS.COM | VELOCETODAY.COM | WIKIPEDIA | CLASSICMOTO.RS | HEMMINGS | VIVA-LANCIA.COM | LANCIA.MYZEN.CO.UK]

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The most admired Ferrari Dino prototype by Enzo Ferrari in person

It is almost more than half a century since this special car was first introduced at the 1965 Paris Motor Show, at the Pininfarina stand and is designed by designer Aldo Brovarone. This prototype can be considered as the last prototype seen by Battista Farina, the founder of Pininfarina, as well as being one of the first models introduced by his son, Sergio Pininfarina.

Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale prototype by Pininfarina is debuted at the 52nd Paris Motor Show, in October 1965. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/35tZYYU)

This Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale is another revolutionary unique design, which is also the first prototype of a new generation of Ferrari's mid-engined cars. This model is draw by Sergio Pininfarina himself, after Enzo Ferrari ask him to create new cars that were markedly different from what was coming out of the Ferrari factory at the time.

Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale prototype by Pininfarina also known as the first prototype of a new generation of Ferrari's mid-engined cars. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/35tZYYU)

According to the story, the first design drawn by Sergio Pininfarina at that time was a car that had a grille like the one on the 330 P4 and the 250 GTO models. However, it was rejected by Enzo Ferrari, because he wanted a completely new design. Pininfarina went back to drawing and redesigning the front of the car, and the result is what you can see now a car with unique bubbles in the front and housing the four lights.

Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale prototype by Pininfarina has right-sided steering wheel with black dash in the red-creme nuanced cabin. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/31wkl6Q)

The model design has inspired many Ferrari car models and gave birth to the Ferrari 206 GT and 246 Dino versions. This prototype was built in record time on Type 585 tubular chassis, the 206 P competition chassis, and was completed just in time for the opening of the 52nd Paris Motor Show, in October 1965.

The side air intake, with an elongated shape that is part of the distinctive styling of this model, and also is said to cool the rear disc brakes. As in the Dino competition cars, this disc brake is the default brake. The rear window is curved, swept round to meet the sloping rear pillar which also forms a quarter pane size window.

Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale prototype by Pininfarina  uses a 1,987 cc DOHC 121.3-cubic-inch V6 engine, which is capable of bursting up 217 bhp of power. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/35tZYYU)

The rear panel is fitted with vents to allow hot air to escape from the engine compartment. Getting in and out of the cabin is also not easy, because the door frames are relatively low and wide following the structure of the car, and there are also two competition fuel tanks which are about 40 cm wide and connected to two fill points on the front wing.

As a competition car, the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale has a right steering wheel. The car is doused in the Ferrari's traditional red style, with the same color tones in the cabin, combined with a black dashboard and adjustable creme-striped seats.

Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale prototype by Pininfarina was finally sold by Artcurial at the Rétromobile 2017 event, worth €4,3 million or around Rp. 70 billion. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dNq8K6)

In terms of performance, the car is equipped with a 1,987 cc DOHC 121.3-cubic-inch V6 engine, which is capable of generating 217 bhp (162 kW) of power. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox with a short lever with a round polished aluminum cap that is a Ferrari-owned style and trademark. The engine speed counter is positioned in the center, flanked by an oil pressure gauge and vent, as well as a water temperature gauge pinned on the right.

 

Apart from the Paris Motor Show in 1965, the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale was also exhibited at several other events including the Turin Motor Show in November 1965 and the New York Motor Show in April 1966. This iconic Ferrari prototype car was finally sold by Artcurial at the Rétromobile 2017 event, worth €4,3 million or around Rp. 70 billion.

Sorry, the video above is not about the 1965 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Speciale by Pininfarina, but a video about the Ferrari Dino 50th Anniversary Mega Gathering that was held on June 30, 2018, at Maranello, whereas more than 150 Dinos and over 300 customers from all over the world that was present at the event formed a unique configuration that read as '50 Dino ANNI,' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the road debut of the first production car. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARNOSTALGIA.COM | CLASSICDRIVER.COM | PETROLICIOUS.COM]

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