Abarth 850 TC and 1000 Berlina - Sixties Supremacy

The Nuova 500 was launched by Fiat in mid-’57.  That Abarth should want to produce its own version was not surprising.  Whatever else might be said about the 500, its 13 bhp hardly made for good drivability characteristics.  Abarth’s modifications, upping power near twofold to 20 bhp, transformed the 500’s performance, which, Fiat-badged, initially struggled in terms of customer acceptance.  Unfortunately, the Tipo 105 Abarth 500 also failed to sell in the numbers planned, primarily because that increase in horsepower had come at the expense of a significantly higher price tag – 18% greater than that attached to the Fiat.  Carlo Abarth was quick to respond to the situation, ordering that a bespoke, 26 bhp version be made and adopted into his Monza circuit-based World Records programme instituted in ’56.  In February ’58, the car achieved a record by covering 18,186 km at an average speed over 7 days of 108.5 kph.  Fiat was impressed!  So impressed that Carlo was able to gain agreement from Fiat that it would make a payment to Abarth for every motor sport victory recorded by a Fiat-based Abarth product.  This arrangement proved to be extremely helpful over many years, primarily in supporting the development of new products and race activity at Corso Marche.  It is important to understand that in making the offer, Fiat’s Commercial Director, Lorenzo Brinatti, was firm in that only a race win would trigger each payment - any other placing was not to be recognised  This condition had effects which were not all totally desirable, the most significant being that Abarth’s view of what sort or races and classes it should concentrate on was perhaps overly slanted towards those in which its car could be considered favourite for the victory.

Three years on from the Monza record achievement and related ‘win bonus’ establishment, Abarth presented the first of a line of 850/1000 models which would be the most adept at garnering the best possible level of income from the agreement.  These models were based on the Fiat 600, which had begun production in ’55.  By the time of the Abarth 850’s unveiling, a million 600s had been made.  So, a success, certainly, but also a product that was due an updating.  This Fiat delivered with an increased displacement (767 cc) engine, designated 600 D – good for 29 bhp.  Abarth’s re-interpretation of the design included an uprating of engine output to 52 bhp in a model named 850 TC (Turismo Competizione) reflecting an increased cubic capacity of 847 cc.  Complementary specification changes also included Girling brake discs for the front axle and an additional radiator located midships under the floor.  An example of a 850 TC made in the first year of production is shown below.  #1022733, was raced in period by Gianpiero Raffa.  As offered in recent times by Woow Motors (Switzerland) it was in race trim with partial roll-cage and running on Cromodora alloy wheels.

850 TC, #1022733 Courtesy Woow Motors/Dyler

The 850 TC was priced at Lit. 850,000 and clearly marketed as a model to win incremental sales volume.  Equally, it was specified with race wins in mind and in its first year on track/hill courses it began to deliver in August at the Cesana-Sestriere hillclimb, and nine high profile event victories had been gained before the season’s end.  September’s 500 Km at the Nurburgring was especially rewarding, with Ernst Furtmayr winning the 850 class.  Moreover, 850 TCs finished 1-2-3 in class.  Thus the advertising department at Corso Marche was soon busy with celebratory ads in the specialist press publications, example below:

To capitalise on the success seen at the ‘Ring, Carlo called for a special version of the 850 TC to be developed and this was done at some speed, the launch of the Abarth 850 TC Nurburgring occurring in November ’61.  (Curiously, this model, with designation, Project 64, Sigla 114, is shown in factory records as having been introduced in January ’61, 9 months prior to the launch of the 850 TC itself!)  Whether or not the January event was organised with the assistance of a clairvoyant, the car added to the buoyancy of sales as a result of enthusiastic customer reception of its features including a boost in power to 55 bhp enabled by a modified camshaft, a five speed gearbox, and a price tag only Lit. 40,000 bigger than that of the 850 TC.

An early-built 850 TC Nurburgring, #1540906, is shown below:

#1540906 Courtesy Bonhams Cars

There was variation in the badging of the Nurburgring model.  On some extant examples, the lower right corner of the engine decklid carries a generic 850 TC chrome script – left, below.  However, on #1458387/3320, ‘ABARTH’ and ‘nurburgring’ are added – right, below:

Of course the engine deck lid badges were usually not readily seen because of the prevalent practice, (increasingly so as of ’62), of running with the lid propped open. This – in contemporary parlance – 'hack' was seen as a silver bullet, the aerodynamic ramifications being in terms of downforce (improving rear end stability) and enabling a higher top speed – some said as much as an additional 5 mph, all at the same time as helping preclude engine overheating and heat sink in the bay. 

The ‘Nurburgring’ was a success both on track and in dealer showrooms.  This was helped by very favourable advocacy in the press, Auto-Italiana for instance having this to say in ’63:  ‘The performance of this inspired Abarth is certainly superior to that of a car of almost double its cubic capacity.  We would say that its engine despite the power that permits excellent performance, is elastic to the point that there is good acceleration even at a medium speed of around 3,000 rpm.  This is another positive quality of the vehicle, which is really a sports car but still relatively economical.’  But Abarth was not inclined to rest on its laurels – the 850/1000 TC range was the subject of gradual improvement/performance uprating over several years.  Progressive homologation update appendices were effected with a number of supplementary items, registered especially for ‘67/’68.  The 1000 TC Berlina was Group 1 homologated in January ’63.  The ’67 updates saw the approval applied for the Group 2 Special Touring class.

 

Some confusion can arise because of the moniker ‘Corsa’ applied to some ‘Nurburgring’ 850 TCs.  The is because Abarth also released in ‘61 a model with the ‘Corsa’ designation, this being the first of a line powered by the bigger capacity (982 cc) Tipo 210 engine.  The 1000 TC Berlina Corsa (#114D) was rated at 60 bhp.  The Tipo 210, was at the same time utilised in the Monomille Scorpione GT coupe.  Other important changes were driveshafts with universal joints and the fitting of disc brakes to the rear as well as the front axle.  Shown below is a ’63 example, #1428998.  This 1000 TC Berlina Corsa was sold in recent times for €24,900 by Race Cars Direct:

#1428998 Courtesy Race Cars Direct

In early ’64, the Series 2 1000 TC Berlina Corsa’s power was up to 76 bhp.  Of significance, the underfloor radiator was relocated to the nose and housed within a newly designed protective nacelle with the appearance of a very heavy duty bumper, conferring a distinctive/aggressive ‘look’ to the car’s front end. 

