STORY OF THE DAY: A Works Dino Meets the Targa’s Relentless Challenge

On 8 May 1966, Mike Parkes and Ludovico Scarfiotti were classified 47th in the Targa Florio with the number 204 Ferrari 206 S. The result underlined the severe attrition of a race in which even an agile works prototype could be defeated by Sicily’s extraordinary combination of speed and hazards.

The compact Dino appeared naturally suited to the winding mountain course, but the Targa demanded durability as well as responsive handling. Bumps, walls, village streets and innumerable corners imposed continuous mechanical and human strain, preventing the highly regarded pairing from converting the car’s potential into a leading finish.

The Dino 206 S used a two-litre V6 mounted behind the cockpit in a light tubular chassis. Its low body, modest dimensions and responsive balance were developed for the two-litre prototype category. Those qualities favored twisting roads where larger twelve-cylinder cars could prove cumbersome.

Parkes was a British engineer-driver whose technical insight made him an important Ferrari tester in prototypes and Formula One. Scarfiotti was an Italian hill-climb champion, Grand Prix winner and Le Mans victor with exceptional road-racing ability. Their low classification was therefore a measure of the Targa’s difficulty rather than a lack of expertise.