1967-72 Fiat Dino Spider

by Steve Serio

Please, Mr. Barnes, it’s almost a Ferrari.

In theory, the marriage of a Ferrari drive-train with an inexpensive Fiat body should have resulted in an affordable sports car with sparkling performance. Over the years, though, the initial promise of the Fiat Dino has simply not been kept. The Ferrari engine has proven expensive to maintain and the Fiat bodies have disintegrated. By now, most Fiat Dino Spiders have been through the same wringer, or cycle, that 246 Dinos went through. In the late ’70s and early ’80s they were relatively worthless and often ended up in the hands of enthusiast owners with limited means. Proper maintenance was rare, let alone a correct restoration. But while 246 Dinos have developed a market value that allows for restoration investment, the Dino Spiders have not (we won’t even discuss the poor Fiat Dino coupes). There was a brief moment from 1988-89 when some Fiat Dino Spiders were advertised at $75k-$100k with the logic that if you couldn’t afford a real 246 at $200,000,...