The ’64-effective additional homologation features defining a Corsa version vis-à-vis the Berlina, included engine uprating, (12.2:1 compression ratio and 36 mm Weber), to a maximum of 80 bhp, 5 speed gearbox, discs all round, revised suspension and larger front radiator.  By ’64, the Berlina Corsa’s engine output was given as 76 bhp and numerous other detail, race-purpose improvements led to the designation, ‘2^nd Series.’  This was followed in February ’65 by an 80 bhp ‘3^rd Series.’  In particular, this featured a revised coil-over front suspension, distancing the Abarth set-up further from that of the Fiat 600 with its transverse leaf spring.  Performance was enhanced by the adoption of the 5 speed Tipo 121 gearbox.  The radiator capacity was also increased, enabling deletion of the engine bay fan, (the car still retaining a rear radiator in addition to the nose mounted item).  During the ’65 season, some 1000 TCs were raced with the Radiale head version of the 200 series engine.  The 4^th Series of the Berlina Corsa appeared in September ’66, powered by the 210-C engine delivering 85 bhp thanks to a 13:1 compression ratio and a higher maximum rpm of 7,600.  Both the coolant radiator and the oil cooler were of increased capacity  The frontal radiator housing was restyled to enhance aerodynamics and the car’s weight was trimmed a little – down to 583 Kg.  As a result, top speed was reported to be up to 121 mph.

 

Proof of the 1000 TC’s prowess came in the years ’65, ’66 and ’67 when it was the Division 1 European Touring Car Challenge-winning car for Ed Swart, Giancarlo Baghetti and Willi Kauhsen, respectively.

66 European Touring Car Challenge champion, Giancarlo Baghetti, winning the Aspern round. Courtesy Erwin Jellnek

#1965262 Courtesy Classic & Collector Cars

The introduction of the 4^th Series 1000 TC was concurrent with that of the 1000 TCR.  The ‘R’ signified the Radiale head and indicated a car with 92 bhp, available at an even higher engine speed of 7,900 rpm.

1000 TCR engine installation Courtesy Revs Institute

#2366678 is an early TCR, built in ’67.  In the first decade of the 21^st century it underwent a full restoration and specification update in preparation for Historic Racing.

#2366678 Courtesy Anamera

In early production, the Radiale engine’s 92 bhp, enabled a 0-60 time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 122 mph.  The model was developed with a 2^nd Series appearing in February ’68, a 3^rd the following year and a fourth in January ’70.  The 2^nd Series benefitted from an increase in engine output to 97 bhp, while the 3^rd had 108 and the 4^th, 112-115, (at 8,200 rpm).  The final iteration’s top speed was 124 mph.

There were new Appendix J regulations for the ’70 season and the 4^th Series TCR was Group 2 compliant.  With near-complete freedom in regard to the cylinder head, the rules enabled a further increase in power since twin double choke Weber 45 DCOEs were allowed, as were another iteration of both the camshaft and manifold, together with a prominent exhaust system with long transverse final pipe section.  Rear windows and rear screen were re-specified in Plexiglass, while the front and rear wings/wheel arches were widened and a new fibreglass engine deck lid fitted.  (This latter item was subsequently ‘unhomologated’ on the grounds that it could become debris of a dangerous nature in the event of a rear impact).  After feedback from the works drivers, in which they complained about how the car was handling with its increased power output, the rear suspension was reconfigured, reverting to a tubular components/triangular format arrangement, not unlike Fiat’s original design for the 600.

 

The driver most associated with the era was Johann Abt.  He joined the Corso Marche factory team in ’67 and won 29 races.  The following year he was a winner at 17 events and was a contender in the German Hillclimb Championship.  After leaving in ’70, Abt continued to race the marque’s cars and is thought to have notched up over 300 victories in the course of his career.

Johann Abt winning at Salzburgring, ’70.  Courtesy ABT Motorsport

With various rule revisions, (most significantly, the 1^st Division capacity limit in the European Touring Car Championship was increased from 1 litre to 1300 cc), and competitor strength changes, Abarth’s focus in ’71 shifted to the European Hillclimb Championship – once again, a successful campaign.  Otherwise, ’71 is remembered for the demise of the Abarth factory’s motorsport operation and the marque’s absorption into Fiat.  There was some bravado beforehand however - in February, Carlo, accompanied by Arturo Merzario, presented the SE020, SE021 and SE022 Sport Spider prototypes at the Torino Aero Club’s airfield just across the Corso Marche.  Then, where in previous years, comparative test sessions had been held at Vallelunga or Monza, these were conducted later that month at the Paul Ricard circuit, Le Castellet, France.  The emphasis on this occasion was on the Prototypes and larger engined cars.  Once the racing season got underway, Abarth fans might have thought that ’71 was going to be ‘business as usual,’ as March’s Monza round of the Italian Touring Car Championship saw class wins for Edoardo Gunnella in a 850 TC and for Gino Ravinale driving a 1000 Berlina.  In the mountains too, Abarth drivers Giuseppe D’Ippolito (850 TC) and Luigi Ferragina (1000 Berlina) were best in class in European and Italian Hillclimb events.  By the end of the season, Edoardo Gatti (850 TC) had taken the European Hillclimb Championship, 850 class, and Maurizio Campanini (1000 Berlina), the 1 litre class.  However, even as encouraging results were being recorded, Fiat informed Carlo that he would be deprived of the very thing that had facilitated so much motorsport success – the ‘per-win’ bonus payments were to be stopped.  On top of the many other commercial/financial problems with which Abarth had been struggling, this was a final straw.  At the same time, however, Fiat offered to buy the Abarth business lock, stock and barrel.  Carlo really had no option but to accept, and Fiat confirmed the agreement at the end of August, though it was not announced to the public until 15^th October ’71.  Meanwhile, the racing department had been moved to the premises of Enzo Osella’s Osella Squadra Corse.  Osella would run the SE021 and develop the SE027 Prototype Spiders through to ’74. 

Eventually, as the 850/1000 TC’s development period had come to a close in ’70, the year before Fiat’s acquisition of the marque, the 850 had gone from a Lit. 850,00, 52 bhp car to one with many updated features and a 55 bhp-rated engine.  The 1000 TC began life with 60 bhp, while its ultimate successor, the TCR, had near double that, at 115 bhp.  Meanwhile, the price had reached, Lit.3,710,000.  Given the ‘per win’ bonus which Fiat had agreed to pay Abarth back in ’58, both the 850 TC and 1000 TC models contributed significantly to income over and above the sales revenues they generated, with no fewer than 2,357 race/class wins during the period ’61-’71, (1,236 by 850s and 1,121 by 1000s).

