Guide: Ferrari Dino 206 S Pininfarina Competizione
Background
From 1966, the World Sportscar Championship was organised to the FIA’s new Appendix J regulations.
The fastest cars were expected to come from the Group 6 Prototype class where there was no minimum production requirement or engine limit.
Running alongside the Prototypes in the World Sportscar Championship would be cars from the Group 4 Sports class. Group 4 cars were typically split into sub divisions for over and under two-litres. To qualify, a batch of 50 vehicles had to be manufactured.
To contest the under two-litre Group 4 category, Ferrari created a new Dino-badged model: the 206 S.
In order to reach the 50-cars required for homologation, a number of 206 S Dinos would be retained for use by Scuderia Ferrari and the rest would be sold to anyone with deep enough pockets to buy one.
However, labour strikes and poor sales meant barely half the required cars were built, some of which remained unsold at the factory well into 1967.
Three of the production chassis met different fates.
Chassis 020, 034 and 036 were delivered to Pininfarina where they were converted into show-stopping styling concepts.
034 became the Dino 206 S Pininfarina Competizione. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1967, it was the first of the trio to appear.
020 was next. It became the 250 P5 and was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1968. Later, 020’s body was removed and the chassis was sent back to Ferrari where it was adapted to run an experimental Flat 12 engine. The reconfigured chassis was subsequently re-numbered 0862 and the car was re-christened the 212 E Montagna. In its new configuration, the 212 E Montagna went on to win the 1969 European Mountain Championship at the hands of Peter Schetty.
Finally, 036 was transformed into the Ferrari P6 which made it salon debut at the Turin Motor Show in November 1968.
The Dino 206 S Pininfarina Competizione was the third Dino-badged concept to be displayed after the 206 Berlinetta Speciale (chassis 0840, Paris 1965) and the Dino Berlinetta GT (chassis 00106, Turin 1966).
Chassis
Upon delivery to Pininfarina, chassis 034 was re-numbered 10523. Coincidentally, this was a number shared with the first Dino 206 GT production prototype designed by Pininfarina and built at the Scaglietti works in Modena.
034’s Tipo 585B chassis was essentially a Formula-type semi-monocoque that comprised a lightweight tubular spaceframe reinforced with alloy and fibreglass panels that were riveted in place to effectively create a semi-monocoque.
As per every 206 S, 034 had a 2280mm wheelbase and fuel tanks mounted in the sills.
Suspension was independent all round with unequal-length wishbones, coil springs and telescopic Koni dampers. Anti-roll bars were installed at either end.
The ventilated disc brakes were supplied by Girling. They were mounted outboard at the front and inboard at the rear.
Firestone-shod 10-hole Campagnolo light alloy wheels were attached by a triple-eared centre-locking hub nut. The rims had a 13-inch diameter and measured 5.5-inches wide at the front, 7-inches wide at the rear.
Engine & Gearbox
The Tipo 231 B engine fitted to chassis 034 was not a brand new unit and had most recently been used at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1966.
The all-alloy 65° V6 power units fitted to these Dinos were originally equipped with dry-sump lubrication, dual overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder and single plug ignition with one coil. Displacement was 1986cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 77mm and 57mm respectively.
With the standard 10.8:1 compression ratio and a trio of Weber 40 DCN carburettors, peak output was 218bhp at 9000rpm.
The five-speed gearbox was mounted in unit with the differential. Transmission was via a twin-plate clutch and limited-slip diff.
Bodywork
034’s state-of-the-art underpinnings were clothed in a spectacular new Pininfarina body.
The slim nose unusually had no intake apertures and was instead dominated by an adjustable spoiler mounted on two alloy brackets.
Headlights were stacked in typical Prototype fashion and mounted underneath clear Plexiglas covers. The headlight cowls were initially painted body colour but Pininfarina quickly switched them to black.
Pininfarina also loved to turn cooling solutions into styling features. For 036, these came in the form of a large bank of arced cooling vents carved out from the upper nose surface. More were to be found on the tops of each front fender along with scalloped intakes down each flank. Two additional rows of openings were also cut from the engine cover.
The domed cabin featured a pair of Gullwing doors with enormous glass windows that curved into the roof.
At the rear, flying buttresses swept down either side of a recessed central deck to the un-vented tail fascia.
Like the front, the back end was equipped with an adjustable spoiler mounted on drilled pylons.
Compared to the standard Dino 206 S, the Pininfarina Competizione was 5mm wider. Without the spoilers in place, it would have been 115mm shorter. With the wings fitted, 034 was 390mm longer than the standard machine.
The spoilers were actually added late in the design process as Pininfarina wanted to give the impression their firm was at the forefront of advanced aero technology. Both front and rear spoilers were originally painted silver but they were soon repainted black.
Interior
Inside, the dash, centre console, sills, seats, door panels and rear bulkhead were upholstered in black vinyl. The carpet was dark blue.
The dash featured a full-width oval binnacle that housed all the instrumentation apart from the rev counter. This was instead located in a separate cowl directly behind the wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel.
The transmission tunnel was attached to the dash by a vertical centre console that housed an array of additional switches.
Like all the 206 S Dinos, chassis 034 was right-hand drive with a centrally located left-hand open gate gear lever.
Weight / Performance
At 636kg, the Dino 206 Competizione was 56kg heavier than the standard variant. A 0-62mph time of around five seconds and top speed of circa 160mph would seem fair estimates.
Debut
After its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1967, chassis 034 was displayed at that year’s Paris and Los Angeles shows (in October and November respectively).
034 remained in Pininfarina’s possession until 2008, at which point it was sold to New York collector, James Glickenhaus.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com & Pininfarina - https://pininfarina.it
