The legendary name “Dino” is derived from Enzo Ferrari’s son “Alfredino”, while 206 and 246 designations referred to the cubic capacity (2.0 or 2.4 litres), and the six cylinders.

Tragically, Dino passed away at the young age of 24, with the Nephritus virus, a tremendous loss to Enzo who had a particularly close relationship. As a symbol of his lasting sorrow, Enzo wore a black tie for the rest of his life, some 30 years.
  

 
In his 1963 memoir, "My Terrible Joys", which he dedicated to Dino, Enzo declared that "everything I have done since the death of my son has been in his memory." One of Enzo’s memories was of Dino’s affection for the technical qualities of V6 engines.

Dino had helped Vittorio Jano develop a 1.5-litre V6 for the 1957 Formula 2 series. By the late 1960s, as the potential market for Ferrari grew rapidly, Enzo – helped by an FIA ruling – decided to honour his son by creating a line of V-6 powered sports cars.

A new Franco Rocchi-designed V6 appeared in early 1965, powering the Dino 166/206P mid-engined racers. That September, Pininfarina debuted the first "street" Dino at the Paris Motor Show - a curvaceous mid-engined prototype (s/n 0840) with a 206 SP tipo 585 chassis.

Sporting a longitudinally-mounted 1987cc V6 engine, a wheelbase of 2280mm, and four fixed headlights housed under Plexiglas covers, it was the direct ancestor of all subsequent Dino designs.  Although visually complete, the red prototype, named "Dino Berlinetta Speciale" was only a show car, with missing internal engine parts. 
  

In November 1966, a second Dino prototype was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show. According to Pininfarina, the car was based on an experimental tipo 599 chassis (s/n 00106), which was derived from the 166/206 Dino race cars. Unlike the first prototype, the yellow painted “Dino Berlinetta GT” was much closer to the production 206/246 in terms of shape. Differences included the 60mm longer wheelbase of 2340mm, slightly more conservative front wheel arches, and more generous greenhouse. The front and rear end were very similar to the final production model.

The following year, in 1967, three further prototype Dino’s were built using tipo 607 chassis. Like the first prototype, these cars had a wheelbase of 2280 mm. Outwardly, they looked almost identical to what was to become the production models. The first of this trio of prototypes had aluminium coachwork, and was completed in the spring of 1967. Unlike the first three prototypes, the engine (a tipo 236 1987cc) was now transversely mounted.

The fourth Dino prototype was a true pre-production car, wearing 206 GT badging on the rear, and having covered headlights. The car was assembled at the Scaglietti factory, with final touches being applied at the Pininfarina works in Turin. Shown at the 1967 Turin show, in 1967, Ferrari stated that production was to commence in April 1968.
 

A fifth prototype was built shortly after the Turin show, (s/n 00114), and was presented in January 1968 at the Brussels Salon. The car had a different front air intake design, slightly flatter nose, and exposed headlights. Sergio Pininfarina used this particular car for his personal transport. A sixth “Dino” prototype was also built, but had little resemblance to the 206/246 project.

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