 

All these many decades after Abarth’s golden era, interest in the marque is strong and widespread.  Highly instrumental in the classic Abarth ‘scene’ is the Berni Motori business based south east of Milan at Maleo - http://www.bernimotori.com/.  Tony Berni – who has very kindly helped me in researching aspects of the cars on several occasions – summarises the history and allure of the 850/1000 TCs with this publication: http://www.bernimotori.com/press/Fiat%20Abarth%201000%20Berlina%20Corsa.pdf

Axed Too Soon

 

Everyone knows about Ferruccio Lamborghini’s ‘journey’ from tractors to supercars via heating and climatization appliances, but not so many are aware of the meandering path taken by the Bavarian car maker, Hans Glas GmbH.  This also involved initial production of farm machinery, but was abruptly switched to scooters when they became popular post-war, only for that focus to be abandoned when micro cars became the next new craze in the mid-Fifties, resulting in the Glas signature product, the Goggomobile.  Over a 14 year production run more than a quarter of a million Goggomobiles were built at the Dingolfing factory, with a healthy proportion being exported, including to the U.S. despite that market being characterised by vehicles four times the size!

The Glas Factory at Dingolfing, North East of Munich

Indeed, such was the success of the Goggomobile that in ‘59 Glas was considered to be in sufficiently good financial health to be fit to support BMW and Auto Union when both were struggling to survive. A plan was formulated for the three marques to collaborate with a consolidated/simplified range of products, but Hans Glas declined to agree to the idea. Ironically, a few years later, when it was Glas that was slipping from ongoing viability, BMW provided the solution, taking the company over in November ’66.

That situation had come about because of Glas’s failure to create and effectively market new conventionally sized models to take over from the diminutive Goggomobile. Several models, from the Isar, (launched ’58), through to the 2600 and 3000 V8 Coupes, (launched ’66), did not capture customer enthusiasm and fell short on planned projected sales volumes/market share. But, amongst these, a model with two variants boasted many positive features, looked very good and performed well: the type 211, 1300 and 1700 GTs. Perhaps they amounted to a success-likely combination of Italian aesthetic flair with Germanic engineering quality and efficiency.

The Glas 1300 GT as presented in ‘65

Torinese stylist Pietro Frua had re-established a carrozziere in his own name in the late 50s after a period of employment at Ghia.  Several design projects were then completed in collaboration with Carrozzeria Italsuisse.  These attracted praise from within the industry and enhanced his reputation, but for his business the breakthrough came in ’62 when Frua entered into talks with Glas.  The first outcome was a prototype GT closely based on a design Frua had been developing for Borgward.  This was debuted at Frankfurt, in autumn ’63.  It went into production with a 1290 cc engine and body made by Carrozzeria Maggiora, (at Moncalieri, just south of Turin), the following Spring.  Reception was broadly favourable, Road & Track magazine for instance commenting in its road test report: 

In designing the Glas 1300, the factory started with a clean sheet of paper, no limitations imposed by the necessity for incorporating parts of existing models, and some refreshing ideas. The result is a handsome, comfortable, small GT car of advanced design with as much performance as one can rightly expect from a 1290 cc power unit.

The magazine did however express concern, not so much about its features themselves, but about possible customer resistance arising from unfamiliarity with some aspects of the engine’s specification.  Mainly, this related to the employment of a belt to drive the overhead camshaft.  Glas had pioneered this form of valve gear actuation on a ‘normal’ car only two years previously, on the 1004 models.  Road & Track thought that the 25,000 miles belt replacement schedule might deter customers from considering purchase, though the writer claimed that the renewal operation was very easily and quickly performed – presumably parroting what the factory engineers had told him and quite at odds with the contemporary, well known reality whereby much care is required since even a small error in reassembly can result in very serious damage to an engine.

Glas GT cutaway engine/transmission showing the belt-driven valve gear

The most basic specification version of the Glas 1300 GT was priced at around £1070.  This put the model at a disadvantage as, for instance, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint 1300 was significantly less expensive – though, perhaps surprisingly, the Glas was quicker, with 88 bhp against the Alfa’s 80. 

Registered in ’65, #1894 featured on Bring a Trailer in 2021; its reserve of $9500 however was not reached.  It appeared to be in usable condition at that time, though comprehensive restoration would be necessary sooner or later.  As seen below, the seats are trimmed in black vinyl, standard specification at the time.  This is the only 1300 built in ‘64/’65 with a flat bonnet panel for which I have a survivor photograph.  Ongoing from September ’65, the model was manufactured with the same panel used for the 1700 – this having a longitudinal, central, rectangular ‘hump’ needed because of the height of the larger capacity engine.  This bulge incorporated an air intake aperture just behind the trailing edge of the front panel.

Courtesy Kucarfa

Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

The central bonnet bulge and air intake aperture are seen in the photograph above of #1364.  RM Sotheby’s 2020 auction lot description details imply that this is also a survivor from the first year of production, (despite the bulge form bonnet).  It was offered on the basis of a need for thorough restoration as the car had been out of use for many years.  This can be readily appreciated from the view of the engine bay seen below.  This also shows the standard twin Solex 35 mm carburettor installation.  Also reproduced is the chassis number plate - a standard format and rivetted to the right hand inner front panel of each and every car.

The front bumper on #1364 differs from the form seen on later cars in not having a pair of indicator lamps mounted to the underside of the blade in line vertically with the headlamp units.  The particular car is also missing the circular reflectors usually mounted between each pair of rear tail and indicator units, (though the appropriate holes are present in the rear panel).  Also noted on cars from early in the production run, are 13” road wheels.  15” wheels were substituted in Autumn ’65 and remained standard specification until the end of production in September ’67.

Another early (’65-built) car – chassis number unknown – is currently in excellent condition and provides a good basis for appreciation of detail features such as the rear lamp units as mentioned above and the two front wing badges mounted one above the other forward of the door aperture leading edge:

Courtesy Columbus Klassic

Also with a chassis number I’ve been unable to trace, the 1300 GT seen below is a ’66 first-registered example.  This is also in nice condition today and the interior shows the pleasing aesthetics of the design.  The instruments layout is easy on the eye and functionally good.  Other points of note are the Nardi-style steering wheel with decorative rim rivets and horn button featuring the Glas crest created for the GT-designated models, dashboard-face script badge to the left of the glove box door and the light colour vinyl trim to the seats and door cards.

