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The NSU Ro 80 was a technologically advanced large sedan-type automobile produced by the German firm NSU from 1967 until 1977. largely unknown for building cars outside Europe, the Ro 80 was a unique car with a 115 bhp (86 kW), 995 cc twin-rotor Wankel engine driving the front wheels through a clutchless semi-automatic transmission. It was voted Car of the Year for 1968 by European motoring writers. Unfortunately for NSU, the car developed an early reputation for unreliability it could never escape. In particular, the Wankel engine suffered from heavy wear on the rotor tip seals, among many other problems, and some early cars required a wholly rebuilt engine before 30,000 miles (50,000 km). Poor understanding of the Wankel engine by dealers and mechanics did not help this situation. By the 1970 model year, most of these problems were resolved, but the damages to the car's reputation and NSU's financial situation were irreparable. NSU even planned to develop a three-rotor motor, but this plan was scrapped largely due to a lack of funds. Other technological features of the Ro 80 aside from the powertrain were the four-wheel disk brakes, still a rarity among cars of its class at the time. The front brakes were mounted inboard, reducing the unsprung weight. The suspension was independent on all four wheels, with MacPherson struts at the front and semi-trailing arm suspension at the rear. Power-assisted rack and pinion steering was used, again foreshadowing modern designs. Both are space-saving designs commonly used today. The styling by Claude Luthe was considered very modern at the time and still holds up well; the Ro 80 has been part of many gallery exhibits of modern industrial design. The large glass area foreshadowed 1970s designs such as Citroën's. The shape was also slippery, with a drag coefficient of 0.355 (practically unequaled for the era, although average for modern cars). Series production started in October 1967: the last examples came off the production line in April 1977. NSU was developing a smaller version of the RO-80, being called the NSU K-70, and planned to use a more conventional engine in a move to improve on the bad image they received with the RO-80s reliability. Unfortunately, with dwindling funds, NSU merged with the Volkswagen and Audi group in 1969. the K70 was released as a Volkswagen in 1971, and NSU continued with only the RO80 until 1977 when NSU ceased to exist. Only 37,400 vehicles were produced during a ten-year production run. Source: www.gizmohighway.com Images: Audi AG; www.renestaud.com

However, in the practice of the global auto industry, there were also exceptions to the unspoken rules. Often, versions of cars with a coupe body, "spun off" from the base models, have a large percentage of unification of the main components and assemblies. More rarely, two-door variations get a unique, expressive appearance combined with a special line of installed engines. It also happened that the general similarity of the exteriors of the coupe and sedan was fraught with fundamental differences in the layout, along with an innovative aggregate part. In October 1967, The Mazda RX-87 two-door coupe concept was unveiled at the 14th Tokyo Motor Show. In the novelty design, the features of the Mazda Luce 1500 by Bertone were guessed, but factory specialists redesigned the general style. A distinctive feature of the model was a solid radiator grill that covered four round headlights. But the car was interesting not only for its memorable appearance but from the technical component did not lag. Without exaggeration, we can say that the Mazda RX-87 has become a stronghold of avant-garde solutions of the time. These included a torsion bar suspension of the front wheels, a two-section Wankel rotary piston engine, and, most importantly, the rejection of the classic layout in favor of front-wheel drive. The latter was clearly inspired by the 1967 European Car of the Year, the ambitious and progressive NSU Ro-80. Two years later, the public saw the serial Mazda Luce Rotary Coupe. It was distinguished from prototypes by a more traditional design of the radiator lining, other rear lights, a unique interior, solid door glass without triangular vents, and larger tires. The sidewalls of the body were decorated with "RX-87" emblems. Thus, the company emphasized the connection of the new model with the previously known concept. Under the elongated hood, a 13A rotary piston engine was hidden, giving out 126 hp "uphill." This made it possible to reach a maximum speed of 190 km / h with a curb weight of 1255 kg. For an additional fee, buyers were offered a wide range of options: power steering, power windows, air conditioning, a stereo system, and exterior leather roof trim. Despite the spectacular appearance and outstanding technical characteristics, the Luce Rotary Coupe did not happen to become a mass model. During the three years of production, only 976 copies were collected. Such a small volume was due to technological difficulties and, as a result, the high cost of finished products. Naturally, out of the incomplete thousand cars produced, only a few have survived. These circumstances made the Mazda Luce Rotary Coupe an unrealizable dream for motorists of the 60s/70s and for current admirers of the brand's history. Source: j-cars.org Image: Mazda Motor Corporation

