Ferrari has produced some epically victorious F1
cars over the years, but few could hold a candle to the 312 T series. This was
the last of them before the turbocharged 126 C took their place, and it could
be yours if you make the right bid.
With their 3.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-12,
successive iterations of the 312 T won three drivers' and four constructors'
championships in the six years from 1975 through 1980. Jody Scheckter took the
last of them, winning the drivers' title and (together with Gilles Villeneuve)
the constructors' title as well in 1979.
The car you see here is the one that the South
African drove the following season to defend his championship. Though described
as the fastest of the series, the 312 T5 was mired with problems – tires
failing, engines blowing – even though it was based on a design that had more
than proven itself over the preceding five years. Neither Scheckter nor
Villeneuve (both of whom returned that season) managed to score a single podium
finish, let alone a race win – including the eight races in which Jody drove
this car (chassis #046) that season: the South African, United States (West),
Belgian, Monaco, French, British, German and Dutch GPs.
The team ultimately finished the season in tenth
place, the worst it had ever done. By midway through the championship, Ferrari
had written it off and shifted its focus to next year's turbo challenger, and
Scheckter had resigned himself to retiring, which he did at the end of the
season, with his title and legacy already in the history books.
The Scuderia subsequently sold 046 to Luigi
Chinetti, Jr. – son of the legendary American importer – who eventually sold it
to its current owner, who in turn is now putting it up for auction. (Somewhere
along the line, for some reason, it appears to have been repainted with
Villeneuve's name and number, but the VIN checks out.) Bonhams will sell it off
to the highest bidder at the Quail Lodge during Monterey Car Week later this
month, where it is sure to make one moneyed historic racing enthusiast very
happy. For our part, we can only admire the machine in the photos below
provided by Bonhams.