Courtesy Gassmann GmbH

In Autumn ’65, the 1290 cc engine was upgraded and consequently re-rated at 74 bhp.  At the same time the 1682 cc version of the engine available in the TS Berlina since the previous year was made available in an additional model named 1700 GT.  As the unit was a little ‘taller,’ a revised bonnet panel with longitudinal raised centre section (’hump’) was necessary, as mentioned above. The 1682 cc engine breathed through twin 40 mm Solex single barrel carburettors, whereas the 1290’s were smaller at 35 mm.  In the GT body this unit enabled a maximum speed of 115 mph and a 0-60 mph time of around 11 seconds (and under 10 seconds according to Sports Car Graphic’s test).  Compared with the Alfa Giulia 1600, the Glas was appreciably faster flat out, though the Giulia had a small advantage in acceleration capability.  Road & Track’s November ’66 Road Test Report, with full performance data, is shown below:

The 1700 GT was priced at around £1285 in the UK – a moderate premium compared with the 1300, justifiable in the light of its higher top speed, something which had become more significant with the extension of motorway/autobahn networks in the UK and Germany. 

A ’66 1700 (chassis number unknown) restored in recent times, shows the limited revisions to the rear bodywork relative to that of the 1300 – boot panel script badge (to ‘1700’) and the reflectors becoming rectangular with radiused corners, where the 1300’s were circular; (however, some 1700s are seen with the circular version):

Courtesy Marc Vorgers

The revised ‘GLAS 1700 GT‘ script badge mounted in the upper right area of the boot lid mentioned above, is seen below on another car – probably ’66 built - for which the chassis number is not currently known.

Courtesy Bonjourlavieille

As seen on #5635 with ‘gold’ finish:

Courtesy Cog Classics

The car is in excellent condition and shows the sleek lines of the fastback very well, as below:

Courtesy Cog Classics

Another ’66 1700, white over red, has had a recent restoration and features a nicely presented engine bay:

Courtesy Bimmerlife

 

#5500 – also from ’66 – is seen below from an angle which enables perception of the shallow V form of the bumper and the lower front bodywork of the GT:

Courtesy GetYourClassic

Alongside the Coupes, the GT was also available as a Cabriolet.  However, only about 7% of production was of cars in this form.  As would be expected, the Cabriolet was a little heavier than the Coupe.  The chassis plate in all, (both 1300 and 1700), closed cars is stamped with a total weight value of 1200 Kg.  As regards kerb/’dry’ weight, the lowest value quoted (factory) for the 1300 Coupe is 800 Kg, while the Cabriolet is 850 Kg.  However, I have seen the value 920 Kg suggested for the Cabriolet.  No other credible variations of these figures for the 1700 have been published. 

The 1700 Cabriolet  was priced at circa £1400 in the UK. 

As always with a car of this type and of its era, production figures as given by different sources vary to some degree.  Consolidating the available data, the approximate number of units per model manufactured were: 1300 GT: 3500;  1700 GT: 1680; 1300 Cabriolet: 230; 1700 Cabriolet: 120.

 

A ’66 1700, this Cabriolet is apparently fitted with the wider wheel rims, (for 175 mm as opposed to 155 mm width tyres), as specified for the V8-engined Glas Coupes.

Courtesy PreSelect

 

Another ’66 Cabriolet is this example, sold recently by Scuderia Sportiva Colonia – describing it as a car which had undergone a 10 year restoration process concluding in ’22, which included, ‘many small improvements such as seats with headrests (original seats are still available), and conversion to 12 volts.’  The price expectation was circa £85,000.

Courtesy Scuderia Sportiva Colonia

#5220 is again a ’66 1700 GT Cabriolet.  Despite having apparently been restored within the last ten years, the car failed to meet its reserve when offered on Bring a Trailer in ’23, (high bid $35,288).  The BaT description/gallery shows a car in generally good condition with some nice distinctive touches such as 14” Borrani wheels and a wood rimmed Nardi steering wheel.

Courtesy Mario_L, Bring a Trailer

The Glas GT on-track:

 

The early Sixties saw a lot of interest in production specification-based sports car racing, governed by the F.I.A. and run under a hierarchy of Categories (car type/production volume) subdivided by Classes (mainly identified by engine capacity/induction type).  Regarding the latter, there were several classes/’divisions’, for example in ’64, for cars, (1) with an engine smaller than 1150 cc; (2) 1151-1299 cc; (3) 1300-1599 cc, etc.  In the 1151-1299 cc class, a Glas 1300 GT would be pitted against some formidable competition, e.g. Abarth Simca 1300 GT, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato, Lotus Elite and Bonnet Djet.  At the Nurburgring 1000 Kms in ’64, unsurprisingly, Abarths finished 1-2-3 in class.  However, despite the relative lack of development and experience, the Glas 1300 GT of Gerhard Bodmer/Dieter Schmid came home in 4^th.

Bodmer/Schmid 1300 GT, ‘Ring, ’64. Courtesy H-J Roegler

In August, again at the ‘Ring and that same year, Bodmer took the class victory at the Rheinland-Pfalz Preis meeting.  Belief in the potential of the 1300 GT as a competitive racing car was evidenced by there being no less than five examples running in the Neubiberg round of the Deutsche Rundstrecken-Meisterschaft, (‘DARM’), with drivers, Karl Gollwitzer Jr, Walter Strohmaier, Karl Heblich, Otto Brindl and Helmut Maier.  In the same series, Bodmer finished 2^nd at the DARM round in September at Wunstorf, and 3^rd in the Preis von Tirol at Innsbruck the following month.  Bodmer was placed 4^th in the DARM for ’64. 

1300 GTs were to be seen once again in the DARM the following season, with a win for Bodmer in May at the ‘Ring and a 1-2-3 for the model later that month at Zolder.  In July a 1700 GT appeared at Solitude, though resulting in a DNF, it was not an impressive debut.  Bodmer ‘s 1300 GT was 6^th at the ‘Ring, (GP von Deutschland), on the 1^st August.

