This unique 512-related find brings me to the question if anyone can find out..... who, where, what? Very short footage (just a couple of seconds), a bit blurry, but extremely rare! This is at normal speed: And here, the same, but slow:
I have very strong reasons to assume this is #1030 with Derek Bell. Derek Bell I am pretty sure, #1030 rather because of geographical reasons.
Left in the picture is #1030, ex Ecurie Francorchamps (no side mirrors). Right in the picture is #1002, ex Escuderia Montjuich (with side mirrors). Practically all the pictures of #1002 do show side mirrors...... I can reveal the video above is from a flying km record in 1976.... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hopefully Mr.Massini has more detailed information on this very car in the video? I 'll share the information I got: In the north of Ghent, Belgium, (kind of) official speed records were held since 1967. Because of safety regulations and higher recorded speeds year after year, the last one took place in May 1976. The Kennedylaan, a 2 lane motorway, connecting Ghent with Zelzate, a small city close to the Dutch border, was reserved for the event and no normal traffic was admitted on the total length on the day of the event, Only officially registrated sports and racecars were allowed to the "street"track and could have a try to brake the speed record. There were two disciplines: the Standing Km and the Flying Km. The data I received recently from the organisators (from back in the day) is the following (and this comes from an official article from the organising committee): The record on 22nd of May 1976: 292,796 km/h by Derek Bell in a Ferrari 512 M. Now, we all know Derek Bell had good bonds with Jacques Swaters of Ecurie Francorchamps, he drove #1030 (in the initial "S") at 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps and the Kyalami 9 hours in 1970. Swaters persuaded him to race 24hrs of Le Mans for the factory team in the #1026 (it was in everybody's intrest to do so! ) As mentioned before #1030 didn't have side mirrors on the front wings, at least not in the seventies. That is why I am pretty sure that the car in the video was the #1030 On the other hand, #1002 was owned by Escuderia Montjuich, and sold to Robert Horne in 1974. He would drive the car and win the official 'British Land Speed Record for the Flying Mile' in 1977. We know he always drove that car (#1002) himself. It is very unlikely he would have asked Derek Bell to drive for a similar Speed record in Belgium a year earlier.
I just got a message from one of the former owners of #1030. He doesn't believe the car in the video is #1030, he is pretty sure it is the one that belonged to Robert Horne, #1002, as stated by readplays earlier. Anybody got more info on Derek Bell ever driving #1002?
Robert Horne purchased 1002 in June 1973 already (via David Piper from Escuderia Montjuich). Not 1974. Marcel Massini
I just read this on lemans.org: "Classic car collector and gentleman driver Robert Horne subsequently acquired the 512M in 1974. In 1977, he entrusted it to Derek Bell, five-time Le Mans winner, who drove it to an incredible 192 mph, beating the British land speed record." They got it apparently completely wrong. This is all so confusing. Image Unavailable, Please Login
So, it looks like the car in post #827 must be 1002. Participating in the "Flying KM" in Ghent, Belgium (and winning that record) in May 1976, was probably some kind of test or rehearsal for the attempt at the British Land Speed Record at RAF Fairfod, Gloucestershire, UK in April 1977. One notices that in 1976 the car had a mirror on the roof, in 1977 it was gone.
Derek Bell reunited with 512 M #1030 (ex-Ecurie Francorchamps) at Goodwood's Festival of Speed 2015 Part 1: Part 2:
Another great video: Horne's 512 M #1002 at Donington Park, shortly after the British Land Speed Record was broken. Derek Bell driving! It really sounds terrific!
The incredible thing is that a year before breaking the record in England, the car came to this Flying KM record event in Belgium, held on this public road, just a couple of miles from my parents home. I was 9 then.
#1002 on the Concorde test Runway of RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK April 1977! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Excerpts from the original 512 S brochure. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login