S&M Mystery!

[termietermite]

At the Classic, this 512 was listed as a 512S

To the Termites' knowledge, all but two were converted to Ms in the closed season of 1970/71.  Has this been converted back or was it one of the two escapees?  Anybody know its chassis number?

I'm sure Google will come up with something if I look but do any of you know the answer?

[Lazy B'stard]

I'm no Ferrari expert but I think all 512's in open form are referred to as S for spyder. Nick Mason's 512 is an S and is open.  Could this be the answer?

[Lazy B'stard]

Just had a butchers in the library. Nick's car was built in 1970 as a 'S' and later converted to L (long) M. He converted it back to S (open) with short tail when it was restored in the 90's. It wears chassis number 1026.

[termietermite]

Converted back then - thanks for looking!

I think there were 5 512S Spyders of  the 25 cars, afaik, so it's a rare beast, whatever. 

[Lazy B'stard]

Yes it's the car that caught fire when Derek Bell was driving during filming. Bell and Ronnie Peterson drove it at Le Mans the year before.
 The burnt out car was stored in a warehouse for the rest of the seventies until Mason bought it for just six grand!
 Bob Houghton did the restoration. 1026 only won one race, in the states in 1970 driven by Mario Andretti. Do you know which race?

[Steve Pyro]

Do you know which race?

1970 Sebring 12 hours

[Lazy B'stard]

10 points to that man Brown!
 Also finished 3rd at the '70 24h of Daytona with Andretti, Ickx and Merzario and a forth place finish at Monza the same year. Quite a busy old life then.

[Nordic]

I always thought the 'S' was the original version, and the 'M' stood for Modified.

There was also a long tail kit available called 'Coda Lunga'

512

This is Masons car when it first reappeared in the early 80's, ingnore the 512P title, for some reason I cant change it to 512S, I had copied the program which called it a 512P.

[Lazy B'stard]

Oops, sorry One Armed Bandit- I'm on a Mobile and cannot open the links so had no idea!
 

[Lazy B'stard]

Yes Nordic you are right, I'm reading up on the 512 now instead of getting on with work. Top marks.
 What a pleasant way to waste a wet afternoon!

[Nordic]

A 512 also help the outright UK land speed record for a flying mile for a while in the late 70's or early 80's at a 194mph.

I think it had something to do with Alain De Cadanet.

[Leftie]

Yes Nordic you are right, I'm reading up on the 512 now instead of getting on with work. Top marks.
 What a pleasant way to waste a wet afternoon!

Sunny where I am   

[termietermite]

If it was the car which was "destroyed" in the making of the movie, then it cannot have been modified - thus it must have been one of the two cars which didn't get the treatment (yes, Nordic - I reckon M stood for modified too), I guess.

Thanks for doing all the digging guys.  Mystery solved.  It's had an interesting life, that car (or bits of it have!)  Oh, and it was the class winner last weekend.