Making its debut at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show, the Lamborghini Marzal concept’s revolutionary styling sent shockwaves through the automotive industry. Today, some design cues are still apparent in the most contemporary Lamborghini supercars. In 1967, Ferruccio Lamborghini sought to add a third car to his company’s line-up, which already boasted the celebrated Miura and the 400GT. He was keen to add a proper four-seater (the 400GT was a 2+2) and therefore repeated the previously fruitful commissioning of styling house Bertone to create the Marzal, which took its name from a strain of fighting bull. Heading Bertone was a 28-year-old Marcello Gandini, who had become a star in his own right after being credited for the exquisite Miura a year earlier, even though the majority of the design was the work of his predecessor Giorgetto Giugiaro, with Gandini making alterations and Nuccio Bertone finalizing the design. Bertone sent Gandini on holiday during this phase to curb his enthusiasm. But this served only to make Gandini hungrier for success, and the Marzal allowed him to break the mold cast by his peers. His inventiveness was demonstrated by electing to use a pair of gullwing doors in place of the conventional four-door configuration to retain coupé-like aesthetics while adding the required practicality of a four-seater. Like the roof, the doors were made of glass to give the innovative Lamborghini an airy atmosphere inside (the total glass area of the car was a whopping 4.5 square meters). However, Ferruccio Lamborghini famously objected to them, noting that they “offer no privacy: a lady’s legs would be there for all to see.” But in general, the design was well received, with the well-respected British journalist LJK Setright declaring it “perhaps the most extravagant piece of virtuoso styling to have come out of Europe since the war.” Other notable styling features included the repeated use of the hexagonal theme, apparent in the honeycombed rear louvers, dashboard, steering wheel, seats, and the restyled Campagnolo wheels. The car sat on a Miura chassis, its wheelbase extended by 120mm to provide the required extra space to accommodate a pair of full-size rear passengers. To further assist packaging, the engine – a 2.0-liter inline-six formed from the rear bank of the 4.0-liter Lamborghini V12 – was rotated 180° and moved aft of the rear wheels, which effectively made the Marzal the first (and only) rear-engined Lamborghini. The 175bhp powerplant was fed through a triumvirate of Weber carbs and enjoyed commendation for its ‘lively’ nature by the Italian Quattroruote magazine, which tested the prototype for its October 1967 issue. The Marzal’s most famous outing, though, was at the Monaco GP of 1967, where the hexagonal seats were literally ‘graced’ by royalty: it was used as the pace car for the race, with Princess Grace and her husband using it to parade around the circuit before the event began. It may have been this appearance that initiated the popularity of Matchbox and Dinky scale models of the car, but of more importance was its influence on subsequent Lamborghinis. A year later saw the unveiling of the Espada: a Gandini-penned spiritual production version of the Marzal, which retained its general proportions but lost the rear-engine layout, conspicuous doors, and honeycombed addenda of its forebear. However, subtle hints of the Marzal can be seen in production Lamborghinis – in particular, the hexagonal shape, which has been progressively incorporated into the company’s design language. Just take a look at the rear louvers of a Murciélago LP670-4 SV or the plaque on the V12 engine of an Aventador. Although it ultimately remained a one-off (now in a private collection following its sale at the 2011 Ville d’Este), the Marzal is one of the definitive cars of the post-War coachbuilding industry that the ever-expressive Italians dominated. An American magazine pointed out that Gandini’s design instantly made “everything else seem dated,” illustrating that its production successor remained on sale until 1978. But perhaps most impressive is that some of its styling cues have endured several generations of automotive design and even seem to be increasingly relevant more than four decades later. Source: Joe Breeze - www.classicdriver.com Images: Carrozzeria Bertone s.p.a.; lotusespritturbo.com; www.benedictredgrove.com; scanzen.tumblr.com; www.automobilrevue.cz

