VIN: the Ecurie Francorchamps / Jean Blaton / Dean Martin Jr. Ferrari 412 P chassis 0850
History of chassis 0850
For 1967, Ferrari constructed two brand new 412 Ps and also converted a pair of ex-works P3s to 412 P specification.
These four cars were supplied to NART, Scuderia Filipinetti, Maranello Concessionaires and Ecurie Francorchamps (the US, Swiss, British and Belgian Ferrari importer teams).
They would complement the works 330 P4s at key rounds of the 1967 World Sportscar Championship.
0850 was one of the two brand new 412 Ps. Originally painted red, the colour was changed to yellow in light of its acquisition by Jacques Swaters, the Belgian Ferrari agent. His team, Ecurie Francorchamps, nearly always ran yellow cars as this was the Belgian national racing colour.
0850 was scheduled to contest the Daytona 24 Hours, the Spa 1000km and Le Mans 24 Hours in 1967.
At Daytona, it was driven by Willy Mairesse and Jean Blaton. They qualified eleventh and by the second hour (after Ford’s disintegration) had risen to second.
Mairesse and Blaton held position until dropping behind the works P4s in the early hours of Sunday morning. They retired at 3am with gearbox problems.
0850’s next outing came in the 1000km race at Spa twelve weeks later. Mairesse and Blaton were once again at the wheel and qualified fourth.
In contrast to perfect practice conditions, race day was wet. By lap ten, Mairesse and leader, Jacky Ickx (Mirage M1), were ten seconds clear of the chasing pack.
When Blaton handed the car back to Mairesse for a final stint, 0850 was still second, albeit now with a bigger gap to the leader.
Trying desperately to make up the deficit, Mairesse did not complete a single lap before he went off in a big way through one of the fast right-handers after Stavelot. The car was wrecked although Mairesse escaped with only minor injuries.
0850 was sent back to the factory for a rebuild, but would not be ready in time to compete at Le Mans.
Ecurie Francorchamps therefore raced at la Sarthe with a P4 leased from Scuderia Ferrari (0856). It finished third driven once again by Mairesse and Blaton.
The 412 P was returned to Ecurie Francorchamps in time for the last major European race of 1967; the Paris 1000km at Montlhery.
A non-championship event, Blaton was this time co-driven by Lucien Bianchi and 0850 qualified fourth.
The race started in heavy rain. On the slippery circuit, Bianchi had risen to third by the end of the first lap. He dropped to tenth on lap eight (when forced to stop for oil to be cleaned from his windscreen), but had risen back up to fifth after 20 laps.
Bianchi and Blaton subsequently climbed through the field to finish second, just over a lap behind the winning Mirage M1 of Jacky Ickx and Paul Hawkins.
Jean Blaton purchased 0850 at the end of the year along with an ex-Francorchamps Dino 206 S (010). He also acquired a new Ford GT40 (chassis 1079) which would be his main car for 1968.
In an attempt to reduced speeds, a three-litre engine limit was introduced for Group 6 Prototypes from 1968. Bigger engined cars were still permitted in Group 4, but 50 cars were required for homologation.
This left few places to run a machine like 0850. However, Blaton was an experienced hillclimb competitor and he drove the 412 P (along with his Dino) in the 1968 Belgian Hillclimb Championship.
Two wins and two second places were recorded in the 412 P. Blaton also took four wins in the Dino. He ended the season as champion, outscoring the Le Mans-class winning Porsche 911 T of Jean-Pierre Gaban by 196 points to 188.
In mid 1968, Blaton sold 0850. It was purchased by 18 year old Dean Martin Jr. (the son of entertainer, Dean Martin). Martin Jr. wanted a late model Ferrari prototype to use on the street. The deal was brokered by Ferrari specialist, Lee Martin, and the engine was rebuilt before being shipped out to the US.
However, upon arrival, Los Angeles dockworkers tried to move 0850 with a forklift truck and damaged the front bodywork. 0850 was taken back to Lee Martin’s shop, Precision Auto Body, where it was repaired and converted for street use. The car and conversion cost Martin Jr. around $30,000.
Many of the alterations were focused on making the car more practical.
They included slightly raised ride height, a pair of extra cooling fans for the radiator, roof-mounted mirrors, different plugs, re-jetted carburettors and a modified exhaust that exited through the tail fascia.
To make the cabin cooler, the hot water and oil pipes were re-routed from through the chassis to underneath the car.
New engine shrouding was installed to keep hot air away from cabin and the front brake ducts were reconfigured to become passenger cooling ducts.
Discrete engine cooling scoops were mounted behind the side windows.
During the body repairs, all exterior rivets were removed. The body was then welded in place for smoother look.
A P4-style Spider roof was added and the windscreen was reinforced to help support its weight.
A rudimentary fibreglass hardtop was also manufactured.
The seats were reupholstered in fresh vinyl and carpet was fitted to the floor.
Dean Martin Jr. used 0850 frequently around Hollywood. By all accounts, it was a well sorted machine, but quite tired when acquired by New York Ferrari collector, Paul Pappalardo, in 1976.
Pappalardo had the car restored back to original condition by Francois Sicard.
Notable History
Originally painted Red
Sold to Jacques Swaters (Ecurie Francorchamps), Brussels
Repainted Yellow
05/02/1967 WSC Daytona 24 Hours (W. Mairesse / J. Blaton) DNF (#33)
01/05/1967 WSC Spa 1000km (W. Mairesse / J. Blaton) DNF (#11)
Returned to the factory for rebuild after being crashed at Spa by Mairesse
15/10/1967 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (L. Bianchi / J. Blaton) 2nd oa, 2nd P class (#10)
Sold to Jean Blaton, Brussels
25/02/1968 BHC Condroz Hillclimb (J. Blaton) 1st oa (#135)
03/03/1968 BHC Fleron Hillclimb (J. Blaton) 2nd oa (#223)
24/03/1968 BHC La Roche Hillclimb (J. Blaton) 1st oa (#200)
12/05/1968 BHC Alle-sur-Semois Hillclimb (J. Blaton) 2nd oa (#??)
Later in 1968 brokered via Lee Brown to Dean Martin Jr., Los Angeles
Converted by Brown’s firm, Precision Auto Body, for street use
1976 sold to Paul Pappalardo, Batavia, New York
Subsequently restored back to original specification by Francois Sicard
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: The Henry Ford Museum - https://www.thehenryford.org/ & Fred Enke