Bodmer, Nurburgring, August ’65. Courtesy H-J Roegler

In October, Bodmer enjoyed another class win, this time at Innsbruck.  Bodmer finished the ’65 DARM as champion, (on equal points with Manfred Schiek, who was killed before the end of the season).  Note: some records indicate that Bodmer achieved this championship at the wheel of a Glas 1204 TS, but as can be seen in the photograph above, and in those below (Nurburgring 1000 Kms) he was in a 1300 GT.

With the ’66 season, May saw another good result – 2^nd in class - at the ‘Ring for Bodmer in the ADAC-Hansa-Pokal race, while Helmut Eck went one better and was the class victor later that month at Zandvoort.

Helmut Eck, class winner, Zandvoort, May ‘66. Courtesy Volker Eck

Meanwhile, back at the ‘Ring, Bernd Terbeck won the 1.3 class in a non-championship race and at Hockenheim was equally successful in the DARM.  A week later at the same circuit he was again first across the line.  Terbeck remained on good form, winning at Zandvoort on 5^th June, while Karl Herd was victorious at Hockenheim in the middle of the month.  There was another DARM win for Bodmer at Mainz-Finthen, 19^th June, and in July Herd scored a further championship class win at Hockenheim.  A fortnight later Herd won again at the ‘Ring at the Rheinland-Pfalz Preis event.

Karl Herd, another class win at the ‘Ring, August ’66. Courtesy H-J Roegler

Later that August, Bodmer and Herd recorded a 1-2 at the DARM in Wunstorf.  Terbeck and Eck did the same thing at Zandvoort in the Girling Brakes-sponsored race, 14^th August.  Early in September, Bodmer was again first in class at the ‘Ring 500 Kms, while Joachim Kautz achieved the same feat at Zolder, mid-month.  As the season came towards its end, Bodmer took class honours in mid-October at Aspern.  In ’66, Glas was classified 4^th in the European Touring Car Challenge.

At the Fassberg Flugplatz in late April ’67, Herd and Manfred Becker were 1-2 in class.  Bodmer and Herd replicated that result in May at the Hansa-Pokal DARM meeting.  Another impressive 1-2 was chalked up that month at the ‘Ring 1000 Kms with Bodmer/Schmid leading Friedrich Noenen/Manfred Herbertz over the line.

Bodmer/Schmid, ‘Ring ’67. Courtesy Michael Bratz

Through the rest of the ’67 season, Bodmer continued to secure class wins, 10 in total, mainly in the DARM rounds. Herd scored 2 more, at Mainz-Finthen while Otto Arnold and Becker both drove 1300 GTs to class victory. So ’67 was a notably successful season for the model, with Gerhard Bodmer remaining its leading exponent.

Class wins were elusive in ’68 and though there were a few DARM podiums, reliability had deteriorated, possibly due to drivers needing to push harder against the competition of newer, better performing rival models.

In 1970, Franz-Adolf Kremer founded the Yellow Arrow Racing Team (YART) in Duisburg, Germany. He selected a ’64 Glas 1300 as the team’s car for the debut season, racing it in German, Belgian and Dutch events. Pictures from that year, as displayed on the YART website are seen below:

Courtesy YART

The team’s results were summarised:

Seeking increased competitiveness the following season, the car was modified/rebuilt and raced in the Prototype category, 1300 class.  Power was upped to 138 bhp, while the weight was reduced to 700 Kg.  Running mainly in hillclimb events, a victory was achieved at Osnabruck, with podiums scored at Risselberg, Hoxter and at the circuit race at Zandvoort in August.  The car is seen below at Mainz-Finthen, June ’71:

Courtesy YART

1300/1700 GTs are today, occasionally, seen in Historic events and race meetings, as below:

Courtesy Eyke Wohlbold

 

The impressive ‘65 1300 GT of Helmut Riemer is seen above at the ’22 Riedenburg Classic.

The Glas 1300/1700 GT was an attractive and innovative car with the potential for a long and successful production run. Unfortunately, the Glas company was out of steam, yielding to a take-over by BMW in late ’66. While the Munich marque was primarily interested in acquiring the Glas factory manufacturing capacity at Dingolfing, it was not blind to the potential of the GT, and proceeded at speed to re-engineer the car such that the BMW M116, 1573 cc version of the M10 four cylinder engine could be substituted. At the same time, the rear was reworked to incorporate independent suspension, and styling changes were made to the front and rear in order to create the distinctive ‘BMW look.’. The work was completed in little more than six months, allowing the BMW 1600 GT to go on sale in June ’67. Despite this notably expedient effort, BMW halted production the following year, with only 1259 units built. Strategic review had led to the conclusion that with the existing Neue Klasse range expanding and selling well, a parallel but technologically-variant model of similar size and in the more niche form of a sports coupe would make for additional manufacturing and marketing costs that would not be recoverable by incremental volume.

Kopf to Testa

Preparing for the new-for-1970 Group 5, (up to 5 litre engine capacity), sportscar class, the FIA announced in April 1968 that the number of cars required for homologation would be reduced from 50 to 25.  Within two months, the Porsche board had agreed a go-ahead for the 917 project and Hans Mezger’s team began work on designing the type 912 flat 12 engine soon afterwards.  A car was ready for presentation at the Geneva Salon in mid-March 1969.  A successful inspection of 25 completed cars was carried out by the FIA at Zuffenhausen the following month, and homologation was confirmed, effective 1^st May.

Left: 917 chassis #001 at the factory ready for shipping to Geneva, March 1969.

Right: Presentation of the first 512S, November 1969

Ferrari shook off the demoralising defeats at the hands of Ford at Le Mans, 1966-69, and also decided to contest the revised racing category.  Mauro Forghieri and his team had the first 512S ready for presentation in November 1969, with homologation signed off in January 1970.  Although the Ferrari was relatively late in comparison with the 917, it had been possible to compress the design process as Franco Rocci specified the Tipo 261 engine on the basis of the 3 litre V12 used for Formula 1 prior to the advent of the flat 12.  Also, the chassis was largely that of the 612P Can-Am car.  On the latter point, it is notable that this was a semi-monocoque - a significant factor in making the 512, at 845 kgs, 47 kgs heavier than the tubular frame chassis 917.  The 512 was produced both as a closed coupe and also without a roof panel, targa style, and referred to as a Spyder.

