Sleek and Sporty: Fiat Dino Ginevra's Rise to Automotive Stardom
UNique ONES - In the illustrious epoch of 1960s sports cars, a treasure trove of legendary automotive creations emerged, with many hidden gems now lost to modern enthusiasts. Among these, the Fiat Dino Ginevra, crafted by Paolo Martin in 1968 for Pininfarina, stands as a testament to the era's automotive brilliance.
The Fiat Dino Ginevra Concept designed by Paulo Martin of Pininfarina stands as a testament to the era's automotive brilliance. (Picture from: ConceptCarz)
Evolved from the Fiat Dino design of the preceding year, this sports coupe envisioned by Martin showcased a front-mounted engine borrowed from the Ferrari Dino, capturing the essence of high-performance elegance. Originally presented as the Dino Berlinetta Aerodinamica at the 1967 Paris Auto Show, the model later adopted the moniker "Dino Ginevra," aligning more closely with public expectations and the potential for small-scale production.
The Fiat Dino Ginevra Concept showcased a front-mounted engine borrowed from the Ferrari Dino, capturing the essence of high-performance elegance. (Picture from: CarFolio)
This creation was born out of the necessity to meet FIA homologation requirements, as Ferrari aimed to enter Formula-2 racing with its 2.0-liter V6 engine. FIA mandated the production of 500 such engines annually, a target beyond Ferrari's manufacturing capacity but achievable by Fiat. An agreement was reached to produce the required quad-cam V6, with the condition that it could be shared. The name 'Dino' paid homage to Enzo Ferrari's late son, Alfredo 'Dino' Ferrari, who passed away at 24.
The Fiat Dino Ginevra Concept originally presented as the Dino Berlinetta Aerodinamica at the 1967 Paris Auto Show.(Picture from: ConceptCarz)
The sleek and modern body styling of the Fiat Dino Ginevra rested on a 100.4-inch wheelbase platform, featuring horizontal front areas, pop-up headlights, a rear fastback, and BMC-type patterned side sections. The roof design was elegantly sloped, eliminating the vertical rear window in favor of homologated rear lights identical to the standard Dino.
The Fiat Dino 2000 Spider by Pininfarina produced during 1966 to 1969, powered by an 2,000 liter V6 powerplant. (Picture from: AutoViva)
Under the hood, a 2.0-liter 65-degree V6 engine with dual overhead camshafts, one pair of valves per cylinder, generated approximately 160 horsepower at 7,200 rpm and 127 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm, propelling the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential—a groundbreaking feature for Fiat.
The Fiat Dino Coupe with a 270 mm longer wheelbase, had designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Bertone. (Picture from: AMKlassiek)
The Fiat Dino made its debut as a 2-seater Spider at the Turin Motor Show in October 1966, followed by a 2+2 Coupé version with a 270 mm longer wheelbase, showcased at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1967. The distinct lines of the two bodies reflected the craftsmanship of two different coachbuilders—Pininfarina for the Spider and Bertone, where Giorgetto Giugiaro had sketched the design, for the Coupé.
The Fiat Dino Spider 2400 produced during 1969 to 1973, featured greater all-around driving flexibility with enhanced torque from their larger-displacement 2,400 liter V6 powerplant. (Picture from: GoodingCo)
Pininfarina and Bertone were responsible for producing the Spider and Coupé bodies, respectively. Fiat assembled 2.0-liter and early 2.4-liter cars in Rivalta di Torino until December 1969, when production shifted to Maranello, joining Ferrari's production line alongside the Ferrari 246 GT until 1973.
The Fiat Dino's production during 1966 to 1973 yielded 3,670 2.0-liter coupés and 1,163 2.0-liter spiders. Among them, the 2400 Spider claimed rarity, with only 420 units ever produced. And Coupés accounted for 74% of the total 7,803 Fiat Dino units, leaving Spiders in the minority at 26%. This distribution reflects the enduring popularity of the Coupé variant. ✨Happy Holiday...⛄*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI | CONCEPTCARZ | CARANDDRIVER | CARFOLIO | WIKIPEDIA ]
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Sleek and Sporty: Fiat Dino Ginevra's Rise to Automotive Stardom
Evolved from the Fiat Dino design of the preceding year, this sports coupe envisioned by Martin showcased a front-mounted engine borrowed from the Ferrari Dino, capturing the essence of high-performance elegance. Originally presented as the Dino Berlinetta Aerodinamica at the 1967 Paris Auto Show, the model later adopted the moniker "Dino Ginevra," aligning more closely with public expectations and the potential for small-scale production.
This creation was born out of the necessity to meet FIA homologation requirements, as Ferrari aimed to enter Formula-2 racing with its 2.0-liter V6 engine. FIA mandated the production of 500 such engines annually, a target beyond Ferrari's manufacturing capacity but achievable by Fiat. An agreement was reached to produce the required quad-cam V6, with the condition that it could be shared. The name 'Dino' paid homage to Enzo Ferrari's late son, Alfredo 'Dino' Ferrari, who passed away at 24.
The Fiat Dino's production during 1966 to 1973 yielded 3,670 2.0-liter coupés and 1,163 2.0-liter spiders. Among them, the 2400 Spider claimed rarity, with only 420 units ever produced. And Coupés accounted for 74% of the total 7,803 Fiat Dino units, leaving Spiders in the minority at 26%. This distribution reflects the enduring popularity of the Coupé variant. ✨Happy Holiday...⛄ *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI | CONCEPTCARZ | CARANDDRIVER | CARFOLIO | WIKIPEDIA ]
