Fiat Dino Spider

Petrolicious invites us to explore this neat little car which got its start at Ferrari, but was actually produced by Fiat. Apparently, in order for Ferrari to meet its homologation requirements to race in Formula 2 races, they had to create a high production vehicle, and Fiat was up to the task.

Named after Enzo Ferrari’s son, the quirky little Fiat Dino Coupe and Spider were made from 1966 to 1973. The Spider was a Pininfarina, while the Coupe was a Bertone. The car was targeted at the swinging bachelor set, and had unexpected touches like vinyl seats so you could hop right out of the ocean into the car without fear of damaging a leather interior. We especially love the rear of the car, with its unmistakably Ferrari taillight configuration.

Oddly enough, Fiat’s version had a magnesium block Formula 2 engine that was detuned to produce 20 fewer horses than its Ferrari racing cousins.