This is a 1966 Jensen Nova, a Michelotti designed one-off Vignale fibreglass body. It is a re-bodied Jensen Interceptor shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1967. 1965 saw Vignale's first contact with the firm, giving him one of his strongest connections with the British market. Design and development manager Kevin Beattie visited Ghia, Superleggera Touring, and Vignale and asked each to submit designs for the new car. The management at Jensen was split over the replacement model for their C-V8, but it was eventually agreed that the new car should be styled and built-in Italy. Ghia was heavily involved with Chrysler and demanded a fee to divert their efforts to Jensen. Vignale produced a rather conventional-looking design - similar to Maserati Mexico, which he had introduced at the 1965 Turin motor show, and Jensen was looking for more dramatic treatment. This came from Touring, and Jensen liked it, but the Milan firm was in such a financial pickle that Jensen had no confidence in its ability to produce the car. Jensen bought the design outright, removed Touring's marks from the drawings but Jensen's name on them, and took them along to Vignale as representing the sort of thing they had in mind. Even if Alfredo Vignale knew or guessed that Touring was the originator, he said nothing, anxious to secure the final styling and building order. With the deal signed and the tooling arranged, it took Vignale only four months to produce a prototype car combining the proven C-V8 chassis and running gear and the new body. Within a further six months, the first Italian-bodied, American-engined, British-built Jensen Interceptor was assembled at West Bromwich - one of the fastest international model operations on record. Vignale's part in it did not last long, however. By October 1966, when two or three trimmed and painted Interceptor bodies arrived from Turin each week, Jensen had already decided that the finish was not what they wanted and that the Vignale arrangement was financially unsound long-range for comfort and logic. Vignale was bought off, and the jigs and press tools transferred to Britain. Jensen later admitted, however, that it took their own craftsmen a long time to match the flexibility and quality of work of the Italians. Vignale, meanwhile, maintained his styling name with design studies. Notwithstanding the untimely loss of the Jensen manufacturing contract, he showed an exquisite Interceptor-based two-seater coupe design, the Nova, at the 1967 Geneva motor show. Source: www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au Images: www.icbdb.altervista.org

This extravagant E-Type-based proposal was sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, and appeared at the Earl’s Court Motor Show in 1967, but was not taken up by Jaguar. It emergered a few years later, in mildly modified form, as the Lamborghini Espada. The Bertone Jaguar Pirana was the result of an initiative of the English "Weekend Telegraph", in particular the idea of its brilliant publisher, John Anstey. Anstey believed that the car should be an ideal means of transport for a particular type of client: moneyed, keen on a sporty kind of car but at the same time a lover of comfort. It was therefore fundamental to give the car all the necessary technical features to guarantee its passengers comfort, safety, and a relaxing, pleasurable driving experience. From this perspective the Pirana tends towards elegance and sobriety, without pursuing shock value, and the end result is refined and harmonious, balanced in every detail. As for the general proportions, the biggest design problem was caused by the size of the mechanical components, and in particular the height of the Jaguar 4.2 litre engine block. The interior space reflects a careful study of passenger needs, which lay behind all the technical and design decisions. In this case there were no new technical problems, as the E-Type 2+2 chassis had been accepted as it was, which meant that the designer was free to concentrate his efforts on comfort and a rational use of space with the aim of enhancing driving pleasure. The Pirana represents a brilliant example of a car built around the needs of the commissioning client. Source: Keith Adams, www.austin-rover.co.uk; www.bertone.it Images: Bertone; ucapusa.com

After ISO founder Renzo Rivolta passed away in 1966, son Piero Rivolta took over the company that produced the Rivolta GT and Grifo sports coupe. It became his mission to grow the brand and fill out Iso’s product portfolio. He introduced the four-door Iso S4 (later badged Fidia) in 1967. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro (now at Ghia) and built on a stretched version of the Iso GT/Grifo platform, it showcased proven carryover powertrains. The prototype S4 was on the cover of the September 1967 issue of Quattroruote magazine while actual production didn’t start until February 1968. In production into 1974, it was available first with 327 and 350 Chevrolet small-blocks and later with Ford 351 Cleveland engines. Transmission choices included four and five-speed sticks and automatic. Depending upon rear end gearing, top speed was 125 to almost 150 mph. It was truly impressive performance for a four-door sedan. Early S4s were plagued with quality issues and poorly finished interiors. Its platforms were built at Iso’s Bresso plant and then shipped to Ghia in Turin for body and interior installation. Cars were then shipped back to Bresso for powertrains and running gear and final assembly. S4 performance was excellent, but Piero Rivolta could not accept the poor fit and finish of the bodies and questionable Mohair interiors. In February 1969, Rivolta introduced the updated and re-trimmed S4, badged Fidia. Interiors were leather and quality issues were cleared up. Piero Rivolta finally had a four-door sports sedan he could be proud of. Sports Car magazine in Australia really loved its Fidia test car, “Italians are known for their rare and fine cars. The Iso Fidia is one of the rarest, and as a touring car, one of the finest.” Total 1967-1974 S4/Fidia production: 192. One of the early Iso sales brochures had this to say about the Iso Rivolta S4/Fidia: “The car which not only gives satisfaction to the driver but assures the maximum safety and comfort for his family. Here are the four most prestigious seats in the world.” Later Piero Rivolta changed “Prestigious” to “Fastest” in Fidia advertising and sales brochures. Iso Rivolta S4, 1967-69 Iso Rivolta Fidia, 1969-74 Source: www.carguychronicles.com Images: Andre LE ROUX Site; www.carguychronicles.com

