Guide: Piccolo P - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Ferrari Dino 206 S
BACKGROUND
For 1966, dramatic rule changes were made to the World Sportscar Championship.
The main event, known as the International Manufacturers Championship, would no longer be decided by production-based GT cars but purebred Prototypes without an upper engine limit nor any minimum production requirement.
In addition to the Group 6 class, the FIA organised a category for Group 4 Sports cars which had to meet a 50 unit production requirement. These vehicles would contest the International Sportscar Championship.
Group 6 and Group 4 cars would run alongside one another at most World Championship events although points were not always on offer for both classes at every round.
Group 3 Grand Touring cars were also still permitted to run at the majority of events, but there was no longer a World Championship contest for them.
At the annual Maranello press conference in February 1966, Ferrari unveiled a pair of new racing cars to contest both the Group 6 and Group 4 classes: the V12-engined 330 P3 would target outright race wins in Group 6 while the V6-powered Dino 206 S was designed to contest the under two-litre Group 4 category.
In line with Group 4 regulations, Ferrari planned to build 50 examples of the Dino 206 S. Some of these would be reserved for works use, some allocated to distributor teams and the remainder sold to privateers.
The new car was based on the one-off experimental Dino 166 P / 206 P with which Ludovico Scarfiotti had famously won the 1965 European Mountain Championship.
Initially the 206 S was expected to go head-to-head with Porsche’s new 906 in Group 4, however, owing to nation-wide labour strikes, Ferrari was still massively short of meeting the 50-car homologation requirement by the time the 206 S made its competition debut at the Sebring 12 Hour World Championship race on March 26th 1966.
Despite having therefore been forced to compete in the Group 6 Prototype category, Scarfiotti and Lorenzo Bandini gave the new car an impressive maiden outing by finishing fifth overall and second in class (behind the as yet still-to-be-homologated 906).
CHASSIS
The Formula-type Tipo 585 semi-monocoque chassis adopted by the Dino 206 S was derived from the 166 P / 206 P seen during 1965. It comprised a lightweight tubular framework with stressed alloy and fibreglass panels riveted in place. The original 2280mm wheelbase was retained. Sill-mounted fuel tanks had an overall capacity of 100-litres.
Suspension was independent all round via unequal-length wishbones, coil springs and telescopic Koni shock absorbers. An anti-roll bar was installed at each end.
Instead of the Dunlop brakes seen on the 166 P / 206 P, the 206 S ran ventilated discs supplied by Girling. As before, these were mounted outboard at the front and inboard at the rear.
Two Campagnolo wheel styles were used: the same five-spoke type from 1965 and a new ten-hole design that looked similar to those fitted to the P3. Both versions were fashioned from magnesium alloy and had a 13-inch diameter. As per the Montagna-spec 206 P, the fronts were 5.5-inches wide and the rears were 7-inches wide. Dunlop R7 tyres were normally used.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
In the engine bay was the latest iteration of Franco Rocchi’s revised Vittorio Jano-designed 65° V6.
Rocchi had created a revamped version of the Jano motor to facilitate Ferrari’s return to Formula 2 racing. At the beginning of 1965, the FIA had announced that new F2 regulations would come into effect from 1967 with engines limited to a maximum of 1.6-litres and six cylinders and subject to a minimum production requirement of 500 units. The engine blocks had to be used in 500 road-going production cars built within a twelve month timeframe.
Enzo Ferrari considered his Dino V6 to be the perfect basis for a 1600cc F2 powerplant, but as his firm did not have the production capacity to make the 500 V6-powered road cars in such a short period, he signed a cooperation agreement in March 1965 that would see Fiat produce a new line of models in sufficient numbers to allow the V6 engine to be homologated for use in a Dino-badged Ferrari F2 car for the ‘67 season.
Ahead of this, Ferrari elected to run a Sports-Prototype programme with the Rocchi V6 which saw the engine campaigned throughout 1965 in both 1.6 and 2-litre trim. A further improved version was then developed for this car: the Dino 206 S of 1966.
