Race Car Of The Day: May 21, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Hot Wheels' 1971 Ferrari 512M.

Ferrari 512 S was the designation of 25 five litre sports cars built until January 1970, related to the Ferrari P sports prototypes. The V12-powered cars were entered in the 1970 International Championship for Makes by the factory Scuderia Ferrari and private teams. Later that year, modified versions resembling the main competitor Porsche 917 were called Ferrari 512 M (for modificata). In the 1971 International Championship for Makes, the factory focused on the new Ferrari 312PB and abandoned the 512 which was only entered by privateers. From 1972 onwards, the 512 (as the 917) was withdrawn from the world championship following a change in the regulations, and some 512 in private hands were entered in CanAm and Interserie races.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Ferrari 512

Just in time for the 24h of Daytona, Ferrari in January 1970 presented the required number of 25 512S, as 17 complete cars and 8 assembly kits, to the homologation authorities. Of those cars, fitted with the traditional even chassis numbers, ranging from 1002 to 1050, 19 were raced in 1970, 5 of them being spyders. Unlike Porsche, which has built over 50 917s in total, Ferrari could not sell off all surplus cars, and chassis 1046 was given to Pininfarina to be turned into a show car, the Ferrari 512 S Modulo.

The only 512 chassis winning major races in 1970 were 1026 (Sebring) and 1010 (Kyalami).
Of the 25 cars manufactured for the 1970 season, but not raced that year, the 1020 was converted at the end of the season as a 512M and sold to NART, which entered it in competition in 1971. The 1024 remained unsold in 1970, was transformed into a 512M and sold one year later to the Scuderia Brescia Corse. The 1036 was used as test car by the racing division of Ferrari. Later it was sold to Solar Productions for Steve McQueen's Le Mans, also known as French Kiss with Death.

The 1040, sold to Chris Cord and Steve Earle, was entered in 1971 by Penske at Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and Watkins Glen, setting the pole positions at the American tracks. The 1046 had been disassembled for parts, used for the construction of the Pininfarina Ferrari Modulo, and likely remains under that body in Pininfarina's museum. The 1048 was sold as test car to Scuderia Filipinetti but not raced in 1970. The 1050 was sold to Corrado Manfredini (but only as chassis plus body), combined with parts of 1022 and 1032, transformed into a 512M and raced in 1971.