Three Ford concept cars have sold on the BaT Auctions site in the past few years. All three concepts were designed by Ghia and remained one-offs. These concepts had no engines and were merely rolling bodies with interiors. Learn more about the cars with the listing details and the linked Story Cars articles. 1. 1989 Ford Via Concept Car by Ghia This 1989 Ford Via is a one-off concept car that was built by Ghia and made its North American debut at the 1990 Chicago Auto Show. Designed by a team of stylists that included Ian and Moray Callum, the Via features a fiberglass body with two functioning doors, photosensitive roof panels, a full interior, and fiber-optic lighting. No drivetrain is fitted. The car was purchased by the selling dealer at auction in 2002 as part of the dispersion of concept vehicles from the Ford Motor Company. This rolling Ford/Ghia display car is now offered on a bill of sale in Ontario, Canada. The blue fiberglass body features four doors, though only the left-side doors open. Styling cues include two hood ducts, two aircraft-style fuel filler caps, and an “active” rear spoiler. The roof features two photosensitive glass panels that are said to darken in bright light, and one of them is removable. The headlights are located at the base of the windshield, and each features nine elements that were reportedly designed to be individually programmable as fog or driving lights. Cracks are noted in the fiberglass on the right-front door and on the rear deck near a fuel filler cap. Multi-piece 17″ Speedline wheels feature black centers and wear Goodyear tires measuring 225/45 up front and 275/40 out back. The right-front tire sidewall is split. The steering wheel is not connected to the front wheels, which must be turned manually. The four-seat interior is accessed via the left-side doors and features hard-back front buckets trimmed in taupe and black with a turquoise center stripe. The rear seats and upper door panels are upholstered to match. The seats show signs of age, and a tear in the front door weatherstripping is visible. The dashboard features a CD player located alongside a set of static metric instruments, which featured a unique lighting system to provide readouts in place of traditional needles. A full-length center console, the simulated shifter for a manual transmission, and faux buttons for front and rear-seat climate controls are also present. The car is wired for power using dual voltage hookups, in order to showcase the lighting system. View the BaT Auction losing: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-ford-ghia-via/ View the Story Cars article: https://www.story-cars.com/post/1989-ford-via-by-ghia 2. 1996 Ford Ghia Vivace Concept This 1996 Ford Ghia Vivace is a one-off concept car developed by Ford in alliance with Ghia as an exercise in experimenting with aluminum space frame design techniques. This concept was built around the Ford Mondeo platform, although no drivetrain or steering components are fitted, and the doors do not open. The car was acquired by the seller in 2019 and features a fiberglass body finished in yellow, a brown fabric deck in place of the interior, and unique wheel coverings. This rolling Ford/Ghia display car is now offered at no reserve on a bill of sale in New York. The fiberglass body is finished in yellow and features a two-door coupe design, although the doors do not open. Styling cues include a pass-through front grille, amber front side markers, fog lights, non-functional dual exhaust outlets, both Ford and Ghia emblems, and a sweeping rear deck that incorporates an enclosed Ghia Vivace nameplate. Scratches, paint chips, and cracks are visible on the nose, and the right-rear quarter panel is cracked. The side-view mirrors have marks from adhesive. 17″ wheels feature unique wheel covers and wear Pirelli P700 tires. The car is not equipped with steering gear and is maneuvered on wheel dollies. The wheel covers are scratched. The 2+2 interior design features a brown fabric deck with a partial steering wheel and seat backs, none of which are functional. The interior is not accessible through the doors. The car lacks an engine and transmission, and the body sits atop a boxed steel frame. View the BaT Auction losing: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1994-ford-ghia-vivace-concept-car/ View the Story Cars article: https://www.story-cars.com/post/1996-ford-vivace 3. 1996 Ford Ghia Lynx Concept Display This 1996 Ford Ghia Lynx is a one-off concept designed by Gary Braddock and built by Ghia. Introduced at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show, it was as an exercise in designing a sports car based on the contemporary Ford Fiesta chassis, and some design elements later appeared on the production Ford Puma. No drivetrain is fitted, the doors do not open, and the car is being sold as a rolling display vehicle. This Ford concept car was purchased by the selling dealer at auction in 2003 as part of the dispersion of concept vehicles by the Ford Motor Company. It is now offered at no reserve in Canada with an Ontario bill of sale. The fiberglass body rides on a stretched Fiesta chassis and is finished in Euro Blue Metallic. Two arches run from the front cowl to the trunk, outlining the top of the window frames and doubling as a track for a folding roof, although neither side windows nor a roof are actually fitted to the car. The doors do not open, and the seller reports a chip on the lower rear bumper fascia. Damage to the A-pillar molding can be viewed in the gallery. Five-spoke 17″ alloy wheels wear 215/45 Goodyear tires. While the wheels are not powered, the car is said to steer enough to be maneuvered. The interior features seating for four trimmed in gray fabric with patterned inserts, though the seats are not accessible via doors. A period Ford steering wheel fronts static metric instrumentation. Other equipment includes a center stack and a shifter for a manual transmission. No engine or transmission is equipped, although the car is wired for lights and includes a power setup for display purposes. View the BaT Auction losing: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-ford-ford-ghia-lynx-concept/ View the Story Cars article: https://www.story-cars.com/post/1996-ford-lynx

