Peas in a pod: Porsche and Ferrari lookalikes

THE RECENT PASSING of Aldo Brovarone, former Pininfarina chief stylist and the man who created the Dino 206 GT set us to wondering about the similarities between the Dino and another iconic car — the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS.

Brovarone is widely credited with designing the Dino 206 GT, although some still question whether he did or not?

Brovarone began his career in the textile industry in Piedmont, Italy before switching to graphic design in an Argentinian advertising agency.

His first car design role was with AUTOAR, an Argentinian car firm.

Founder Piero Dusio invited Brovarone to return to Italy to design Cisitalias.

When Cisitalia hit hard times in 1954, Battista Pinin Farina hired Brovarone as assistant stylist.

Pininfarina (the design house) was notoriously slow to attribute any designs to particular designers, but Brovarone is generally acknowledged to have designed the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, unveiled at the 1965 Paris Motor Show.

Although a one-off concept car, the family relationship with the Dino 206 GT is obvious.

Some claim much of the detailing was actually the work of fellow Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti whose portfolio includes the Ferrari Daytona, 365BB and F40.

Brovarone is generally credited (retrospectively) with designing the Ferrari Superfast show car, Fiat Dino Spider and Gianni Agnelli’s unique Ferrari 375 America.

Brovarone became chief stylist in 1960, overseeing development of the Ferrari 365 and Peugeot 04-series.

His last design for Pininfarina was the 1975 Alfa Romeo Eagle concept car.

He retired in 1988, but continued to submit designs to Turin-based design studio, Stola — including several design studies based on Fiat-Abarth and the Porsche-based S82 and GTS.

1966 Ferrari Dino 206 GT

 

1963 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS

Most famous for designing the iconic Porsche 911, Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche was the grandson of the firm’s founder Ferdinand Porsche and son of Ferry Porsche.

He headed the Porsche design studio in the early 1960s and was given the task of replacing the 356.

He succeeded admirably, designing one of the most enduring sports cars of all time — the Porsche 911.

“FA”, as he was known to his colleagues (“Butzi” was a nickname), was initiated into the business while still a boy, and studied at the Ulm School of Design before joining the engineering office of Porsche and then taking over the design studio in 1962.

He left the operational side of the business in the early 1970s and started Porsche Design Studio in 1972, where he created designs for glasses, watches and pens.

He served as chairman of Porsche AG from 1990 to 1993 and skilfully steered the company through a sales slump in the late 1980s that threatened the existence of the company.

Apart from designing the Porsche 901 (renamed as the 911), he also designed the Porsche Type 804 Formula 1 race car and the 904 Carrera GTS.

Here are the two cars head to head:

Release date:                           

Porsche 904 Carrera GTS: 1964

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: Turin Motor Show, November 1967

 

Number produced:               

Porsche 904 Carrera GTS: 106

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: circa 150

 

Engine:              

Porsche 904: rear wheel drive, mid-mounted DOHC 2-litre flat four, naturally aspirated, dry sump motor, air cooled

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: rear wheel drive, mid-mounted DOHC 2-litre V6, naturally aspirated wet sump motor, water cooled

 

Power:               

Porsche 904: 153bhp (114kW) @ 6900rpm

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: 178bhp (132kW) @ 8000rpm

 

Torque:               

Porsche 904: 169Nm (125 lb ft) @ 5000rpm

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: 187Nm (138 lb ft) @ 6500rpm

 

Top speed:     

Porsche 904: Top speed 235km/h

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: Top speed 235km/h

 

Dimensions:   

Porsche 904: 650kg, 4.09m (L), 1.54m (W), 1.07m (H)

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: 900kg, 4.15m (L), 1.7m (W), 1.11m (H)

 

Wheelbase:     

Porsche 904: 2.3m

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: 2.28m

 

Front suspension:     

Porsche 904: independent unequal length wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, coil springs

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: independent unequal length wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar

 

Tyres:                 

Porsche 904: (front and rear) 165 HR 15

Ferrari Dino 206 GT: (front and rear) 185 VR 14

 

Verdict:

So, maybe not as close as we first thought, but still many similarities.

We’d be happy with either!

 

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