- Cher’s Ferrari Dino Seeks Life After Love
- This Ferrari Dino would have been Cher’s first Ferrari
- Bidding reached $500,000 with more than a week left in the auction.
The 1970s were a wild and revolutionary time for America. The cultural tsunami of the Summer of Love was sweeping across the country. Concepts such as premarital sex, gay rights, and feminism were being introduced into the average American home. It was the time when Sonny and Cher were discovered, the Atari gaming console was born, and Ferrari built a Dino-badged V-6 sports car.
Today, two of these cultural icons have come together in the case of a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS listed for sale and whose first owner was Cher. The car is listed in an online sale on Bring a Trailer and, at the time of writing, its bidding stands at $500,000 with 10 days left in the sale.
Cher is known to have owned more than one Dino, and this particular car, chassis number 04036, would have been her first.
The sale includes a report from expert Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, who states that the car was originally delivered to Modern Classic Motors of Nevada in 1972 and sold shortly thereafter to its first private owner, Cher, by Hollywood Sports Cars of California. She apparently didn’t keep it long since its next owner, racing driver Chris Cord, took possession in 1974.
Cher’s 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS – Photo credit: Bring a Trailer
Named in honor of Enzo Ferrari’s son, who died in infancy, the Dino was launched in 1967, originally with a 2.0-liter V6 engine in 206 GT form. This was Ferrari’s attempt at an entry-level car aimed at targeting the Porsche 911. It was also the automaker’s first attempt at offering a mid-engine layout for a road car, which which Enzo Ferrari was initially opposed to.
The 206 GT was replaced by the 246 GT in 1969, with the new car fitted with a more powerful 2.4-litre V6 producing 192 hp, up from 178. The 246 GTS, like Cher’s car, was a targa-roof version launched in 1972. It featured the same engine as the coupe.
Another Dino 246 GTS with a music connection was only put up for auction in February. The car was previously owned by Led Zeppelin director Peter Grant and was sold at online auction Car & Classic for 300,000 British pounds (about $381,600).
Cher’s car will likely sell for a much higher sum, especially if it catches the eye of a wealthy buyer looking for life after love.