A 1973 Ferrari 246 Dino GTS, formerly in the possession of Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant, is set to create waves as it goes under the hammer later this month.
Having covered an astonishingly meagre 1,007 miles, Grant’s chariot is a rare beast. It belongs to an elite group of just 235 right-hand drive models that graced the UK streets between 1972 and 1974. The GTS, in principal, is more than just a car. It is a mobile time capsule, which maintains its original ‘Cromodora’ alloy rims, instrumentation and controls, and takes us back to an era where rock and rolling meant more than just music.
The 2500 cc V6 vehicle was delivered to Grant in 1973, donning a ‘Rosso Bordeaux’ finish combined with a brown leather interior, thus making it one of only 114 examples steeped in this sartorial elegance.
Grant was at the helm of this Italian stallion for almost three years before passing the baton to its subsequent owner. Its years of service on Britain’s roads were punctuated by conscientious maintenance efforts. An exhaustive list of receipts attests to this, which was earmarked for a plethora of upgrades, including a fully refurbished radiator, a high-torque starter motor, and the reinstatement of its suspension and brake systems.
A comprehensive history dossier accompanies the automobile, containing records of correspondence with the Ferrari factory, nestled in the heart of Maranello, Italy, along with the first logbook bearing Peter Grant’s name.
Aspiring enthusiasts will have the rare opportunity to drive away with this piece of rock history, as the gavel gets ready to drop at the Car & Classic auction between February 22 and 29. The estimate for this Italian piece of artistry on wheels is a cool £275,000 to £350,000.
Dale Vinten, the head honcho at Car & Classic’s editorial team, couldn’t hold back his excitement. He effervescingly stated, “This Dino, once under the stewardship of Peter Grant, is a cherished vehicle with an illustrious history. It certainly isn’t your run-of-the-mill car. It’s a snippet of rock history, a tangible memento of Led Zeppelin’s heyday, and the quintessence of a collectable 246 Dino GTS, which hopefully everyone will cherish and revere.”
