1971 Ferrari 512 M

These difficult cars have finally gotten the development they didn’t get when racing in anger and have become superb vintage racers

by Thor Thorson

In 1968, the rules for sports car racing were changed, limiting Group 6 prototypes to a maximum 3-liter engine capacity. For the 1970 season, Ferrari decided to do what Porsche had done earlier with the 917; that is, build 25 examples of a 5-liter car to allow homologation into the FIA’s Group 5 sports car category (renamed from Group 4 for 1970).

Ferrari’s 512 S represented yet another attempt by a manufacturer to thwart the homologation rules laid down by the Commission Sportive Internationale. It was a practice the CSI tried hard to avoid: Manufacturers would build prototype racers, produce them in the required quantities, and then fit them with lights, horns, and spare wheels, ostensibly to look like a road car. In reality, the 512 was the fastest car Ferrari had ever built, capable of speeds in excess of 235 mph.

Assembly of the first 512s began at the end of 1969. The chassis was similar to the one used on the P4. The engine was a direct...