Strongly influenced by GT styling, the Ford Mach 2 concept car featured a midship 289 cubic inch V-8, raised carburetor intake ports on the rear deck, engine exhausts through the chopped-off rear grille, doors that opened into the roof, a rear canted radiator exhaust grille depressed in the hood surface, and cargo space for two suitcases behind the air exhaust. It was designed with a semi-monocoque steel and fiberglass body, and weighed only 2650 pounds in street form. There was ducted ventilation to the heater and air conditioner, fixed and flush mounted side windows. The rear suspension was trailing link in combination with two lateral control arms. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: Ford; www.chicagoautoshow.com

Ford UK designed the Comuta in the 1960s as a non-polluting car for urban and suburban motoring. Powered by four 12 volt 85 amp lead batteries, when fully charged the car had a range of 60 kilometres at a speed of 40 km/h and was capable of a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Source: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Images: Ford

Ford stressed that its dream cars, particularly the Allegro, were essentially existing production unibody platforms upon which new design features could be tested. "This "idea car" incorporates many new design features tailored to existing engine, drive line and frame components," Ford intoned as it described the purpose behind the Allegro. Later, Ford restyled – some would say ruined – the Allegro by turning it into a roadster. Sometime in the late Sixties, Ford Division design studios restyled the Allegro and didn’t improve on the design. Though more obviously “sporting” in the way that seemed to predominant in an era of smoke and glitter, the heavy rear end styling and too-low windscreen was almost comical. The slotted wheels also mimicked aftermarket wheels available in speed shops. Source: www.thelynxproject.org Images: www.thelynxproject.org

The Turin Motorshow of 1967 saw Lombardi display a new Fiat 850 based Spider called the Monza. A two-seater equipped with a fabric roof and a foldable front windscreen it came as standard with alloy wheels, wooden steering wheel and revcounter! A Giannini modified engine was available as an option which had about an extra 6bhp. Source: www.woiweb.com Images: ruoteclassiche.quattroruote.it

