Miguel Sánchez
PHOTOS FERRARI 512S: 19BOZZY92
These days everything sounds quieter. The streets are empty and all of a sudden the only thing breaking the sound of a Monday afternoon is the family next door playing Parcheesi. Some strange days in which the confinement gives a really unreal touch. But calm down. Even if you can't make your classic roar now, from The Escudería We bring you material to break the silence with the howl of the engines. Yes a few days ago we were talking to you about movies… Today we suggest you turn up the speakers with the sound of a high-flying V12 Ferrari recorded on the great YouTube channel specialized in sound 19Bozzy92.
However, if you listened to us with the movie recommendations, you will have already heard this same engine. And is that today we are going to talk to you about the Ferrari 512S with chassis number 1016. One of only 25 units manufactured for the 1970 season, commonly known by the nickname “Coda Lunga” due to its peculiar aerodynamic finish. Beyond being one of the most exciting V12s of all time, this unit is known for having been used in the movie Le Mans.
If you are a chassis number tracker, you will already know that the most used in it is the 1036. Born as a test vehicle for Scuderia Ferrari, in 1970 it was sold to Solar Productions in order to star in the most of the scenes in the historic pits with the Porsche 917. However, this unit also appeared in the scenes, just after having competed in Targa Florio and Le Mans 1970. A first-rate interpretive test of this Ferrari 512S, which it accompanies with an addictive sound.
FERRARI 512S: BRONZE SOUND FOR A RISKY BET
Ferrari's dominance in endurance racing was complete until the mid-60s. Until the arrival of Ford's triplet at Le Mans, the horsemen ruled the circuits, being stopped short when at the end of the decade a series of events it made the Maranello team focus solely on F1. One of these events was the change in regulations approved in 1968, through which the prototypes could not exceed a displacement of 3 liters.
And boy, what did Ferrari used to race with? Well yes, precisely with prototypes. Thus the things, the Scuderia had to rethink their designs. The first thing was lower displacement to meet new Group standards6. This they achieved thanks to the 1969 launch of the Ferrari 312P. However, their results were not spectacular.
And Mario Andretti and Pedro Rodriguez piloted some units! Quite a surprise, even more so considering that the second was in a state of grace after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968.
In short, things like this Ferrari engineers only saw it possible to return to the top positions by somehow circumventing the three-liter limit. With a displacement of five liters in mind, the Italians decided to do the same thing that Porsche had done with its 917. No more and no less than building at least 25 units to achieve Group homologation5. A very risky bet, since from a financial point of view it lacks logic. However, Ferrari had the support of Agnelli's FIAT.
FERRARI 512, A LOT OF POWER BUT LITTLE EXPERIENCE
Following the efforts of L'Avvocato Agnelli and Commendatore Ferrari, the 1970 season saw the launch of the 512S. Its newly created engine developed 560CV thanks to its 12 cylinders. A whole power pump that, however, was weighed down by 3 factors compared to its main rival: the Porsche 917. The first was weight. Far from using components such as magnesium (which made the German a pyre with wheels), the Ferrari 512 had a steel chassis. Outcome? A more burdened behavior.
Something to which was added the fact that Porsche had already rehearsed with the 917 during the previous season, while Ferrari started new. At this point, the truth is that the third factor was not so much mechanical as commercial. We explain ourselves: Of the 25 units of the 512, only a few remained in the hands of the Scuderia. The rest ended up in the hands of private teams (one of them Escudería Montjuich), not receiving enough support from the Maranello household. Something that was not the case with Porsche, which strongly backed teams with a 917 in its ranks.
Thus, it only lacked a coup de grace to end the history of the Ferrari 512. A blow that came the same year as its premiere, when a change in the regulations left it out of competition. Thus ended the brief history of this horse, endowed with too little fortune to achieve what was his goal: to regain his laurels at Le Mans. A circuit in which Ferrari has not reigned again although… Even today, the sound of the 12-cylinder Ferrari 512S continues to command respect.
