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Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale: The Three-Seater That Gave Birth To The Dino
The Three-Seater That Gave Birth To The Dino
Word by Carlo Brema
When in 1993 the brilliant mind of Gordon Murray came out with the McLaren F1, an earthquake shook the supercars world. Probably the first proper hypercar was born there, a car still able to excel on any engineering and mechanical point of view, but also performance wise, still maintaining a clean line and without having to compromise aerodynamics that would have contaminated an image that over 25 years later seems to have remained unchanged. His recent creation – the T.50 – is another striking example of how certain people seem to have come here from the future. Or should we say from the past?
I’ll explain. Without a doubt, one of the main characteristics that the F1 and the T.50 share is the fact that they both have three seats, with the driver sitting in the middle. This is a risky choice and that almost no one else has taken since, despite the central position being identified in the perfect positioning of the driver on a single-seater car such as Formula 1. This is why I believe it is right to travel back in time and go back in 1966, in order to find out that Ferrari had already thought ‘bout this solution, when Pininfarina finished the design offered to him by Aldo Brovarone, giving life to a long-forgotten concept car, the Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale.
Speciale in name and in fact, since it not only anticipates the sensual lines of what would soon become the Dino – a model that is enjoying great revaluation these days – but because it represents the perfect meeting point between design and mechanics. Part of it is in fact borrowed from the Ferrari 365 P2 racing car, while behind the driver and the two occupants seated on the sides and slightly backward, we find the first Prancing Horse V12 to be placed in a central rear position. The naturally aspirated 4,390 cc was capable of delivering 380 hp at 7,300 rpm through a 5-speed manual gearbox, good for an estimated top speed of 245 kph. When Gianni Agnelli saw the first model in the fabulous White Gardenia color, he was so delighted that he did not hesitate to commission a second model, this time produced in metallic gray and with a rear spoiler.
Among the many distinctive features of the 365 P Berlinetta Speciale we also have the glass roof, a truly avant-garde solution for the time, the fuel filler with visible cap, air intakes on the rear wheel arches and a sloping tail that it is neatly truncated and houses the two groups of headlights with three elements each and the two split tailpipes. The Berlinetta Speciale, especially when compared to the Dino 206 and 246, appears wider, more pressed to the ground and with a more distinctive and sportier attitude, even if judging by Agnelli’s words, it was a perfect car for everyday roads, apart from the fact that it attracted attention like a spaceship.
Two years later, the Dino 206 was born and of the 365 P Berlinetta Speciale only the inspiration drawn from its incredible shapes remained. The models built remained only two and although many are still unaware of its existence, the charm and rarity that this car exerts on the lucky ones who have had the opportunity to admire it at the various Concours of Elegance or events in which it took part, make it one of the most beautiful and precious pearls in Ferrari history. With that pure white suit, the Prancing Horse’s most iconic engine and out of the world solutions, the 365 P has proven to deserve the name Berlinetta Speciale more than any other. Moreover, in 2014 and in front of an offer of 23 million dollars, the answer from the owner was “No, thanks. I rather keep it!”
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