What happened to the suppposed 25 versions of the 512S produced ?

Incredible photo, thank you! It is extremely difficult to catch that angle so perfectly because the passage speed suddenly augments exponentially so this photo is a rare gem at one of the most spectacular and famous spots in racing.

 

1016 in The Netherlands 11 years ago.

Marcel Massini

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Cameras even in the 70s could catch cars in that section.

I am sure this photo was taken during practice and the car was slowing down. In the race and at that particular spot you normally drive much more to the other side of the road with higher speed up to catch the next -blind- left hander. In the race the car should be nearer to the snapper. In that peropd the cars were not able to drive down to Eau Rouge flat out and then flat again up the hill.

As being an ex-photographer by myself: 70s cameras could match the speed here easily with a 400ASA film. The photo is quite corny so I think that such a high exposure film type was used. So, it was not extremely difficult for a good snapper to take this great photo.

 

Thank you for your comments Walter, I remember using 400 quite a bit as an amateur "last century"and when covering Le Mans for Cavallino though the text was my primary responsibility and I think it was mostly my pit and paddock photos that were used. I did experiment at night with tripod, long exposures to get streaks of red lights from behind etc.
Regarding Spa lines what few realize is that Eau Rouge is not a left right but a left right left right onto Kemmel straight and so people often take different lines particularly in an endurance race. This video of that race, the 1000Kms of Spa, shows all kinds of lines through there and I don't think anyone would slow down just past the pits seven kilometers before pit entry...

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=585669745280427

 

if Ickx had probably technical problems during practice he for sure need to slow down.
But I believe that this image was taken when practice was done for Ickx and his final lap was timed. Please keep in mind that in those days, the finish line was on down (!) to Eau Rouge just in front the (today) old pitlane.
As of the lines at Eau Rouge: it is indeed left-right-left but with the old endurance cars -with no downforce- you need to go to every apex of these 3 corners are you need all the space on the right to enter the long straight. Remember F2 pilot Anthoine Hubert died there last year at the entry of Kemmel most likely because he had not enough space at the right. So when you want to be very fast there you NEED to go after the right corner directly to the left to catch the final left apex on that section.

 

Thank you Walter. Yes thanks to construction decided in recent months they are amongst other improvements creating a lot more room on top of Eau Rouge on the right side where Hubert was hit to avoid such funnel situations.

To go back on topic we have here two photos taken at Mas du Clos in 1981 at an event celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Phil Hill's title. You can see 512M 1024 as well as Asterix cartoon designer Albert Uderzo on the front row in his modified -and streetified- 512BB early Le Mans car, a 312PB, a gaggle of six 512BB's a Daytona Gr4 and a 512BBL at the back.

Now do you know what the 246GTS was doing there and what happened in the second photo: can you guess? I have the answer, a major collector who was there explained it.


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OUCH! What was worse, damage to the car or to the ego?

 

So come on does anyone have a theory as to what happened? I will tell the tale then.

 

I assume, the guys in the dino filmed the 512M, wich slowed down. The rest of the pack already was accelerating and roow was out...


OR, they did a show start and the 512M engine stalled...

 

I was there, right there, and took plenty of pix. A Swiss eye surgeon Dr. A.d.A. with his BB saw a hole that wasn't there and at the start crashed right into the rear of Albert Obrist's 312 PB.
Later on, said Swiss doctor (the BB driver), tried to tell his insurance company that it was a road accident and not on a racetrack (insurance fraud).........

Marcel Massini

 

Hello Marcel, Mechaniker, yes what a longtime 250GTO owner who was right there told me is that the chap in the Dino was supposed to be pace car, lead the pack for a lap then come into the pits to let them go in a flying start like at Le Mans or in Indycar...except that he completely misunderstood, had never heard of anything other than F1 type standing starts and was completely confused so instead of pitting he stayed out...and stopped on the side of the track (out of sight in the second photo) causing those at the front to brake while those at the back had begun accelerating...disastro completo and costly mess....

 

This description is NOT correct at all.
NO flying start was ever discussed, that's simply untrue. It was very clear from the beginning and prior to the start that after a "warm up" lap all cars had to stop behind the line and to wait until the flag is being waved for the real start and the green light shows up. Said eye surgeon was totally impatient and not capable to understand the process. He was totally overenthusiastic (to put it mildly) and his eyes saw a hole where there was NO hole to pass thru. I was there that day, standing right next to the armco barrier and personally involved. In such a group during a club meeting there is always a chance that one or two brainless idiots participate. If a driver is "completely confused" he should rather stay in the paddock. Also: NO 250 GTO was driven in this particular group.

Marcel Massini

 

Ok Marcel I was not there, just relaying what I was told if I remember correctly...but no matter idiots on track days always find a way to make a mess....

 

January 1970: Arrival in Daytona, FL.

Marcel Massini

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I'm trying to figure out which s/n and where. Hockenheim ?

Thanks, Hugo
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Post Spa-Francorchamps 1970 tests at the nearby Nürburgring with Spa race number on 1038.
Here without the Gulf sticker on top left.

Marcel Massini

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Ive been in this car! only for a short time at Mid Ohio in 94? or 95. Bob Rapp had it and a yellow 250 SWB at the national meet

 

Eye doctor, eh? Pretty ironic but sad for the other car. Or was that other cars (plural)?

You can see in the first picture that he’s already moving, or positioning himself to move, to his left and right to the scene of the accident.

 

Was rummaging through some old magazines looking for an article on the Penske-White/Sunoco car but before I found the article I came across these two artifacts, a nice picture of 1040 negotiating the Corkscrew and, after doing a double-take, a picture of a certain Mr. Lampe—one and the same, I believe.

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Article from Sports Car Graphic:

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"Slightly" out of topic, but how could I resist?
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Yes nowadays any chimpanzee can point and shoot but back then it wasn't so simple.
Nice shot though.

 

It was already ten years ago... time flies.

 

Excellent article, thank you for posting.

 

Yes back when a magazine was 120 pages and not 64 pages!