 

In their initial forms, the 917 (4.5 litre) and the 512S (5.0 litre) both ran with engine power outputs of around 550 bhp, (the 917 with 560 by the first race of 1970).  Thus, a closely fought dual for the World Sportscar Championship was apparently on the cards for the 1970 season.  To optimise the 917’s competitiveness, Porsche sub-contracted the running of the works entries primarily to J.W. Automotive Engineering Ltd.  The John Wyer/John Willment team was a proven success, it having secured the World Championship for Ford in 1968 with the GT40.  The team enjoyed lucrative sponsorship from the Gulf oil company.  To provide strength in depth, a second factory-supported equipe ran cars under the Porsche Konstruktionen Salzberg banner.  As the season progressed, additional cars appeared at championship races, entered by David Piper, AAW, Gesipa, Martini and Porsche-Audi Division (US).  The Ferrari factory entries were in the name, S.p.A. Ferrari S.E.F.A.C., and these were supplemented eventually by additional cars run by N.A.R.T, Scuderia Filipinetti, Georg Loos (Gelo), Scuderia Picchio Rosso and Ecurie Francorchamps. 

The leading drivers were, J.W. Automotive – Jo Siffert, Pedro Rodriguez, Brian Redman and Leo Kinunnen; Porsche Salzberg – Vic Elford, Hans Herrmann, Richard Attwood, Helmut Marko and Kurt Ahrens Jr.  S.E.F.A.C. Ferrari – Jacky Ickx, Clay Regazzoni, Ronnie Peterson, Derek Bell, Arturo Merzario, Ignazio Giunti, Nino Vaccarella, Mario Andretti, Peter Schetty,  Martini - Willi Kauhsen, Gerard Larrousse and Gijs van Lennep.  Scuderia Filipinetti - Mike Parkes, Herbert Muller; Jo Bonnier, Reine Wisell, Corrado Manfredini and Giampiero Moretti. 

Along with the 917 and the 512, other models of both manufacturers appeared at the season’s championship rounds – most notably the Porsche 908. Its inherent agility made it a favoured choice for the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring.  And the ‘old’ Ferrari312P was still capable of competitive performance in the Prototype class – indeed a N.A.R.T.-entered pair finished 4^th and 5^th overall at the opening round at Daytona. 

The championship’s first round was the Daytona 24 Hours, 1^st February. Although the revised, ‘Kurz’ 917 had proven very fast in testing at the Florida track two months previously, pole with a margin of 1.3 seconds was taken in wet conditions by a 512S driven by Mario Andretti.  Siffert/Redman’s 917 qualified second, with the Rodriguez/Kinnunen car third on the grid, though the Matra MS 650 of Beltoise/Pescarolo had been nearly 3 seconds quicker in a dry afternoon extra session.  The race featured plenty of damage incidents and reliability issues, resulting in some reshuffling of the driver/car allocations and several retirements.  With three 512s retiring as a result of accidents, only a single S.E.F.A.C. car finished – with driver credits for Andretti/Merzario/Ickx.  And this car managed third place, so not a hugely disappointing outcome.  However, for the J. W. Automotive team celebrations were fully justified since the 917 driven by Rodriguez/Kinnunen/Redman was 1^st and the Siffert/Redman car though 45 laps down, came in 2^nd.  The Salzberg 917 of Elford/Ahrens Jr retired with fuel system troubles at a little less than half distance.

Left to right: N.A.R.T. 512 at Daytona. Courtesy Fred Lewis; Daytona winning Gulf 917. Courtesy Lou Galanos;

Andretti in the S.E.F.A.C. 512 at Daytona. Courtesy Lou Galanos; Gulf 917 of Pedro Rodriguez at Daytona. Courtesy Fred Lewis

Several weeks later, the Porsche:Ferrari duel resumed at Sebring for the venue’s ’12 Hours.’  At Porsche, the ‘second’ team was run under the name ‘Porsche Audi USA,’ with driver pairings, Elford/Ahrens Jr, and Herrmann/Rudi Lins.  As at Daytona, Mario Andretti found his driving style and the 512 highly compatible, enabling him to capture the pole once again.  This time the margin was just a whisker under 1 second, with the Siffert/Redman 917 2^nd and Elford/Ahrens Jr 3^rd.  The Ickx/Schetty 512 was 4^th.  As technical issues and shunts took their toll, there was some shuffling of drivers by the teams, the most notable being a late drafting of Andretti into the Giunti/Vaccarella 512, which Mario then took to a narrow victory, Ferrari’s first sportscar World Championship win for two seasons.  Accounts of this race often focus on another dimension, usually characterised as ‘glamour.  This stemmed from the drivers of the second-placed Porsche 908 being Hollywood star, Steve McQueen and super-wealthy, (courtesy of the family’s ‘Revlon’ cosmetics business), Peter Revson.  The Rodriguez/Kinnunen 917 – with some help from Siffert after his own car retired with accident damage – came in 4^th .  Only one 917 and one 512 finished, and Ferrari in particular experienced a variety of failures and malfunctions.

Left to right: Gulf 917 of Rodriguez/Kinnunen leads N.A.R.T. 512 of Posey/Bucknum at Sebring. Courtesy Evo Magazine; Sebring start. Courtesy Harry Hurst; Andretti’s 512 passing the Revson/McQueen Porsche 908. Courtesy Lou Galanos

The next round was the 1000 Kms at Brands Hatch, April 12^th.  J.W. Automotive entered two 917s, for Siffert/Redman, Rodriguez/Kinnunen and also fielded a T car, nominally for Kinnunen and David Hobbs.  Hobbs main role however was as co-driver with David Piper who entered his own 917.  Salzburg entries were for Elford partnered by Denny Hulme and for Hans Herrmann/Dickie Attwood.  S.E.F.A.C. 512 Spiders were assigned to Ickx/Jackie Oliver and to Chris Amon/Merzario.  Scuderia Filipinetti – with S.E.F.A.C. support - ran Herbert Muller/Mike Parkes.  Another 512, owned by GELO team’s founder, Georg Loos, co-driven by Jonathan Williams, qualified for the race but was unable to start, lacking suitable tyres for the prevailing, very wet, race day conditions.  The race is well known for Rodriguez’s exceptional performance in such adverse weather, the superiority of his driving expertise indicated by the margin of his win – 5 laps!  The Salzberg 917s finished 2^nd and 3^rd.  The 512s came 5^th, 8^th and 13^th.  For Zuffenhausen this event’s outcome expunged the gloom occasioned by the Sebring defeat.

