The Fiat Dino (Type 135) is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car produced by Fiat from 1966 to 1973. The Dino name refers to the Ferrari Dino V6 engine, produced by Fiat and installed in the cars to achieve the production numbers sufficient for Ferrari to homologate the engine for Formula 2 racing.
History
Background
The Dino road cars came to be because of Enzo Ferrari's need to homologate a V6 engine for Formula 2 racing cars.
In 1965 the Commission Sportive Internationale de la FIA had drawn up new rules, to be enacted for the 1967 season. F2 engines were required to have no more than six cylinders, and to be derived from a production engine, from a road car homologated in the GT class and produced in at least 500 examples within 12 months. a 2+2 Coupé version, built on a longer wheelbase, bowed a few months later at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1967. The two bodies showed very different lines, as they had been designed and were manufactured for Fiat by two different coachbuilders: the Spider by Pininfarina, and the Coupé by Bertone — where it had been sketched out by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1963 and finished by his replacement, Marcello Gandini, after Giugiaro's departure to Ghia. Curiously the Spider type approval identified it as a 2+1 seater.
The V6 now put out , and used a cast iron instead of the previous light alloy engine block; the same engine was installed on the Dino 246 GT, Ferrari's evolution of the 206. Whereas the original Dino was equipped with a rigid axle suspended by leaf springs and 4 shock absorbers, 2.4-litre cars used a coil-sprung independent rear suspension with 2 shock absorbers derived from the Fiat 130. Rather than engine power and absolute speed, the most important consequence of the larger displacement was a marked increase in torque, available at lower engine speeds; the Dino 2400 had much better pickup, and it was found more usable, even in city traffic. Other modifications went on to improve the car's drivability and safety: larger diameter clutch, new dogleg ZF gearbox with revised gear ratios, wider section Pirelli Cinturato tyres, and upsized brake discs and callipers.
Cosmetic changes were comparatively minor. Both models were now badged "Dino 2400". On the coupé the previous silver honeycomb grille with the round Fiat logo on its centre had been replaced by a new black grille and a bonnet badge. A host of details were changed from chrome to matte black, namely part of the wheels, the vents on the front wings and the cabin ventilation outlets—the latter moved from next to the side windows to the rear window. At the rear there were different tail lights. The spider also sported a new grille with two horizontal chrome bars, five-bolt instead of knock-off wheels, as well as a new bumpers with rubber strips. Inside only the coupé received an entirely redesigned dashboard and new cloth seats, with optional leather seat upholstery; front seat headrests were standard on the coupé and optional on the spider.
Specifications
The Fiat Dino coupe used an all-steel unibody construction. The Spider had an aluminum trunk lid. The dual-circuit braking system with vacuum servo operated on four wheel disc brakes. The upgraded Girling brakes of the Dino 2400 were shared with sports cars like the De Tomaso Pantera and Lamborghini Miura. Steering was of the worm and roller type by French manufacturer Gemmer.
Suspension
Front suspension was of the double wishbone type. The upper wishbone consisted of a stamped steel control arm, the lower one of a stamped steel link and an adjustable forward radius rod. Coaxial coil springs and hydraulic dampers were attached to the upper wishbone; an anti-roll bar was fitted.
On 2.0-litre cars, the rear suspension consisted of a rigid axle on semi-elliptic springs (single-leaf on the spider, two-leaf on the coupé) and twin hydraulic dampers on each side. It was located by a longitudinal reaction strut on each side, linked to the axle at the front and to the aft leaf spring attachment point at the rear.
On 2.4-litre cars, the independent rear suspension consisted on each side of a long oblique stamped steel link (incorporating the spring seat) and a transverse link, attached to the same crossmember which supported the differential; there were coil springs, single hydraulic dampers and an anti-roll bar.
Engines
A peculiarity of Dino V6 engines was a 65° angle between the cylinder banks, instead of the usual 60°. The valvetrain consisted of 12 poppet valves timed by two chain-driven overhead camshafts. Compression ratio was 9:1 on both engines. Fuel was delivered via three twin-choke downdraught Weber Carburetors, normally 40 DCN 14 on 2.0 cars and 40 DCNF 12 on 2.4 cars.
The 2.0-litre V6 had bore and stroke respectively of and , for a total displacement of 1,986.6 cc. The engine block was alloy, with inserted special cast iron wet cylinder liners; cylinder heads were aluminium as well, with cast iron valve seats and hemispherical combustion chambers.
In 1968 the 2.0-litre Fiat Dino became the first car to have electronic ignition as standard. The Dinoplex C electronic capacitive discharge ignition was developed by Magneti Marelli expressly for the high-revving Dino V6 engine. Performance was impressive, with a 0–60 mph time of less than 8 seconds. Early Dino's were later on equipped with the Dinoplex C ignition. Its primary function was to prevent fouling of the sparkplugs in town use.
The 2.4-litre V6 had bore and stroke respectively of and , for a total displacement of 2,418 cc. The redesigned engine block was cast iron.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:91%;"
! Model || Type || Configuration || Displacement || Power || Torque || Top speed
|-
|rowspan=2| Dino ||rowspan=2| 135 B.000 ||rowspan=2| DOHC 12v 65° V6<br />aluminium block ||rowspan=2| ||rowspan=2| ||rowspan=2| || Coupé:
|-
| Spider:
|-
|rowspan=2| ||rowspan=2| 135 G.000 ||rowspan=2| DOHC 12v 65° V6<br />cast iron block ||rowspan=2| ||rowspan=2| ||rowspan=2| || Coupé:
|-
| Spider:
|}
Transmission
Both series cars used an all-synchromesh 5-speed manual transmission, with an hydraulic single-plate dry clutch (up-sized on the 2400), and a limited slip differential.
Two-litre Dinos used a transmission of Fiat's own design. This was changed on the 2400 to a ZF-sourced S5-18/3 dog-leg gearbox, the same found on the Fiat 130 as well as on other manufacturers' cars.
Motorsport
The Fiat Dino was never raced officially, and only seldom by privateer drivers.
The one notable participation was at the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, where a two-litre Spider was entered by the French Fiat-Abarth importer in the sports prototype class. Driven by Marcel Martin, Jean-André Mesange and Hubert Roche, it finished the race 18th overall. A year later, at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show Pininfarina showcased the Fiat Dino Ginevra, a specially bodied berlinetta based on Dino Spider mechanicals.