VIN: the Georg Loos Ferrari 512 S / M chassis 1018
History of chassis 1018
Chassis 1018 was the 512 S Berlinetta sold new to wealthy German property developer, Georg Loos.
Based in Cologne, Loos started racing seriously aged 25 with a Porsche 910 in 1968. For the 1969 season, he acquired a Porsche 911 T. A Porsche 914 and his Ferrari 512 arrived for 1970.
Chassis 1018 was painted Loos’ signature red and gold colour scheme. Its first outing was at the Brands Hatch 1000km World Sportscar Championship race on April 12th. However, having qualified the car 19th, there were insufficient wet weather tyres for the deluge that occurred just before the race which meant Loos and his co-driver, Franz Pesch, failed to start.
A week later, Loos and Pesch were back behind the wheel for the non-championship Zolder 500km. They qualified on pole and won the 120 lap race in a time of just under three-and-a-half hours.
This good result in Belgium was followed up with a failure to qualify for the Monza 1000km World Championship race. Loos then posted a DNF in a minor race at Zolder before 1018 headed to the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Loos was joined at la Sarthe by Helmut Kelleners. They qualified 18th and initially ran well. At around 9pm though (five hours in), Kelleners thumped the barrier at the Esses while trying to avoid a spinning car. Although 1018’s nose was beyond repair, the works Ferrari team lent them one of their own which was grafted on during a long stop. Unfortunately, soon after 10pm, Kelleners brought the ill-handling car in and refused to drive it any further. Loos went out for a couple of laps, agreed and 1018 was retired.
After Le Mans, Georg Loos sent 1018 back to Ferrari for repair and conversion to the lighter Spyder configuration.
In its new body style, Loos / Pesch posted a pair of DNFs at Watkins Glen which Loos followed up with his third Zolder win of the year. Loos / Pesch then had their best World Championship result of 1970 when they claimed seventh overall and third in class at the Zeltweg 1000km.
1018’s final outing of the year was the Paris 1000km at Montlhery. It qualified seventh but failed to finish as a result of gearbox trouble.
At the end of the 1970 season, Georg Loos sent 1018 back to Maranello for conversion to the latest M specification. This also meant the body was returned to Berlinetta configuration. For 1971 it was raced alongside Loos’ new McLaren M8E Group 7 car.
The now red and yellow-striped machine made its first appearance of the year at the annual Le Mans Test weekend where Loos posted sixth quickest time. With Franz Pesch, he then contested the three hour race that the organisers had arranged. Whilst in the lead, 1018 ran out of fuel.
Georg Loos entered the 512 M for two major World Championship races in 1971: the Nurburgring 1000km and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
At the Nurburgring, Loos / Pesch qualified twelfth and had a solid run to finish ninth overall (second in the five-litre Sports car class). Two-weeks later, Loos / Pesch started 13th at Le Mans but went out during the sixth hour with a blown piston.
1018 was also entered for four Interserie races in 1971. Best results were sixth for Pesch at the Norisring and Hockenheim. Loos claimed seventh at Imola.
The Ferrari’s final race of 1971 was at the Paris 1000km. It qualified eighth, but soon after the hour mark Loos slid on oil, hit the kerb at the chicane and was left with deranged rear suspension.
For 1972, Loos purchased a new Porsche 911 ST and a McLaren M8F. The now surplus-to-requirements 512 was sold to noted Ferrari collector, Pierre Bardinon of Aubusson, France.
Bardinon retained the car for around 20 years.
Notable History
512 S Berlinetta
Georg Loos (GELO Racing Team), Cologne, Germany
Red with Gold stripe
12/04/1970 WSC Brands Hatch 1000km (G. Loos / J. Williams) DNS (#4)
19/04/1970 IND Zolder 500km (G. Loos / H. Kelleners) 1st oa (#4)
25/04/1970 WSC Monza 1000km (G. Loos / F. Pesch) DNQ (#6)
17/05/1970 IND Zolder (G. Loos) DNF (#??)
14/06/1970 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (G. Loos / H. Kelleners) DNF (#10)
Converted to Spyder configuration
11/07/1970 WSC Watkins Glen 6 Hours (G. Loos / F. Pesch) DNF (#33)
12/07/1970 CAM Watkins Glen (G. Loos) DNF (#33)
30/08/1970 IND Zolder (G. Loos) 1st oa (#233)
11/10/1970 WSC Zeltweg 1000km (G. Loos / F. Pesch) 7th oa, 3rd S5.0 class (#25)
18/10/1970 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (G. Loos / F. Pesch) DNF (#7)
Uprated to 512 M specification
Red with Yellow stripe
18/04/1971 IND Le Mans Test (G. Loos) 6th oa, 6th S5.0 class (#10)
18/04/1971 IND Le Mans 3 Hours (G. Loos / F. Pesch) DNF (#10)
02/05/1971 INT Imola (G. Loos) 7th oa (#20)
30/05/1971 WSC Nurburgring 1000km (G. Loos / F. Pesch) 9th oa, 2nd S5.0 class (#59)
13/06/1971 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (G. Loos / F. Pesch) DNF (#10)
11/07/1971 INT Norisring (F. Pesch) 6th oa (#21)
15/08/1971 IND Wunstorf (G. Loos) 5th oa (#??)
12/09/1971 INT Imola 500km (F. Pesch) DNS (#21)
03/10/1971 INT Hockenheim (F. Pesch) 6th oa (#21)
17/10/1971 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (G. Loos / F. Pesch) DNF (#7)
Sold to Pierre Bardinon, Aubusson, France
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