Left to right: Brands Hatch B.O.A.C. 1000 kms race start; Gulf 917 of Rodriguez leads 512 of Ickx; Salzberg 917 of Elford/Hulme

Two weeks later, whatever the weather in Kent, at Monza the conditions were in stark contrast with that endured for the Brands Hatch race.  But for Ferrari, the outlook was not so bright – Rodriguez had been devastatingly fast enough in the English deluge yet here in Italian sunshine both the J. W. Automotive and Salzberg teams had a new, full five litre, engine to try out.  Additional torque from this unit made for improved pick up and acceleration out of bends and Siffert demonstrated this in practice with a time virtually on par with the existing Formula 1 record, though a 4.5 engine was re-installed for the race because of lubrication issues. 

S.E.F.A.C. fielded three 512s, the third being driven by John Surtees, back in a Ferrari as a prodigal son, partnered by Peter Schetty.  Supporting the factory entries were two more 512s, Parkes/Muller for Scuderia Filipinetti and Manfredini/Moretti for Scuderia Picchio Rosso.  A sixth 512 for Gelo’s Loos/Franz Pesch failed to qualify.  Private entered 917s were in the hands of David Piper (owner), sharing with Tony Adamowicz, whilst AAW’s was crewed by Hans Laine/van Lennep, and Gesipa Racing Team’s by Jurgen Neuhaus/Helmut Kelleners. 

Giunti made a storming start to the race and led until the Gulf Porsches took up first and second positions after a few laps.  A lead pack comprised of Siffert, Giunti, Elford and Rodriguez then developed and broke away from the rest of the field.  Subsequently Siffert was delayed by accident damage.  Elford became the established leader as the laps accumulated, the 5 litre engine giving his car a small performance advantage over Rodriguez’s 917.  Whilst the Ferraris could not keep pace with the Porsches, they did all run reliably whilst various troubles began to afflict the Porsches – the Piper car was out with gear selection problems after 55 laps.  Just 8 laps later the Salzberg 917, with Attwood at the wheel, suffered valve gear failure.  A little short of a further 30 laps, Arhens Jr’s 917 had a rear tyre failure and the flailing rubber did enough damage to the suspension and oil tank to force the retirement of this Salzberg entry too.  So, by flag-fall, only one 917 was still in circulation, but this one – driven by Rodriguez – did have the distinction of being in first place, whilst the S.E.F.A.C. 512s had the consolation of finishing 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and the Filipinetti and Picchio Rosso cars were 8^th and 9^th, respectively.

Left to right: 917 of Laine/van Lennep, Racing Team AAW, at Monza; Amon’s 512 leads Kinnunen’s Gulf 917; 917 of Gesipa Racing Team; Scuderia Picchio Rosso’s 512S

For the early-May running of the Targa Florio, J. W. Automotive put all its effort into the three 908/03s supplied by the factory.  The 917 was clearly not well suited to the Piccolo circuito delle Madonie, though a single 917 was shipped to Sicily by the Salzberg team.  Elford/Herrmann drove it primarily as a testing exercise but did record a time of 35:06.6, (before it was put away, not to be seen on race day) -  half a minute slower than their best time in the 908/03 which put them second on the grid. 

With the 312 PB still 8 months away in the future, Ferrari had no option but to use the 512S.  S.E.F.A.C. sent two for Giunti/Vaccarella to drive, one of which was to serve purely as training car.  Scuderia Filipinetti also entered one for Muller/Parkes. 

J. W. Automotive’s pairing of Siffert/Redman took the victory, with Rodriguez/Kinnunen 2^nd.  908s filled four of the top six places, but Ferrari was able to take some comfort from the 3^rd achieved by the Giunti/Vaccarella 512, and Parkes/Muller’s finish in 6^th. 

At this halfway point in the championship, it was already clear that Porsche was most likely to finish the season victorious, the Marque’s points tally having reached 42, with Ferrari on just 25.

Left to right: Targa Florio specialist Nino Vaccarella’s 512 Spider; Scuderia Filipinetti’s 512S; Salzberg 917

A fortnight on, round 6 was contested at Spa.  J. W. Automotive had two 917s present for the usual driver pairings of Siffert/Redman and Rodriguez/Kinnunen.  Salzberg followed suit with a two car line up for Elford/Ahrens Jr and Attwood/Herrmann.  Also entering their preferred crews were Gesipa with Neuhaus/Kelleners, while AAW ran Laine/van Lennep.  Both J. W. Automotive and the Elford/Ahrens Jr cars were equipped with the new 4,907 cc engine, while Attwood/Herrmann’s and the Gespia and AAW 917s retained the 4,494 cc version.
 
The three works Ferraris also carried a familiar driver squad – Ickx/Surtees, Schetty/Merzario and Giunti/Vaccarella.  The local team, Ecurie Francorchamps, entered a fourth 512 for Derek Bell/Hughes de Fiefiant.
 
During practice a revised rear section was tried on Rodriguez’s car and this successfully improved the aerodynamics, enabling him to record a stunning pole time which was 4 secs lower than Siffert was able to manage.  Ickx was close behind, but still 4.6 seconds ‘slower’ than Rodriguez.
 
The race got under way in drying conditions and soon was largely about a persistent battle between the J. W. Automotive 917s and the Ickx/Surtees 512.  At times the main difference came down to the efficiency and speed of the teams’ pitwork, and, on this occasion, J. W. Automotive’s was not as good as Ferrari’s.  Another significant factor was the varying expertise of the individual drivers in such powerful cars on such a challenging circuit, and, this day at least, Surtees was not especially quick, and consequently much of time that Ickx had saved when he was at the wheel was squandered during Surtees’s stints.  The car did however manage to finish on the same lap as the winning Siffert/Redman 917, though it would have been 3^rd if the Rodriguez/Kinnunen Porsche had not retired with a gearbox failure shortly after half distance.  Accordingly, it was the Elford/Ahrens Jr Salzberg 917 that took the final podium placing.

Left to right: Spa race start. Courtesy Motor Sport Images; Piech (centre, standing) and Wyer (right) in the Spa pit. Courtesy Motor Sport Images; Ferrari pit work at Spa -  512 of Schetty/Merzario refuelling. Courtesy Motor Sport Images

Championship round 7 was held at the Nurburgring at the end of May.  As at the Targa Florio, Porsche’s effort was concentrated on the circuit-suiting 908 model and only two 917s appeared – an AAW Racing Team entry for Toivonen/Axelsson, (which was withdrawn when Hans Laine was killed at the wheel of the team’s 908 during practice), and Gesipa’s for Neuhaus/Kelleners.  The latter qualified 9^th, quicker than several 908s and on a par with the 512s but was retired from the race with a wheel bearing failure.  908s finished 1-2 and 5-6-7-8, but the S.E.F.A.C. 512 of Surtees/Vaccarella managed 3^rd and Parkes/Muller brought the Filipinetti 512 home in 4^th.  The second works car, (Merzario/Giunti), was the race’s first retirement, with a fuel injection malfunction.

