I can’t be the only one who has this problem.
Every time Iain Tyrell fixes a car up and then takes it out for test drive, I want one. Even when, as here, it’s a notoriously capricious and finicky Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer.
The worst thing the world’s most erudite car mechanic ever did to me, though, was rekindle my love for the Dino 246 GT, after fixing one up and taking it for a spin; this, despite my having driven a 246 many years ago and being utterly unimpressed with its stiff clutch and clunky gearbox. And when he talks about setting up the car’s door handle to perform, in his words, “like a hair-trigger on a rifle”, then I really, really want one. Again. Even if it would set one back close to or over a half-million dollars. Pshaw.
The utter bastard even teaches one how to buy a Dino.
That one’s only a measly $375,000… a bargain — not — when the original 1969 Dino would have set you back $5,000 (or about $35,000 today.)
So yes, I am a complete and unashamed sucker when it comes to this stuff, and I blame Mr. Tyrrell completely. Feel free to share your own inexplicable automotive crushes in Comments.
Actually, as I remember it, the Dino GT when introduced was around $6K (US), and the Spider (GTS) was $9-11K. At the time, a front-engined V-12 such as a 330GTC was about $14K.
Close enough.
Those 1969 prices do not include the cost of adopting a mechanic and putting his (or her) son through mechanic’s school.