Ferrari Cools on Plans to Resurrect Dino

Ferrari NV CEO Sergio Marchionne has downgraded the prospects for a new version of the company’s Dino sports car from a near certainty to an idea that’s being “kicked around” and debated internally.

During a conference call with analysts earlier this month, Marchionne cautioned that the Dino and its $180,000 target price could dilute Ferrari’s supercar image. The $225,000 California T currently is the lowest priced Ferrari.

Marchionne, who had championed reviving the Dino, says Ferrari’s management now is split about the entry-level supercar. Noting that Ferrari already is doing well with younger buyers in Asia, he questions the need to offer a less expensive model.

Earlier this year Marchionne lamented that the luxury brand’s four-vehicle lineup was insufficient to keep pace with demand. But he stresses that any new vehicle must maintain Ferrari’s core identity of style, performance and engine sound.

Adding a crossover/SUV likely will be a priority over a new Dino, analysts predict. This would help Ferrari compete against other ultra-luxury marques, such as Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati, that have recently launched their own crossovers.

Ferrari introduced the mid-engine Dino—named after Enzo Ferrari's eldest son Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari—in 1968. The nameplate was discontinued in the mid-1970s.