Ultimatecarpage.com update (09-19-08)
Dear Ultimatecarpage.com visitor,
Drastic rule changes ended the Ferrari's long and often very successful sports car campaign at the end of the 1967 season. It was also the end of the great rivalry between Ford and Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer was only gone for one season and returned to find a formidable adversary in Porsche in 1969. Taking the advantage of the regulations, Ferrari's competition department combined their existing sports car chassis with the running gear from the current Formula 1 racer to form the 312 P. The result was a beautiful and more importantly a blisteringly fast racing car. Unfortunately Ferrari only had the resources to enter a single car at most of the races, while Porsche had between four and six of their latest 908s available. With the likes of Amon, Andretti and Rodrigues behind the wheel, the Ferrari qualified on pole in most World Championship races it was entered that year. Unfortunately bad luck prevented it from scoring any victories. Surprisingly for a Formula 1 based endurance racer, reliability was virtually bullet proof throughout the season. In the end the best result was a second overall and a first in class during the Sebring 12 Hours. Ferrari raced the 312 P only for a couple of months and then converted all their resources to build a direct competitor for the Porsche 917. In privateer hands the surviving two examples were raced with considerable success in the years to come.
For us the 312 P was on the top of the list of the 'to-see' cars and last month we were treated to an up-close encounter during the Monterey Historic Races and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Even on the field at Pebble we were asked to do a feature on it by one of our readers. So here it is: a detailed article and a sparkling 18-shot gallery.
For the record, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantique Coupe has now taken up top position on the list.
1969 Ferrari 312 P Berlinetta - Images, Specifications and Information
Regards,
Wouter Melissen
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
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