PROVENANCE
Donald P. Shiley and Family, San Diego County, California (acquired by
1978)

LITERATURE
Matthias Bartz, Dino Compendium, chassis no. listed on p. 389

THIS CAR
An example of one of the most beautiful sports cars ever conceived, this late-production Dino 246 GTS is steeped in Ferrari’s rich V-6 competition DNA. Series production was demanded for Formula 2 participation during the 1960s and accomplished with updated Dino engines built by Fiat for its Dino Spider and Coupe. Ferrari’s own Dino was initially designated 206 GT and debuted at Turin in 1967 as the company’s first mid-engine road car. Many observers believe the ultimate expression of the breed was the 246 GTS produced from 1972 through July 1974 and numbering just 1,274 examples. Despite its relatively limited production, the Dino – and the 246 GTS in particular – clearly influenced Ferrari’s mid-engine road cars for decades.

According to the research of Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, this late-production 246 GTS, chassis 07874, was completed in March 1974 as a left-hand-drive US version. One of 461 Dinos factory-finished in optional Argento Auteuil Metallizzato (Metallic Silver, Code 106-E-1) paint. Other factory-original features of 07874 included Nero (Black) leather upholstery, Borletti air-conditioning, power windows, and standard-type Cromodora wheels. Following shipment to the US in 1974, the Dino was delivered to Bill Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada. The earliest known, and quite possibly the first, owner of 07874 was noted philanthropist and biomedical industrialist Donald P. Shiley of San Diego County, California, whose many career achievements include the tilting-disc artificial heart valve.

Mrs. Darlene Shiley, an extremely committed philanthropist herself, recently recalled meeting her then future husband Donald in 1978 and enjoying outings in the Dino with Mr. Shiley, who owned the car before their courtship and held it until his death in 2010. Maintained in highly original condition, the Dino was entrusted in 2007 to Ferrari Service of Costa Mesa for extensive mechanical and service work, plus attention to ancillary items and installation of new Michelin XWX tires. Copies of receipts totaling over $13,000 accompany the Dino at auction.

Today, this 246 GTS presents as an exceptionally well-preserved example, thanks in part to its long-term residency in the San Diego area. Finished in what is quite possibly its original silver paint, the Dino retains its original interior comprising black leather upholstery and dark blue carpeting. Other wonderful details include chalk markings recording the Dino’s body number underneath the carpeting in the rear storage compartment, a 1970s-era California Highway Patrol vehicle-inspection sticker on the windshield, and an original Goodyear spare tire, plus a jack, tool kit, owner’s manual, and chassis service abstract. The odometer’s indicated 13,050 miles are believed original. An exceptionally pure example throughout, this Dino 246 GTS simply stands as one of the best and most original examples Gooding & Company has had the honor of offering at auction.