1970 Fiat Dino 2400

This left-hand drive, European-spec Fiat Dino, which is finished in gunmetal grey with a black leather interior, also sits on the correct Cromodora magnesium alloy wheels, making it the perfect specification.

The seller used to work for Fiat, and the last car he remembers driving was a Dino, albeit the smaller-engined version. Even so, it must have made quite an impression on him as the intervening decades did nothing to dim his desire to have one of his own.

He eventually found this one in 2019 and wasted no time in making it his own; and while it had been recommissioned in 2014 after arriving here, ‘SVR 563H’ benefits more recently from a top-end rebuild plus new front lights, grille, tyres, exhaust, and numberplates.

And much more; clearly a man for whom the doing provides as much enjoyment as the driving, the mileage covered in his hands might be small but, as you can see from the thick history file, he’s spared no expense in getting it ‘just so.’
 

Originally finished in white, we are full of admiration for the way the change of the Dino’s colour to Fiat Silver was accomplished.

For a start, we can’t find any trace of the white it left the factory with, which says only good things about the workmanship.

We are also wowed by the way they wrangled the panels into such neat alignment; shutlines that might have been drawn on with a marker pen are a real highlight of the car’s condition, and they work in combination with the car’s subtle metallic colour to give the Dino a hewn-from-solid look the original colour would have lacked.

It is an inspired choice and one we salute.

Not that the attention to detail ends with the choice of colour because the details stack up too. Like the new wiper arms, whose chrome gleams in the sun and adds yet another dimension to their ‘clapping hands’ sweep of the windscreen.

Rather than popping to Halfords to buy the cheapest Perspex ‘plates on offer, the seller also paid the extra to fit classic Italian-style numberplates. With their 1¾ inch digits, they are perfectly proportioned and reinforce the car’s Euro-glamour credentials.

As do the O/E Cromodora magnesium alloy wheels. Finished in black and silver and, unusually, fitted with a small chrome hubcap that covers the bolts, they are in fine fettle and free of kerbing scrapes and scuffs.

They are also fitted with a set of 195/70R14 Runway Enduro 726 tyres. We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The chrome bumpers run straight and true and they, like the rest of the chromework, are free of rust and pitting.

The badges gleam, and have retained their colour, as have the lamp lenses, which are also free of cracks and other damage.

Which leaves little for the new owner to do. If we’re being hyper-critical(and we do try to be because we know so many of you bid without seeing the car in person) then the paint finish on the alloy wheels could be better. It’s not bad, it’s more than the rest of the coachwork is so good that the slightly heavy application of silver and black paint sticks out more than it would on a lesser example.

There are also small bubbles breaking out on the boot lid, and base of the windscreen on the nearside. There is also a small dink in the driver’s door panel and a small chip in the paint above the nearside rear lamp. 
 

The speedometer and rev counter (with its 8,000-rpm red-line!) flank a central quintet, making this bank of instruments as close to those found in an aircraft as we can recall seeing. Covering all the metrics you’d be interested in – oil pressure and temperature, coolant temperature, time, and fuel level – their design and bilingual labelling set the tone for the experience to come.

A row of six rocker switches across the top of the transmission tunnel allows the driver or passenger to control essential electrical items, with the four levers underneath controlling the heater.

The driver’s touch-points are equally impressive, starting with that gorgeous three-spoke, wood-rimmed steering wheel. There’s a fat alloy gearknob too, which offers access to the five-speed gearbox – and you’re never going to get bored of slotting into first gear when it’s a dogleg ‘box, are you?

The black leather seats are in great shape, with the front ones being as supportive as you’d hope given the Ferrari engine that’s fitted into this exquisite coupé.

Their pronounced side bolsters are only very gently creased, and the individual rear seats, which are separated by a plump divider and can be folded independently of each other, are in a fine condition too.

The rear seats also benefit from having lidded cubbyholes on either side for storage, plus adjustable vents in the C-pillars. This is clearly a very carefully considered long-distance touring car that caters for its passengers in the same way as it does the driver.

The headlining is clean, taut, and undamaged, which is the trifecta of roof lining attributes, right?

Bertone sill plates add a dash of style when you open the doors, with another badge proclaiming its provenance on the dashboard in front of the passenger.

Speaking of which, the wooden dashboard is free of cracks and other damage, as is the top of the dashboard. The latter can be prone to sun damage, so it’s nice to see that this one is in such good shape.

The door cards, with their wooden veneer trim on the lower section, are excellent too, as are the carpets.

The boot is wide and shallow, but then the false floor does hide a full-size spare Cromodora wheel and tool kit, so you can forgive its lack of depth.

All of which means the only job the new owner might want to embark on are the windows, the passenger’s window is intermittent; where as the drivers window does not seem to operate. 
 

S. Longland-Hart fettled the Dino in October 2024, freeing off the rear brakes, updating the offside cam chain tensioner to the later spec, fitting new sparkplugs, setting the timing, and repairing the distributor.

This builds on previous work from the same firm in December 2023, when it rebuilt the cylinder head following a repair, fitted a new head gasket, cleaned the carburettors and reset the linkages, and replaced some fuel pipework.

We suspect there’s further work to be done though as while it drives well for a mile or two, it soon starts to cough and splutter.

It starts well though, as you can see. It also idles nicely, revs freely, and does it all with good oil pressure indicated. There’s a refined exhaust note too, which leaves the only fly in the ointment being the rev counter, which works intermittently.

Speaking of issues, if we were to tell you that the only significant flaw under the bonnet is some slightly untidy wiring from the coil, you’ll be able to gauge for yourselves how good everything else is because it’s clean, neatly presented, and a credit to both those who restored and the seller who’s maintained it.

The underside is pretty good too. It looks solid from what we can see but, as is so often the case, the underseal is flaking off in places and some corrosion has started.

However, with the exception of the front valance it doesn’t look too bad at the moment but is definitely a job that would be better done now than later.

We believe this Fiat Dino coupé was supplied to Austria in 1970, moving into the hands of an Italian gentleman twenty years later, who then kept it in storage for another two decades.

It came to the UK in 2014 and was recommissioned and painted, we believe, in the same year.

We are also told that the odometer reading of 43,000km, or around 26,700 miles, is believed genuine.

There are many invoices on file for previous work and parts, with many of the latter coming from Superformance UK Limited, the well-known independent Ferrari parts supplier. We haven’t totted them all up but suspect it’s comfortably in excess of £3,500 for parts from that one company alone.

The history file also includes paperwork from its early years abroad and a workshop manual.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, but the Fiat doesn’t have a current MoT certificate.

While it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 
 

If you want to emulate the Mafiosi that drove a Fiat Dino in The Italian Job, then your time has come – and whereas some classic cars are all show and no go, the Dino drives every bit as well as it looks thanks to that lusty V6 engine, wishbone front and independent rear suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes.

It would be hard to think of a better interior too because this one blends style with comfort better than almost anything else; it might be hard to imagine now but Fiat used to be up there with the best of ‘em when it came to designing and building luxury cars.  

Which makes our estimate of between £32,000 and £40,000 feel like a paltry sum considering the elegance, design, and engineering you’ll be buying.

Rarity too, and despite what we might tell ourselves at times, we all like to bask in the approval of our automotive peers occasionally, don’t we?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.