Every once in a while something truly special becomes available and this is it. Investors talk in terms of “ticking boxes” and this stunning car certainly ticks them.

Chassis #01586 was completed in February 1971 and was delivered new to Australia through W.H.Lowe Automobiles Pty, Melbourne. One of only 71 Ferrari Dino’s to be delivered new to Australia making this is a rare little Ferrari indeed. 

Add to that, the amazing colour! A mere 69 of the total production run of 3,569 Dino 246 GT and GTS models were finished in Verde Germoglio and this is believed to be the only Australian delivered one.

The magnificent contrasting beige interior is now the highest optioned interior that was available being leather and with the legendary Daytona seats. Certainly the only one of its kind in the country and surely a miniscule number world wide.

Now we are talking rare and very desirable in terms of build numbers and specification. But this particular example is also a 2 owner car from new with the current ownership stretching almost 50 years. With a genuine 18,953 miles from new and has come out of the most comprehensive and extensive restoration possible. That’s all boxes ticked!

Vehicle history: The original owner took delivery in February 1971 and enjoyed the car for only 4 years before selling it to Christopher King of Northbridge on Sydney’s North Shore in June 1975. Chris was a mechanical engineer with offices in the Sydney CBD and the little Dino was his mode of transport to and from work. What a sight the striking Dino must have been crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the late 1970’s! 

But in 1980, with the odometer reading a mere 18,953 miles, Chris decided to take the car off the road to overhaul the engine and mechanicals of the car. One thing led to another, as they so often do, and before too long the car was almost completely dismantled. And there she sat in the garage in Northbridge, until Chris moved to Gorokan on the Central Coast of NSW in 1990 and the little Dino, in it’s dismantled state, made the move north too. Chris basically tinkered with various mechanical components over the next 30 years but with no real progress made on the restoration. 

Enthusiasm was high in 2010 when Chris joined the Ferrari Owners Club of Australia and reached out to them for some assistance in the restoration of the car. 

Sadly in December 2016, Chris became ill to the point where the car was no longer something that he could tackle and it was passed on to his son in law, Stephen Hansford, to take over the restoration. So still within the same family for 50 years, but technically Stephen becomes the third owner.

On the 5th of July 2018, Gavin King of Concours Sportscar Restoration was contacted to inspect the vehicle in the dismantled state and advise on the restoration process. 

Restoration: Collection took place shortly after the initial inspection, with great care, which involved creating an inventory of the parts collected and noting the condition of each and every component with very careful consideration to retaining and restoring as much of the car as possible as opposed to simply replacing with new.

The numbers matching engine, #06996, was complete with the transaxle attached. All of the original interior was there, along with every single fastener, all labeled and stored away in plastic containers. Chris had even copied the original Ferrari parts catalogue and made his own entries in the manual noting the condition of the components that he had removed from the car.

The paint had been removed from the body and a coat of primer applied but some more dismantling was required to take the body right back to it’s barest state. It was then carefully alkaline dipped to remove all traces of paint, primer, stoneguard and surface rust. Then the bodywork could be expertly restored by the craftsmen at Concours Sportscar Restoration.

Every single conceivable mechanical component was restored and rebuilt with meticulous attention to detail to ensure that originality was adhered to. The engine was rebuilt, all to original specification. 

Verde Germoglio, Glasurit paint code 20-G-465, is certainly an eye catching colour and looked absolutely stunning as soon as it came off the gun. But as the car started to come together with the refitting of all of the restored, original bumpers, lights and body fittings, it was clear that this was going to be one spectacular looking car.

Darren and the boys at Stitched Up trim were entrusted with the interior restoration, which started with the restoration of the dashboard using the correct, original mouse hair material. Then the rest of the cabin was retrimmed in the correct beige colour but optioned up with the leather Daytona seats as the standout feature. 

The car is complete with its original jack (fully restored), wheel brace, tools, complete books, wheel chock and emergency triangle. The jack bag, tool roll and handbook cover are new as the originals had perished. The road wheels are new but the originals are retained as is the steering wheel. 

Almost 6 years later and #01586 is completed and was debuted in the most fitting way, winning its hotly contested class at the Sydney Harbour Concours d’elegance held on Cockatoo Island over the first weekend of March, 2024. The car is now going through its shake down process and pre-delivery checks, and can now be offered for sale. 

Obviously this is a very rare opportunity to acquire what must surely be the most desirable Ferrari Dino available anywhere in the world today.