One to Buy: ex-Georg Loos 1970 Ferrari 512 S / M
Thanks to an influx of Fiat cash in exchange for 50% of his company, Enzo Ferrari was able to create 25 examples of the Porsche 917-rivalling 512 S for 1970.
That season, the 512 S was raced by Scuderia Ferrari along with its various distributor teams and a small number or privateers. Undoubtedly the highlight of the year was victory for Ignazio Giunti and Nino Vaccarella at the Sebring 12 Hours, but thanks to a practically unlimited budget, Porsche ultimately went on to claim the 1970 World Sportscar Championship.
With the German firm having teased all kinds of elaborate upgrades for next season and the five-litre Group 5 category only having one year left to run, Ferrari elected to focus on its three-litre Group 6 car, the 312 P, for 1971. However, an updated 512 M was also developed for 1971 and 15 of the 25 512s that had already been built were uprated to this latest specification.
Currently on offer with Tom Hartley Jnr. is one of those 512s campaigned throughout the 1970 and ‘71 season: chassis 1018.
Originally supplied to Cologne-based property magnate and privater race team owner, Georg Loos, chassis 1018 started life as a 512 S Berlinetta and was subsequently converted to Spyder trim after the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours. For 1971, Loos had the car enhanced to 512 M trim which meant it went back to a Berlinetta body.
Highlights of its two seasons in frontline competition included a brace of wins at Zolder, second in class at the Nurburgring 1000km, two outings at the Le Mans 24 Hours and four top seven placings at Interserie events.
More recently, the Ferrari Classiche certified car has undergone a sympathetic restoration by world-renowned specialists, Autofficina Bonini in Reggio Emilia.
Reprinted below is Tom Hartley Jnr.’s description:
Chassis 1018 is one of only 15 Ferrari 512 Ms and is one of the most original surviving examples. It was first configured as one of the 25 Ferrari 512 S cars for the 1970 season, which had been developed to combat the dominance of Porsche, and was sold to Georg Loos, a renowned privateer who entered it into a number of important races in 1970, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
At the end of 1970 Mr Loos sent the car back to the factory to have it upgraded to the even more powerful and aerodynamic ‘M’ specification, with the ‘M’ standing for ‘Modificata’. Only 15 of the 512 S cars were converted in period. Throughout 1971, this car and driver pairing put in some very respectable performances and again competed at Le Mans. It was only when the rules were changed to ban 5-litre cars at the end of 1971 that chassis 1018’s period racing career came to an end.
From the end of its racing days in October 1971, the car spent its life in the very best hands possible, benefitting from long-term ownership with two of the world’s finest Ferrari collectors who truly understood the importance of maintaining the car’s originality.
The car is fresh from a ‘preservation restoration’ by world-renowned Ferrari specialists, Autofficina Bonini in Reggio Emilia. The remit given to Bonini was to ensure the originality was protected for future generations while also breathing a new lease of life into the car. The mechanical components were completely checked and gone through while the original patina of the car was maintained.
It is eligible for a number of motoring and race events including the Le Mans Classic and the Masters Historic Racing series. It is Ferrari ‘Red Book’ Classiche certified, confirming it still retains its original chassis, body, engine and gearbox, which is something quite remarkable for a race car that competed in not one but two 24 Hours of Le Mans in period.
