Ferrari 512M - "The Privateer"

During 1970 and 1971 the Porsche 917 was the dominant racing car in the World Sportscar Championship. The Ferrari 512M was the modified version of the Ferrari 512S specifically to compete with the Porsches.  It was powered by a completely new 60° V12 producing over 600 HP. Unlike the Porsche air-cooled flat 12 the 512 engine required an array of cooling pipes along with a radiator. The car was heavier than the Porsche but ended up being a fairly good match. During the 1971 racing season, the Ferrari factory was focused on the Ferrari 312 PB car so the 512M was raced only by privateers. The car illustrated here was fielded by the David Piper team in the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was driven by David Weir and Chris Craft to a 4th place finish.