1972 Ferrari 246 Dino undergoes million dollar restomod

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine, Photography by: Emily Berl/Bloomberg

Date: 14.05.2018

Like Singer is to aircooled 911s, this Dino was made to be the ultimate expression of the its kind

As the prices for classic Ferraris have sky-rocketed in recent years, the once-scorned 246 Dino has suddenly found itself in the uber-desirable limelight.

The Ferrari once looked down upon in much the same way that the 944 is snubbed by Porsche 911 high-brows, Ferrari’s "Entry car" was THE car to buy in the eyes of collectors a few years ago.

Hagerty pegged average selling prices in the midst of the Dino frenzy at $420,000 in 2015.

While prices have since stabilised, currently with an average selling price of $385,000, the humble Dino has come a long way from its beginnings as a car deemed unworthy of the prancing horse badge.

Enter Californian native, David Lee, Owner of Hing Wa Lee Jewelers reportedly worth USD$300 million. Lee is a well-known car collector in Los Angeles, and has a penchant for Ferraris especially.

His stable of horses consists of a Ferrari Enzo, an F50 and F40, multiple F12s, as well as numerous classics including 250s, 275s and 288s.

Evidently however, being exorbitantly wealthy and able to whimsically buy whatever car you want gets a little old. Lee admitted in an interview with Bloomberg, that he was finding himself growing increasingly unsatisfied with normal car collecting and "wanted to own something that [was] not what money can buy".

A year after purchasing this 1972 Dino for USD$260,000, it was sent to Moto Technique in Surrey, England. There, after over 3000 man hours and an invoice over $1 million, the car rolled out under the power of a 3.6lt V8 capable of just under 300kW.

Other new pieces found under the car include a five-speed manual transmission and modern disc brakes.

Moto Technique also subtly massaged the body with Dino ‘chairs and flairs’-style flares, sealed headlights, and a see-through engine cover. The car also sits on vintage-inspired custom rims.

While those on manicured concours lawns around the world may wince at the prospect of a classic Ferrari undergoing a heart transplant and faced with an angle grinder – it’s an undeniably gorgeous car. And more power and brakes to suit is rarely a bad thing!

An ephemeral one-off custom, Lee plans to build 25 more Dinos over the next 5 years, as he has been contacted by numerous potential clients regarding purchasing one of their own.

No price has been released thus far, but whatever we might hazard to guess is probably not enough.

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