{"id":248914,"date":"2023-12-18T20:49:40","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T20:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?p=248914"},"modified":"2023-12-18T20:49:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T20:49:40","slug":"i-drove-this-classic-ferrari-and-made-a-heartbreaking-discovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/i-drove-this-classic-ferrari-and-made-a-heartbreaking-discovery\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I drove this classic Ferrari and made a heartbreaking discovery’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What\u2019s the first brand most people think of when they think of cars?<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s a three-pointed star, sometimes it\u2019s a pair of wings, and occasionally it is a shield.<\/p>\n

Most of the time however, it is a black prancing horse on a yellow background and the word \u2018Ferrari\u2019 written at the top.<\/p>\n

It is one of those rare times when the clich\u00e9 fits perfectly with the reality as for many people the pinnacle of cars both on and off track will be accompanied by the sound of six and 12-cylinder cars roaring over the horizon.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week I drove my first-ever Ferrari, one with a heartbreaking back story.<\/p>\n

READ MORE <\/strong> ‘I drove the latest Porsche and it shows electric cars are not the future’<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The car I drove was a 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GT, currently being looked after by Ferrari specialists Foskers Ferrari.<\/p>\n

It is one of the few Ferraris of this era to be fitted with the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the car, providing at least some degree of familiarity as you slip yourself into a very spacious cabin.<\/p>\n

Staring out ahead of you see the wheel arches, each of them hand beaten, marking the ends of the car. Also stretching far away from you is the steering wheel, there is no adjustment here other than a lever to move the seat back and forth.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the engine, the beating heart after which the car is named.<\/p>\n

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The V6 sits inches from the back of your head and whether you\u2019re accelerating or cruising it remains a constant presence, the soundtrack of a bygone era.<\/p>\n

Heel and toe on the way down through the H-pattern gearbox, let the engine breathe, and suddenly the car leaps forward, and all of your cliches are left behind.<\/p>\n

I got out of the car and for the first time really, REALLY, understood why people lust after Ferraris, why some sell for tens of millions of pounds. You get the Ferrari bug, and it sticks.<\/p>\n

While the Dino 246 GT was built and designed during an iconic era of motoring, one of its architects sadly never saw it at all.<\/p>\n