Another dry-sumped, all-alloy unit with dual overhead camshafts per bank, this latest iteration of the Dino V6 came with redesigned cylinder heads that featured modified port angles and combustion chambers. Significantly, the reworked combustion chambers enabled Ferrari to switch the 206 S motor to a simpler single as opposed to twin-plug ignition system.
As had been the case for the 206 P, displacement was an 1986cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 77mm and 57mm respectively. Similarly, a bank of three twin-choke downdraught Weber 40 DCN carbs was normally fitted although some of the works cars did run bigger 42mm items.
In the interest of reliability, compression was reduced from 12.5:1 as used by the 206 P in mountain spec. ‘sprint’ trim to 10.8:1. Nevertheless, as a consequence of its updated heads, the 206 S was quoted with an identical 218bhp at 9000rpm.
Transmission was through a five-speed non-synchromesh gearbox mounted in unit with the differential and a twin-plate clutch. Myriad gear ratios were available to reflect the nature of any given event.
BODYWORK
As per Ferrari’s other Sports-Prototype racing cars of the era, Dino 206 S body panels were designed in-house and then fashioned from aluminium over at Piero Drogo’s Modena-based Carrozzeria Sports Cars. The spectacularly beautiful 206 S was in effect a scaled down albeit even prettier version of its big brother: the P3.
Up front was a wide oval intake aperture and stacked headlights under contoured plastic cowls. Inboard of the bulbous fenders was a sunken central section with a detachable vented lid that enabled cool air to escape from the radiator.
The bubble-type cockpit featured an expansive wraparound windscreen and single wiper. Spyder versions came without a central roof section and had single-piece side windows. Fixed roof Berlinetta variants had side windows with sliding central elements to allow sufficient cockpit ventilation.
Down each flank were dramatically cutaway front wheel wells and shoulder-mounted intakes just behind the doors (the latter so cool air could be channelled to the inboard rear brakes). Unlike the main front body section, the entire single piece rear clam lifted up for access to the engine and ancilliaries.
The Berlinetta version featured a Fastback rear screen that enclosed the rear deck below while the Spyder featured redesigned flying buttresses and a simple vertical screen located under the basket handle rollover bar.
At the back, an integrated rear spoiler swept back from the rear arches while the tail fascia was home to an array of vents that helped keep the engine and transmission bay cool.
Compared to original Dino 166 P, the 206 S was 55mm longer, 110mm wider and 25mm taller.
INTERIOR
Behind the three-spoke leather-rimmed steering wheel was a crackle black dash with three-quarter width instrument binnacle. Directly ahead of the driver was a 10,000rpm rev counter flanked by three small read outs (a fuel gauge and water temperature gauge to the right and an oil pressure gauge to the left). Even further over to the left-hand side (beyond an array of flick switches) were two more small read outs (oil temperature and an ammeter).
Unusually for a Ferrari Sports-Prototype of the era, the Dino 206 S used a central as opposed to right-hand side gear change.
Squeezed in between the gear linkage and massive side sills were pair of seats trimmed in red or black ribbed vinyl.
Every Dino 206 S was completed in right-hand drive as per circuit racing practice of the day.
WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE
At 580kg dry, the Dino 206 S weighed in 6kg lighter than the original Dino 166 P Berlinetta and 48kg heavier than the super pared back Montagna-spec. Dino 206 P Spyder.
Depending on gearing, a top speed of 167mph was possible. 0-62mph could be achieved in comfortably under five seconds.
PRODUCTION CHANGES
Ferrari introduced a number of updates for the Dino 206 S during 1966 and ‘67, most of which were reserved for cars being campaigned in a works capacity.
The first development arrived at the Monza 1000km in late April of 1966 which was the car’s second outing for Scuderia Ferrari and round three of the World Championship. The Berlinetta allocated to Lorenzo Bandini and Ludovico Scarfiotti appeared with a Lucas fuel-injected engine instead of three twin-choke Weber carbs.
At round eleven of the 1966 World Championship, the Sierre-Montana-Crans Hillclimb (which was also round six of the European Mountain Championship), Scarfiotti’s works Spyder ran a fuel-injected engine now with twin plug ignition and an 11.0:1 compression ratio for circa 230bhp.