One of the most illustrious of Italian coachbuilders, Carrozzeria Vignale had been founded in 1948 by Alfredo Vignale, whose career had begun pre-war with a successful design on the FIAT Topolino chassis. Enzo Ferrari’s favoured coachbuilder during the Maranello manufacturer’s formative years, Carrozzeria Vignale also designed and built cars for Lancia and Maserati among others, and in the 1960s branched out into automobile manufacture in its own right. For FIAT, Vignale built show models, prototypes and some limited edition models. Based on the contemporary FIAT 124 and 125 models, the 1.6-litre Vignale-bodied Samantha was built in small numbers in the late 1960s. Vignale’s sleek coupé body had very fluid lines thanks to the recessed ‘pop up’ headlights, yet nevertheless afforded comfortable seating for four and a decent amount of luggage space. With 100bhp on tap, delivered via a five-speed gearbox, the Samantha was similar in performance to the 125S donor car with a 0-60mph time of 13 seconds and a top speed of 106mph. The downside was that it cost twice as much. Production run of the Samantha 125S is estimated at approximately 100 and these cars were not distributed through FIAT main dealers, foreign importation being left in the hands of independent specialists. The Samantha was not sold in France, although it was available in Monaco, while its UK distributor was the F Demetriou Group. Only a relative handful are believed to survive, making the Samantha 125S one of the rarest twin-cam FIATs of the period. Source: www.bonhams.com Images: www.vignale.org; Zwischengas Archiv

Other versions of Fiat 125 were built by Moretti, who made the 125GS 1.6 with styling similar to the Fiat Dino Spider, Zagato, the 125Z, Savio, who produced a 125 Coupe and Station Wagon, Bertone, who designed a 125 Executive and Vignale who produced the Samantha, a two door coupe with pop-up headlights. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net Images: Zagato

At the Turin Motor Show in November 1967 Bertone presented the Executive, a prototype for a two-door saloon built around the mechanics of the Fiat 125. Gandini reckoned that it wasn't necessary for a waistline to go from the nose of a car right through to the tail. He wanted to break from tradition with a car that featured a raised boot lid to increase carrying capacity, so when he came up with the Fiat 125 Executive in 1967, the styling was pretty radical for the time. The prototype featured some important new styling elements, above all in its proportions and window surface area. The concept was designed to sound out the reactions of the automobile industry on the possible style trends for the saloons of the years to come. With the Executive prototype, the Turin designer wanted to rework the concept of the spacious family car, giving it new proportions, and in line with Bertone styling ideas on the use of glazed surfaces. Light was in fact one of the key concepts in the Turin designer’s repertoire, as the ample window surfaces of the Fiat 125 Executive go to show. Although elements of the 125 Executive were used in later designs, the car itself remained unique. Source: www.bertone.it; www.autocar.co.uk Images: Bertone; Concept Car Central

Launched in 1967, again at the Turin Motorshow, the 1600GS was a two door, four seater coupe based on the Fiat 125. As with their other coupes of that time, the styling was heavily influenced by the Fiat Dino Spider. It was also available with the mechanicals from either the normal or the special version. In 1969 the styling was revised and the car lost the rounded front and wheelarches, gaining a relatively square front end including four square headlights. From 1971 a further revised (now with the square front end, but four round headlights) version was available with the mechanicals of the 125S. Source: www.moretti-cars.net; tocmp.org Images: www.auto-museum.net Pictured Above: 1967-1970 Moretti 125 Special Coupé GS 1.6 Pictured Above: 1971-1972 Moretti 125 S Coupé 2a serie

An open utility car concept based on the Fiat 124. Though coachbuilders Savio built utility cars based on numerous Fiat models the Savana didn’t make it beyond the prototype stage. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc

The Eveline was one of a number of limited edition models produced during the 1960s by Carrozzeria Vignale using FIAT running gear and mechanicals. Manufactured between 1967 and 1969, the Eveline featured many of Vignale's most famous styling cues, looking like a small Jensen Interceptor from the front and with more than a suggestion of Maserati Mexico at the rear. The chassis and running gear were those of the FIAT 124 saloon, including the four-cylinder overhead-valve engine (available in either 1,197cc or 1,438cc versions) and four-speed gearbox. Source: www.bonhams.com Images: www.icbdb.altervista.org

Moretti produced various cars based on these Fiat models. The 1100 was used as the starting-point for a four-seat coupe and a two-seat spider, an 1100 Coupe using the 1100H engine tuned to give 68bhp and with a tubular chassis, a four-seat hatchback coupe ('Weekend') based on the 1100D and a 2+2 coupe based on the 1100R. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net Images: ruoteclassiche.quattroruote.it

