Keith Moon's ROCKIN' cars, part 2

NOTE: the pictures shown here of a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT are representative of the car which Keith Moon owned.

When The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey bought a Ferrari Dino, drummer Keith Moon had to have one too. He and his mechanic/friend Peter 'Dougal' Butler went halves on a brand new 1972 mid-engined Ferrari Dino 246 GT. "I loved driving that one," Dougal told UK Channel 4 reporter Richard Fleury.

According to www.supercars.net, the Dino family of Ferrari's was named after founder Enzo Ferrari's son, who played a significant role in the development of the Dino-series V6 drivetrain. The Dino 206 GT was the first road-going Ferrari to adopt an aluminum V6 engine which previously had been exclusive to race cars. Beginning with its release in 1969, the 206 opened up Ferrari's market, as this was a less expensive (also less powerful) model than all the other Ferraris at that time. This put the 206 and the subsequent model 246 in direct street competition with marques such as Porsche.

Just one year after the 206 GT debuted, it was replaced by the 246 GT. The new model was heavier thanks to the inclusion of a Fiat-built, cast-iron V6 with increased engine capacity. It was one of the first times a mass-produced engine was used in a Ferrari. The 246 Dino GT sold for six years and nearly 3,900 were manufactured.

"Moon and I had the Dino for only four weeks," recalled Dougal. "Then I got a call. Moonie says, 'Dougal, you ain't gonna believe this . . . but, well, there was a couple of bikers outside--nice fellas--and they just wanted to have a go with the Dino. So, I let them. But unfortunately they didn't see the roadworks sign and they put it straight down a f__king ditch! Complete write off!!'"

Moon also had another race-worthy car for a time, an AC 428 Frua previously owned by Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. The Frua was powered by a seven-litre Ford engine, and was, according to Dougal, "unbelievably fast," until the day it broke down on a railway crossing and stopped commuter trains for an hour and a half.

Another Keith Moon story involving a sports car was recalled on www.anecdotage.com. "While driving his sports car [the report does not say which car specifically] at more than 100 miles per hour one day, Keith Moon suddenly shifted into first gear. The rear wheels locked and the car was launched into a series of somersaults before coming to rest just a few feet from a sixty-foot drop. The first person on the scene happened to be a policeman on a bicycle. "Hello Keith," the bobby remarked, surveying the damage. "I knew it was you.""