Dino Remembered - Ferrari 246S

At the end of 1955 Alfredo 'Dino' Ferrari proposed the idea of building a twin over head cam 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui V6 motor for use in second tier open wheel Formula 2 racing to his father Enzo. Soon afterwards 'Dino' was hospitalised with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, while in hospital 'Dino' discussed the technical details of his idea with legendary engineer Vittorio Jano.

Jano translated his disscusions with 'Dino' into what would become the first 'Dino' V6 which was used in Formula 2 races in 1957, by which time 'Dino' had fatally succumbed to his illness.

The motor had the two banks of cylinders unusually inclined at 65 degrees by 1958 a larger version of the 'Dino' V6 had been installed in Ferrari's Grand Prix cars and used by Mike Hawthorn to win the 1958 World Drivers Championship.

A 2 litre / 122 cui version of the 'Dino' engine was installed in a sports car, s/n #0740, for Peter Collins to drive at Goodwood in the 1958 Sussex trophy where he came 2nd. THe sports car was indistinguishable from the older Fantusi bodied 250TR apart from the 3 twin choke carburetors sticking out of the bonnet /hood where the larger engined 250 TR had 6.



Several more variations of the Dino V6 were built and raced including single over head cam versions with 60 degree inclinations between the cylinders. #0784 seen here in the hands of Bobby Verdon Roe at the Silverstone Classic was the last of the 246S models to be built in 1959.

#0784 was fitted with a twin cam V6 and uniquely with Formula One derived independent rear suspension. On it's debut Phil Hill and Graf Berghe 'Taffy' von Trips drove this chassis into second place in the 1960 Targa Florio. This would remain the cars best result despite the best efforts Richie Ginther, Ludovico Scarfiotti, Ed Hugus, Alan, Cornell jr, Ricardo & Pedro Rodriguez, and Bob Grossman.

In 1962 the car was fitted with the high tail body seen on the car today. Among it's many owners since the 1960's was Nick Mason's friend and Pink Floyd Manager Steve O'Rourke who was briefly the custodian of #0784 in 1997. More recently in 2009 Bobby Verdon Rowe and Nick Leventis took this 246S to victory lane in a one hour race at the Goodwood revival in 2009.

Thanks for joining me on the Dino V6 edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !

Under Austrian Influence - Aston Martin DB3S

Under Austrian Influence - Aston Martin DB3S #118

Its a great thrill to return to Ed Arnaudin's photo's from 20th July 1958 at Thompson CT thanks to his son Steve.



Today's vehicle is a thoroughly British Aston Martin DB3S, a lightweight version of the DB3 originally designed by Austrian Robert Eberan von Eberhorst, a pioneer in vehicle dynamics who's CV includes the design of the Auto Union D-type Silver Arrow, the Porsche project 356, which later became the Porsche 356 like the cabriolet in the background above, and the Jowett Jupiter while working for English Racing Automobiles. The DB3S was powered by a 163 horse power 2922 cc / 182 cui twin over head cam straight 6 fitted with three twin choke carburettors.



The vehicle seen here was driven into 7th place in the 7th race of the day at Thompson CT by Paul Hyatt who was doing double duty having finished last in race 6 driving his DB2-4.

I'd like to thank Ed Arnaudin for his wonderful photographs, Steve Arnaudin for sharing them with us and Terry O'Neil's Northeast American Sports Car Races 1950-1959 for the stats.

Hope you have enjoyed today's Aston Martin edition of 'Getting a lil' psycho' on tyres' and that you'll join me tomorrow for a closer look at a vehicle of the same type as the black one seen in the back ground of the photo above. Don't forget to come back now !

Edit

Thanks to Vince H the DB3S photographed by Ed has been identified as chassis #118 which can be seen being driven here by Chris Salyer at Laguna Seca in 2007.