Alfredino "Dino" Ferrari was Enzo Ferrari’s son and by all accounts the only person or thing the Ferrari founder ever loved more than cars and racing. In the ’50s Dino suggested that his father’s company should build a small V6 for use in Formula 2 competition. But Dino died of nephritis in 1956 before the engine he had suggested and fostered would run. And long before it would earn glory for winning the 1961 Grand Prix world championship with American driver Phil Hill piloting the Ferrari Dino 156 "shark nose." So when Ferrari decided to put a V6-powered car for the street into production, it was no surprise that he would call it the Dino. In fact it was called Dino to the exclusion of the name Ferrari, as it was expected that Dino would become a second line of vehicles that would let the Italian manufacturer compete against such lowly marques as Jaguar, Mercedes and Porsche. The Dino road car first appeared at the 1966 Turin Auto Show: a midengine two-seater powered by a 2.0-liter version of the Dino V6 engine (the "206" part of the name indicates a 2.0-liter 6-cylinder engine). With an alloy body designed by Ferrari’s usual collaborator Pininfarina, the 1967 Dino 206 GT was, if nothing else, gorgeous. With its flowing, curvaceous fenders and sweeping flying buttress roof pillars leading to a ducktail spoiler, the Dino was simply beautiful. That luscious styling enveloped a steel tube frame mounting an all-independent suspension of unequal-length double A-arms at all four corners of the car. The engine sat transversely behind the cockpit and drove a five-speed manual transaxle. Despite its rather puny displacement, the Dino’s all-alloy V6 produced a thrilling 180 horsepower thanks to double-overhead cams, a lightweight reciprocating assembly, a relatively high 9.6:1 compression ratio and three Weber two-barrel downdraft carburetors. Since the Dino was only 165 inches long (about an inch shorter than a 2005 Honda Civic coupe), stood just 43.9 inches tall and weighed less than 2,000 pounds, 180 hp was enough to make for a scintillating performance. The Dino was produced in cooperation with Fiat, which produced the Ferrari-designed V6 and even used the same engine in the front-engine Fiat Dino coupe and roadster. While the Fiat Dino is considered a minor classic today, it’s nowhere near as beloved as the Ferrari that used the same moniker. The Dino 206 GT remained in production unchanged through 1968 and into 1969, until it was phased out in favor of the Dino 246 GT. Otherwise the same car as the 206, the name change indicates the 246 used a new 2.4-liter version of the V6 engine. Thanks to increases in both bore and stroke, the new engine was rated at 195 hp. But some of that additional power was used up in pushing a heavier vehicle, as the body was now steel and the engine reverted to an iron block, some luxury features were added and the car’s wheelbase grew 2.1 inches (to 92.1 inches) to provide more cabin space. As a result, the total weight was up almost 400 pounds over the 206 GT. The one significant addition to the Dino line for 1972 was the Dino 246 GTS, which replaced the roof’s steel center section with a lift-off panel similar in concept to the Porsche 911 Targa top. The "S" in the GTS name stood for "Spyder." Ferrari never did much more to change the original Dino through the end of its production life after the 1973 model year. It was never a less than exhilarating machine, even if it was less civilized than most Porsches, and it was wildly popular. Even though the Ferrari name never appeared upon it, there was no denying where this car came from. Sadly, the successor to the first Dino would never be so beloved. Source: www.edmunds.com - Dino to F430 and all the legends in between Images: Ferrari S.p.A.; hemmings.com; www.renestaud.com Pictured Above: 1967 Ferrari Dino 206 GT Prototype by Pininfarina Pictured Above: 1968-1969 Ferrari Dino 206 GT by Pininfarina Pictured Above: 1969-1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

This is one of the most beautiful and famous Pininfarina Prototypes ever created on behalf of Ferrari. Unveiled by Pinifarina at the Frankfurt Motor Show of 1967, this Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Prototipo Competizione was a working prototype and an exclusive design study. Using many preexisting design cues from their own Dino 206 Competition cars from earlier years, Pinifarina built this car on the 206 S chassis. Over the years, this car has become to be known as the "The Yellow Dino". This car was never intended for production, but many of the design elements sans the gullwing doors, were carried over to the beautiful Dino 206 GT roadcar. Source: www.jaylenosgarage.com Images: Pininfarina; Paolo Martin