Starting at the Sebring 12 Hours in April 1967 (round two of that year’s World Championship), Scuderia Ferrari introduced a fuel-injected motor with three instead of two valve cylinder heads.
At the Nurburgring 1000km race in May (round six) the 2.4-litre 235bhp Tasman-derived engine made its debut.
In July, at the Trento-Bondone Hillclimb (round four of the European Mountain Championship), Ferrari debuted a pared back ‘Montagna Spyder’ body with single instead of dual covered headlights, a simplified roll hoop, flattened rear deck and cutaway body behind the rear wheels.
PRODUCTION RUN
Owing to the aforementioned strikes (which took place across the Italian motor industry), Ferrari never came close to completing the hoped-for run of 50 cars and only 19 examples of the Dino 206 S chassis were ultimately built.
The first was chassis number 0842.
The second was 0852 which Ferrari subsequently re-numbered 002.
A further 17 chassis were then built which followed the same even numbered system (004 to 036).
Of the 19 Dino 206 S chassis completed, only 16 were configured in standard trim with Drogo bodywork (three Berlinettas and 13 Spyders).
The other three chassis (020, 034 and 036) were dispatched to Pininfarina and used for avant garde design concepts.
COMPETITION HISTORY
Despite having never met the 50-car production requirement for Group 4, the Dino 206 S went on to have a very successful career in circuit racing and hillclimbs. Scuderia Ferrari ran cars in both the World Sportscar Championship and European Mountain Championship.
On the car’s debut at the 1966 Sebring 12 Hours, Ludovico Scarfiotti and Lorenzo Bandini finished fifth overall and second in the under two-litre Prototype class.
Works cars went then on to race at the Monza 1000km, Targa Florio, Nurburgring 1000km and Coppa Citta di Enna.
Highlights of the ‘66 campaign included second overall and first in class for Jean Guichet and Giancarlo Baghetti at the Targa Florio followed by second and third overall for a class one-two at the Nurburgring 1000km (Ludovico Scarfiotti / Lorenzo Bandini and Pedro Rodriguez / Richie Ginther respectively). While Nino Vaccarella failed to finish in his works car at Enna, Marsilio Passotti won the race (which was held for under two-litre cars) driving his Scuderia Brescia Corse entry. Another World Championship contest that fell the Dino’s way was the Spa 1000km where Richard Attwood and Jean Guichet finished sixth overall and first in class driving for Maranello Concessionaires.
In the European Mountain Championship, Ludovico Scarfiotti put up a decent defense of his ‘65 title; in four outings he won the Cesana-Sestriere and Sierre Montana-Crans events (the latter of which was also a World Sportscar Championship event) and bagged a brace of second place finishes at Rossfeld and Freiburg-Schauinsland. However, Porsche attended all seven rounds and managed to regain their title with one event still to run.
Elsewhere, Mike Parkes finished sixth overall and won his class driving for Maranello Concessionaires at the British Grand Prix Support Race around Brands Hatch. Pedro Rodriguez took Bill Harrah’s car to a class win (seventh overall) at the end-of-season Nassau Trophy (part of the Bahamas Speed Week).
Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi was crowned Italian Hillclimb Champion thanks to five outright and three class wins in his privateer car.
Scuderia Ferrari subsequently ran a scaled back campaign with the 206 S in 1967. It raced standard-bodied works cars at the Monza 1000km, Targa Florio and Nurburgring 1000km without success although Jonathan Williams and Vittorio Venturi did manage fourth overall and third in class driving a quasi-works entry at the Sicilian road race.
Ferrari then bagged second and fourth overall thanks to Scarfiotti and Gunther Klass at the Trento-Bondone European Mountain Championship hillclimb where Scarfiotti ran a new Montagna-bodied machine. Unfortunately, Klass was killed in such a car while practicing for his next outing at the Mugello Grand Prix World Championship event, after which Ferrari withdrew from any further official participation with the Dino.
In privateer hands, the Dino continued to do well in domestic hillclimbs and circuit racing until as late as 1970.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com
