Ferrari 126C2 Where are they now?

I have often wondered this and look for this model when vintage F1 racing is shown, ect., or Ferrari F1 collections, but it seems that unless Ferrari has them hidden away, or the remaining chassis at the end of 1982 were modified for the 1983 season. I have seen examples of the 1983 chassis though.
From my copy of Autocourse:
Started the season with an uprated 1980/1 car, 126C (0498B), and two new 1982 chassis, 126C2 (055) and (056)
049B Spare car at Kylami.
055 New at Kylalami for Villeneuve. Crashed and written off by Pironi during testing at Ricard.
056 new for Pironi at Kyalami. For Pironi at Rio and Long Beach. Crashed by Pironi during practice at Imola. Returned to Maranello and repaired using monocoque of 056 and bits prepared for 059. Raced by Pironi at Imola and then completely rebuilt. Spare car at Monaco and Detroit (raced by Pironi). For Pironi in Montreal but damaged in strat-line accident. Rebuilt and then written off by Pironi during testing at Ricard.
057 new for Villeneuve at Rio. For Villeneuve at Long Beach. Spare car at Imola and Zolder. For Tambay at Zandvoort. Not seen again.
058 New at Rio, spare car. Spare car at Long Beach (raced by Villeneuve), For Villeneuve at Imola and Zolder (written off in practice)
059 New for Pironi at Zolder. For Pironi at Monaco and Detroit. Spare car at Montreal (raced by Pironi) Zandvoort, Brands Hatch, Ricard, Hockenheim and Osterreichring. Not seen again.
060 New for Pironi at Zandvoort. For Pironi at Brands Hatch, Ricard and Hockenheim (written off in practice)
061 New for Tambay at Brands Hatch. For Tambay at Ricard. Hockenheim, Osterreichring.
Spare car at Dijion. for Andretti at Monza and Las Vegas.
062 B-spec (built specifically to take pull-rod front suspension). New for Tambay at Dijion. For Tambay at Monza and Las Vegas.
063 B-spec. New at Monza. Spare car at Monza and Las Vegas.
064 Completed beginning of October.
What has happened to these Harvey Postlethwaite designed chassis, introducing Ferrari to the new technology of carbon-fibre composite construction monocoques.
These cars survived two horrendous high speed crashes at Ricard with Pironi on board and of course the tragic crash that took our beloved Gilles and Pironi's Hockenheim crash, which ended his career. Did Enzo have these cars destroyed post all the tragedy and controversy surrounding them, ect.?
I have never seen an 126C2, which to me is one of the most beautiful appearing and designed Ferrari's of the eighties, in any photographs at all.
With the considerable knowledge here, does anyone have any information or photographs of existing chassis?
I have oft wondered about this, seemingly a mystery....thank you in advance, also I realize this isn't the latest F1 topic, but I didn't know where to place it.
GV27TIFOSI

 

Only one 126 C2 still exists. It belongs to a collector in France.

 

061 was at Goodwood in '01.
http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/happenings/2001/august/goodwood.html

 

Most old F1 cars were destroyed under the orders of Enzo Ferrari because...well I don't know why.

Until one of the financial guys probably said 'what if we sell them?'. Very few vintage F1 cars are left.

 

Nonsense. There are many, many old F1 Ferraris still in existence, right from the late 40s and early 50s on. There's no reason why the 126C2 shouldn't have survived and I wondered the same question the OP has for quite some time.
Very unique to see s/n 061 at Goodwood, thanks for posting!

 

Yes it is 061 that is the sole survivor of the 126 C2. The well known French collector who has owned the car for many years has become inactive in the vintage car scene, and consequently the public doesn't get to see much of it nowadays. I does live with a pretty impressive stable of Ferrari Grand Prix cars to keep it company though.

 

Definitely weren't modified for '83. The rules changes were too drastic, resulting in some of the homelier-looking F1 cars in my opinion.

 

He didn't scrap all of them but he did scrap many. Maybe he kept one of each (WCC winning cars only?) but it certainly isn't like how they keep each chassis now and sell them later on.

 

From the very early tipos on Enzo already sold them to customers. Many were lost in battle or scrapped or used for development of a successor. I don't think there was a deliberate policy at Ferrari about what to do with an obsolete GP car. I guess money talks. The difference today is that there are many more survivors from recent seasons and the Corse Clienti programme cultivates on this. But it's also impossible to run such a car without assistance.

 

Thanks for your replies, it was good to know that at least one chassis is remaining..the car had such great potential and would have easily won the constructors championship and obviously the drivers championship, if not for the tragedies which ensued..
That ground effect was so dangerous in those days, worse in 1981, but still even the bravest of the brave experienced the feeling of aerodynamics taking over versus the feel or seat of the pants, if you will.
Still one of the most beautiful Ferrari F1 chassis...
GV27TIFOSI

 

Ferrari did win the WCC in 1982 and Pironi was beaten by Rosberg by only five points, Pironi having missed out on the last five races. Up to Pironi's crash, Rosberg wasn't even really in the picture for the title.

 

+1,000...

 

Guess the story I read was slightly twisted then. What you posted sounds more like the truth.

