The first Ferrari 246 was a Ferrari 246 F1 racing car built for the 1958 Formula 1 World Championship. According to the rules of these competitions, which were in force in 1954-1960, the volume of aspirated engines was limited to 2.5 liters. On the 246 F1 there was a 2.417-liter Dino V6 engine with a 65 angle between the cylinders. This was the first use of the V6 engine on Formula 1 cars. The rest of the 246 F1 was an ordinary front wheel drive vehicle. The dimensions of the car were 4030/1500/980 mm with a wheelbase of 2160 mm and a curb weight of 560 kg.
The performance turned out to be successful: the first place the pilot Mike Hawthorne in the races of the French Grand Prix in Reims and the second place in the competition of designers. In 1960, the car came first at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. In the same year, the Ferrari 246SP appeared, the first car of this brand with a middle engine layout. The engine remained the same, the gearbox was a manual 4-speed. The predecessor of the 246 F1 was the Ferrari 801 F1, and the successor in 1960 was the Ferrari 156 F1. Ferrari 246 Dino sports cars were produced from 1969 to 1974.
The predecessor was the Ferrari Dino 206 GT. Structurally, these were rear-wheel drive cars with an engine located in the middle. The Dino brand (that was the name of the son of Enzo Ferrari) defined models with less than 12 cylinders in the engine and assumed greater availability of such Ferrari cars due to their lower cost. Competitor Ferrari 246 was a Porshe 911. The index "246" was interpreted as "24" - engine capacity 2.4 l, "6" - the number of cylinders.
Ferrari 246 Dino was the first relatively affordable model of this manufacturer, quite a few drivers were able to appreciate its high road performance and outstanding design. In 2004, the 246th was named the sixth in the list of the best sports cars of the 70s. The design of the 246 by Scaglietti is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all Ferrari models, helped by perfect proportions and perfect smoothness of lines that can be achieved in a car.
It is worth noting that the car did not have the Ferrari logos and nameplates. The model was produced with berlinetta (coupe) GT and targa (spyder) GST bodies (after 1971), made of an alloy of iron. They were located on a strong ladder-type frame made of tubular steel. The 2.418-liter carburetor V6 DOHC engines with a cast-iron cylinder block were assembled at Fiat. The European version developed 195 hp at 7600 rpm, the torque reached 226.5 Nm / 5500 rpm. The version for the American market was less powerful - 175 hp The maximum speed of the model reached 235 km / h, and acceleration to 60 mph (or 96.56 km / h) was 7.1 s. The Ferrari 246 Dino drive fell on the rear wheels.
Version of the Ferrari 246 GST was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1972. Already known 195-horsepower V6 engine aggregated with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The most notable feature was the removable roof element - targa. Considering the fact that there were no other differences in the 246 GT and 246 GST design, we can assume that an increase of 20 kg to the equipped GST weight (1100 kg) fell on a removable roof.
Performance indicators of the 246 versions correspond to the features of all Ferrari: very frisky Italian “horses”, perfected controllability and characteristic sound of Ferrari motors. From 1969 to 1974, 3761 Ferrari 246 GT cars (2487 units) and 246 GST (1274) were produced. In parallel, produced similar car Fiat Dino. The successor model was the Ferrari 308. Despite the fact that the release of the model Ferrari 246 Dino has long been completed, the car is still the object of worship of many fans of this brand.
