When the first Dino-badged Ferrari made its debut in the mid-1960s, the idea of a junior Ferrari was not a new one.

Enzo Ferrari’s eldest son, Dino, had been a passionate proponent of V-6 engines and is credited with designing the marque’s first V-6.

Unfortunately, he would never live to see it.

Diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Dino Ferrari is said to have worked tirelessly from his hospital bed as the disease ravaged his body.

He tragically succumbed to it at 24 years of age in 1956, just one year before the engine premiered to great racing success.

After years of podium finishes with the “junior” engines, Enzo Ferrari, who had long desired a production car to directly challenge Porsche, charged his development team with designing a new car from the ground up, using the principals advanced by his beloved son.

The resulting Dino 206 GT was the company’s first production model with a mid-engine layout and the first to be powered by a V-6 engine, with “Dino” proudly cast...