01 September 2022
Alfredo (known as Alfredino) Ferrari was an Italian automotive engineer and the first son of automaker Enzo Ferrari.
Long before the family business was a family empire, Enzo intended for his son to one day succeed him as Il Commendatore of Ferrari and began grooming him from a very young age. Alfredino attended the most refined European schools with a strong focus on industrial finance, broader economics, and engineering.
It quickly became apparent, however, that Dino was not well, and by the time he had completed only two years of technical school, he had to withdraw for health reasons.
Despite his engineering studies being cut short, this never stopped Enzo from calling him his ‘engineer son.’
In 1920 Enzo became a racing-car driver for the Alfa Romeo Company, and in 1929 he formed a racing stable, Scuderia Ferrari, which remained Alfa Romeo’s official racing team even after Ferrari himself ceased to drive in races in 1932, following the birth of ‘Dino.’
Although Enzo felt a big V12 was an indivisible part of the Ferrari DNA, Dino and Ferrari’s in-house engineering genius Vittorio Jane developed a small V6 for Formula 2 racing; Enzo felt this new V6 was something of a sub-brand and never badged it a Ferrari.
Sadly, Dino was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and died in 1956 at 24.
After his death, Enzo Ferrari named the car fitted with the Alfredino V6 engine ‘Dino’ in his honour.
I imagine today’s prices would challenge Dino as a sub-brand.
