Ferrari 512 S/M 1970 Onwards (all Marks) : An Insight into the Design, Engineering, Maintenance and Operation of Ferrari's Iconic 1970s Sports Racing Car

The Ferrari 512 marked the company's return to the World Sports Car Championship, and despite being a late entrant, the 512 was a formidable race car. Such was Ferrari's breadth and depth in motorsport that they were able to mix and match components relatively quickly and the new car was revealed at the 1969 Turin Motor Show although it was only ready to race the following year. Mauro Forghieri, under whose direction the 512 was developed, used a semi-monocoque chassis similar to that of the 612 P Can-Am car, and the car was fitted with a 5-litre V12 engine. The extremely handsome, muscular body was designed by Pininfarina and was available in both sports coupe and spyder format.

Glen Smale is a lifelong motorsport enthusiast who has covered the Le Mans 24 Hour race numerous times and authored 14 books on sports cars and motor racing, including Porsche at Le Mans: 70 Years. His 2012 book, Porsche at Le Mans: 60 Years of Porsche Participation in the World’s Greatest Motor Race, was shortlisted in the British Sports Book Awards. He lives in Carmarthenshire, Wales.