Left: Mike Parkes taking over the Filipinetti 512. Courtesy Motor Sport Images; Right: Gesipa’s 917. Courtesy Motor Sport Images

As a result of the points earned at the Nurburgring, Porsche was assured of the championship.  It had accumulated 60 points, whereas Ferrari, even if it won all the remaining three rounds, could not amass more than 57 points. 

As the teams arrived at Le Mans, Ferrari could feel a measure of confidence in the light of the Marque’s nine victories at the famous 24 Hours race.  Porsche, in contrast, and notwithstanding its unassailable lead in the current season’s championship points table, still had yet to take a first place at la Sarthe.  Little wonder therefore that no fewer than seven 917s would start the event.  However, not to be outdone, the Ferrari brand representation was spearheaded by a cohort of eleven 512s. 

Looking to optimise the 917’s performance on a circuit with such a long straight, three – J. W. Automotive’s for Siffert/Redman and Rodriguez/Kinnunen, and the Salzberg entry for Elford/Ahrens Jr – were fitted with the 4,907 cc engine.  The latter car also featured a longtail body, as did the psychedelic-liveried Martini Racing Team’s 917 assigned to Larrousse/Kauhsen.  However, the race became much more about reliability and avoiding accident damage than outright speed, especially as wet weather set in within the first hour.  For both makes, only two cars made it to the chequered flag and none of the expected front-runners figured in this group.  But this, no doubt, did not matter too much to the Zuffenhausen management because the Salzberg 917 driven by Attwood/Herrmann delivered the elusive first win.  And, for good measure, the Martini car came home second.  Perhaps the elation was a little spoiled by the fact that all three of the 5 litre engines failed. 

512s were placed 4^th and 5^th, driven by Posey/Bucknum (N.A.R.T.) and Walker/de Fieriant (Ecurie Francorchamps) respectively.  The other nine cars recorded retirements, five of which were attributable to accidents.

Left to right: Winning Salzberg 917 of Attwood/Herrmann. Courtesy Motor Sport Magazine; Race start. Courtesy Autotrend.com; Longtail of 2^nd placed Martini 917 of Larrousse/Kauhsen. Courtesy Primotipo

Although the championship was already decided, there was plenty of interest in round 9 at Watkins Glen, as several of the cars and the drivers took part the following day in a round of the Can-Am Challenge.  Although Ferrari had tackled the Group 7 series previously with the 612P, it was concerned that results had been mediocre, and used the event to reconsider next steps.  Andretti and Ickx both drove S.E.F.A.C.-entered 512S Spyders, the model that would be modified the following year to carry a 7 litre version of the V12 to create the 712P.  Porsche, however, looking to the next 2 or 3 seasons, perhaps had the most interest in the category, largely because of Jo Siffert’s personal persistence and the resulting 917 PA spider.  The Zuffenhausen marque too would compete in 1971 in Can-Am with an upgraded car - the 917/10.
 
The World Championship ‘6 Hours’ encapsulated the season’s general state of play, with a cohort of six 917s smothering the efforts of just three 512s – S.E.F.A.C. entries for Ickx/Schetty, Andretti/Giunti, and for Loos/Pesch by Gelo.  The Gulf Porsches dominated, Rodriguez/Kinnunen 1^st and Siffert/Redman 2^nd.  Andretti/Giunti took 3^rd but Ickx/Schetty could only manage 5^th, while the Gelo car failed to finish.  There was some embarrassment for J. W. Automotive as Rodriguez and Siffert collided an hour and half into the race, though neither sustained retirement-enforcing damage.

Left to right: Martini 917 of van Lennep leads 512 of Giunti. Courtesy Racing Archives.org; Siffert ahead of Rodriguez in the Gulf 917s. Courtesy Racing Archives.org; Gelo Racing Team’s 512. Courtesy Ralph Jennelli

After a three months break, the 10^th and final round was held at Zeltweg in October.  It might have appeared that by this time Ferrari had lost interest with just a single S.E.F.A.C. entry for Ickx/Giunti, but this was to a new ‘M’ specification which featured revised aerodynamics, increased engine power and improved rear brakes/suspension.  Gelo’s 512S was on hand for Loos/Pesch.  In contrast, six 917s were present, three cars each for the J. W. Automotive and Salzberg teams.  Notable in regard to the latter equipe was a 917 driving debut for Helmut Marko, taking the place made vacant by the retirement from racing of Hans Herrmann.  For Ferrari, a visible point of interest was the adoption of a ‘chopped’ tail, much like that devised for the 917 in Austria 12 months previously and leading to the ‘Kurz’ designation.

 Rodriguez took pole with a time just 1.2 seconds greater than that recorded by Jochen Rindt in practice for the Grand Prix at the circuit two months previously.  However, Ickx made the better race start.  The speed of the new 512M proved to be sustainable, leaving Rodriguez unable to stay on terms, and his engine failed after only 4 laps in the attempt.  The Ferrari’s control of the race was maintained until just short of one third distance when the car’s electrics/ignition failed.  In the latter stages, the victory looked well assured for the Siffert/Redman Gulf Porsche, but with a few laps remaining, it lost power with malfunctioning valve gear.  However, with a substantial lead, the car was capable of being nursed home and did indeed claim first place.

Left to right: Ferrari 512M of Jacky Ickx. Courtesy Alamy; Porsche 917 of Siffert/Redman. Courtesy MotorSportImages

With only the seven best results counted, the final championship points table showed Porsche to be the clear winning marque with 63 points, Ferrari’s total being 37.  Headline statistics for Porsche (Ferrari’s for comparison in brackets): Race Starts: 43 (40); Wins: 7 (1); Podiums: 14 (7); DNFs: 16 (19).  Considering that data, it will be no surprise that for Porsche the ambition/plan for ’71 was ‘more of the same.’  For Ferrari there was the promise that the new M version of the 512 would be fast and reliable, but S.E.F.A.C.’s Championship-contesting focus now switched to the 312 PB to be run in the Prototype (Group 6) class.