5 vehicles that aren’t fairly prancing horses

You could already know the story behind essentially the most iconic Ferrari that isn’t a Ferrari — the Dino GT. But it surely bears repeating, because it’s a becoming introduction to the listing of vehicles that, though not purebred Ferraris, nonetheless need to be talked about in the identical breath because the legendary model.

Designed by Pininfarina and constructed by Scaglietti, two storied coachbuilders answerable for among the most costly and delightful basic Ferraris, the Dino GT is known as after Enzo Ferrari’s son, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari. Nicely, technically it’s named after the 1.5 liter V6 engine that his son designed, which is what’s below the hood of the Dino GT.

Tragically, Dino had muscular dystrophy and handed away when he was solely 24. His ultimate days within the hospital have been spent engaged on the technical specs of his engine. After his demise, as a tribute to his son, Ferrari not solely constructed the engine, his staff went racing with it and he badged a brand new marque of street vehicles to honor his son.

As we speak, it’s widespread to see Dino GTs listed as “Ferarri Dino GTs,” as little or no separates these extremely wanted sports activities vehicles from fashions of the complete Ferrari model.

In actual fact, with a transferring private story behind them and iconic styling from their mid-engine structure, they’re simply as fascinating (if no more so) than another Ferrari, even when they’re not “truly Ferraris.” By some means the very fact they’re not makes all of them the extra reliable. In any case, Motor Development Basic as soon as rated the Dino GT #7 on their high 10 listing of “Biggest Ferraris of all time.”

The Ferrari that’s a Fiat

For those who’ve seen Ford v Ferrari, you already know that after Ferrari turned down Ford, he partnered with Fiat as a substitute. Enter the Fiat Dino. Which, as you in all probability guessed, has the identical engine because the Dino GT. There’s a motive for that.

To be able to race the engine, Ferrari wanted to construct sufficient vehicles utilizing it to fulfill what’s known as homologation. Principally, to maintain issues aggressive, producers usually have to promote a sure variety of street vehicles to have the ability to discipline supped up variations of them on the observe.

Ferrari within the mid 60s didn’t have the size to provide the five hundred vehicles wanted to homologate Dino’s engine for racing in Formula 2. So he struck a deal. Fiat would construct the engines together with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports activities automobile — a cousin to the aforementioned Dino GT. Though these vehicles share the identical engine, they couldn’t be extra completely different in styling.

Personally, I favor the coupé type of the Fiat Dino over the Dino GT, which though it has the “GT” in its title, visually lacks lots of the cues often related to a grand tourer: consolation and rest over long-distance drives chief amongst them.

The Fiat has these qualities in spades. It’s extra of a cruiser than a racer. But it surely’s no slouch on the subject of pedigree. Though this can be a Fiat and never a real Ferrari, it was designed by “Automobile Designer of the Century” Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone.

Enable me to rattle off a few of Giugiaro’s best hits: the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB Speciale. The Maserati Ghibli. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Dash GT. The Lotus Esprit. The VW Golf Mk1 for God’s sake…and — Nice Scott!— he even designed the DeLorean.

However in the event you’re on the lookout for just a few extra curves in your design, don’t fear, Fiat’s obtained you coated. The Fiat Dino additionally got here in a really completely different trying Spider model that had extra in widespread with the Dino GT.

That’s as a result of this model was designed by Pininfarina, who have been additionally answerable for the Dino GT. It’s a small world, this area of interest of Ferraris that aren’t Ferraris, and it’s about to get even smaller. That’s as a result of the subsequent automobile on our listing is definitely nicknamed the “Ferrarina,” or “little Ferrari.”

The little Ferrari

You’d be forgiven in the event you’d by no means heard of ASA — or Autocostruzioni Societa per Azioni. Speak about a small producer: they solely operated for eight years. However they constructed what’s, in my view, one of the vital stunning vehicles of the 60s. The ASA 1000 GT “Ferrarina,” also called the “Mille.” Simply take a look at it.

Wait a minute Alex, you is perhaps pondering, that appears actually much like the Fiat Dino coupé. Nicely, what did I say about this being a small world? Brace yourselves: it was none apart from Giorgetto Giugiaro who, amongst an unimaginable listing of different best hits, additionally designed the Ferrarina.