 

I had forgotten that Ferrari had clinched the constructors championship that year, on a related note, have any of the members here visited the Gilles Villeneuve Museum in Canada and could provide photos of their visit.
I would love to start a "What would Gilles do?" thread in regards to the current 'state' of F1, I know he abhorred the ground effect era, which claimed his life, he had suggested a return to the F5000 concept of single seaters, with massive horsepower and huge wheels, to bring the abilities of the driver to the fore again and to 'sort the men from the boys' as I recall he termed it!
My first F1 hero was Jimmy Clark as a young lad and then didn't really have a hero other than Chris Amon, until the arrival of Gilles.
I'm afraid for me a large percentage of my enthusiasm died with Gilles that day May 8th 1982, I was living in London that year and had the privilege of seeing Gilles drive a Ferrari only one time. In qualifying for the 1981 British Grand Prix at Siverstone, I watched the amazing sight of Gilles spinning the Ferrari turbo car 'twice' and barely losing any speed, he ended up in the right direction, with the most unbelievable car control, I have ever witnessed in all my years of watching motor racing. Every lap he had the Michelin slicks screaming in protest, but the spins and choosing the correct gear and seemingly not really losing much time, plus his incredible sense of where the car was at all times, whatever direction it was pointed in, the crowd was cheering him every lap!
Unfortunately the next day I was due to leave for work in Bahrain and was unable to see the race, when Gilles spun and collected Alan Jones in the catch fencing. I remember Alan not really being too mad at the French-Canadian, as he said something to the effect of, "When a blokes trying that hard, in a tricky car to handle, you can't really fault him!"
Gilles had many a great dice with Alan in the superior handling Williams I remember.
That was the one and only time i saw Gilles drive, but the memory will live on with me forever. I didn't read anything about the spins at the time or since in any race reports.
Was anyone else there and witness to this feat?
With all this talk of the joy to drive for Ferrari lately, here was a true gentleman and a man of his word, with integrity and principle, who so easily could have won the championship that year with Jody, but followed the orders of the team.
That the circus that was Imola, Gilles's last 'race', had such an impact on him and ultimately this unnerving and tension within the team, was a contributory factor in his death, has been debated before, but my feeling is as he said at the time "I feel that I have proven, that in the same equipment, I am the quicker driver."
That he was robbed and Pironi's dismissal of it all as just racing, was one of the most dramatic betrayals shown in F1, even to this day...
I wish Massa well, as he has shown a maturity and willingness to win, that Rueben's showed also in his time, but in the shadow of Micheal, the hierarchy was clear.
My point is that since the tragic days of 1982, even with all the success later for the team, the unbelievable feats of driving exhibited by Gilles and his driving every lap, as if in qualifying, has never been equaled in all the eras since, just my opinion.
And his great feat of winning the 1981 Spanish GP, keeping that train of quicker chassis behind him, lap after lap, using the Ferrari's advantage of turbo horsepower on the straights, to keep his advantage, what a performance, showing yet another facet of his arsenal of driving ability and maturity.
GV27TIFOSI

 

062 and 063 were originally raced in 1982 and then as 126C2B's in 1983. So yes they were converted.
056 had been converted to a pull rod version and was tested by Villeneuve on April 28th at Fiorano. He recorded the fastest time of the day with that car, although they also tested 057 still with the rocker arm suspension during that day. However Ferrari decided to use the Rockerarm version for the next two races in Belgium and Monaco. 057 was then also converted to the pull rod version and Patrick Tambay finished in 8th place at the Dutch GP with it. There was at least one car probably either 057 or 59 that was converted in to a flatbottom 126C2 in late 1982 for some tests.

 

You have any orginal pics?

 

pictures of which car. 062 and 063 or the 126C2 flat bottom car? all my pictures are copyrighted so I don't know if I can post them on here.

 

Ok. I had a little conversation with Mauro Forghieri about this topic. So I asked him about 057 and 059. He told me that he cant remember what happened to 057 but that 059 was defenitly used for further developments. Then I read in Alan Henry's book "Grand Prix car design and technology in the 1980's) that Ferrari used one of the early chassis for a crash test. So if 059 was used for further development, 057 is the only chassis still unaccounted for. that makes it the perfect candidate for that crash test.

 

061 is for sale! if only I was rich


FERRARI 126 C 2: Modena Motorsport

 

This is one of my top 5 most loved Ferrari F-1 cars.. and in my top 10 cars period.

but - the one for sale is not accurate from my memory and my Autocourse from 1982... so to call it concours - not right.

the cars had aluminum wings in the front and back, and the side pod color was a light tan in Brazil to Imola and then black till the end of the season.. .

engine valve covers were also not red - but were an off gold / metalic color

Regardless it was the car of 1982 - and should have had Villeneuve as World Champion. Pironi could have easily won had he just been able to race 3- of the five last races...
Mario Andretti's last F-1 race was in this car at las Vegas... and Tambay's first win in this car in Germany ...

 

This 85 car was auctioned recently - FYI

For Sale: 1985 Ferrari F1 156/85

 

You are 100 percent right. This car is very poorly restored. Skirt panel is wrong, front and rear wings are wrong. Nose section is wrongly shaped. Valve covers were only red starting from Monza as 061 was used at Monza, you could excuse this. But having the name Villeneuve on this car, is wrong. Gilles never sat in 061 as it was built after his fatal accident in Belgium.