Improvement of what would finally turn out to be the ASA 1000 GT truly started in-house at Ferrari within the late 50s. Enzo Ferrari even used one of many prototypes as his private automobile. However the marque misplaced curiosity in what was supposed to be an entry stage car. Most Ferraris that aren’t Ferraris began life as makes an attempt to decrease the barrier of entry to the fabled model. However ultimately, Ferrari all the time favored sustaining exclusivity and low manufacturing sizes.

So the 1000 GT was handed off to the newly shaped ASA, which had shut ties to Ferrari. Living proof: Giotto Bizzarrini, one other well-known title seen on the suitable right here, comes into the image. Chief of sports activities automobile improvement at Ferrari till he left the corporate in the course of the “Nice Walkout” (a narrative for one more time), Bizzarrini developed the Ferrarina’s chassis, derived from the 250 GTO, and street examined the completed automobile.

The hyperlinks to Ferrari have been by no means hidden. In actual fact, fairly the other. It was extensively identified how concerned Ferrari was within the Ferrarina’s improvement — therefore the title. It was pretty widespread for brand spanking new house owners of the ASA 1000 GT to have them resprayed in Ferrari red, a coloration not truly supplied by the manufacturing unit.

It’s a typical story for all Ferraris that aren’t Ferraris, whether or not they’re Dinos, Fiats, or ASAs, that their house owners usually tried (for apparent causes) to deepen the connection to the extra rarefied Ferrari model. Which leads us to our ultimate instance — a Ferrari that’s truly a…Sunbeam?

The North American Racing Staff

Energetic from 1958 to 1982, the N.A.R.T. is extensively thought of one of the vital profitable privateering racing groups. Arrange by Luigi Chinetti, a extremely profitable driver in his personal proper and Ferrari’s manufacturing unit agent within the US who opened the primary, and for a few years, solely Ferrari dealership within the nation, the N.A.R.T.’s emblem pairs the cavallino rampante on iconic yellow with the American flag.

Though the staff completely raced Ferraris and had direct help from mechanics again on the manufacturing unit in Maranello, there was an fascinating exception made for automobile #55 on the 1963 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race: a 1961 Sunbeam Harrington Alpine. The primary and solely British sports activities automobile to ever put on the Ferrari emblem — properly, the N.A.R.T.’s emblem not less than.

Pushed by Filippo Theodoli, an advertiser whose accounts included Ferrari, and who was additionally a detailed private pal of Chinetti’s, the Sunbeam shared pit area with the N.A.R.T. crew. Though Theodoli completed thirty sixth total, the automobile got here away with a fairly particular prize: the honour of sporting the Ferrari emblem for having been a part of the motion with the higher-finishing “actual” Ferraris.

John Surtees partnered with Ludovico Scarfiotti gained the race in a Ferrari 250 P, and 6 out of the highest ten vehicles have been Ferraris. That is how dominant they have been proper because the Ford v Ferrari period started. But it surely’s the Sunbeam, nonetheless emblazoned with the N.A.R.T. emblem to today, that continues to be one of the vital fascinating vehicles of the race.

For higher photographs of #55, in wonderful coloration (which I can’t submit right here for apparent copyright causes), take a look at these articles from The Wall Avenue Journal and Basic Driver.

If I might journey again in time to attend any motorsport occasion, the 1963 12 Hours of Sebring would definitly be excessive up there on my listing. Trying via photographs of the occasion, attempting to identify the Ferrari that was truly a Sunbeam, you see one legendary determine after one other: John Surtees, Bruce McLaren, Phil Hill, Ken Miles, Graham Hill, Carroll Shelby.

No Enzo Ferrari—nevertheless it’s positive enjoyable to think about him standing there within the pits questioning why one in every of his vehicles was truly a two 12 months outdated Sunbeam chugging alongside in thirty sixth place.

Have you learnt of another Ferraris that aren’t Ferraris? Let me know within the feedback. Oh, and in the event you occur to personal one of many few remaining ASA 1000 GTs…hit me up. I’d love to provide one a spin sometime.