1970 Ferrari 512S Modulo Concept
The Ferrari 512S Modulo is a concept sports car designed by Paolo Martin of the Italian carrozzeria Pininfarina, unveiled at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.
Based on Ferrari 512 S Mechanicals. On the original car, the wheels were incorporated into the bodywork, thus the car could only drive straight.
Despite winning many design awards, the car was dismantled for parts. A replica has been built with the original engine & transmission, lets hope the replica could steer!
The Ferrari 512S Modulo Concept concept car shocked and confused in equal measure. The shock factor came from its being the first Ferrari to receive the ‘wedge’ treatment that became popular in the late 60s; the confusion stemmed from the ‘512S’ moniker, as there was no 5.0-litre V12 to be found beneath the bodywork. It wasn’t a 3.0-litre V12 either, despite the Speciale’s underpinnings being rescued from a damaged 312P (chassis #0868). The engine was in fact a 6.0-litre V12 from a 612 Can-Am racer – although it was an empty bloc.
The Modulo has an extremely low and wedge-shaped body, with a canopy-style glass roof that slides forward to permit entry to the cabin of the car. All four wheels are partly covered. Another special feature of the design are 24 holes in the engine cover that reveal the Ferrari V12 engine which develops 550 hp (410 kW) to propel the Modulo to a top speed of 220 mph (354 km/h) and from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.1 seconds.
One of the main features inside was the sphere sited to the side of each occupant, which incorporated the air vents and various switches. He found them hard to fashion for the show car, but was provided with a lightbulb moment by one of his idols, Giovanni Michelotti. Two trips to a nearby bowling alley sourced a pair of perfect solutions, although he had to bribe a security guard to overlook him smuggling the ‘borrowed’ balls in his motorcycle helmet.
The Ferrari 512 S Modulo was a one-off concept supercar created for the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, where it squared off with the aforementioned Lancia for title of the ultimate wedge. The Modulo won by a landslide, eventually racking up 22 awards thanks to the design work done by Paolo Martin of Pininfarina. Martin took the guts of a Ferrari 512 S Group 5 factory race car and added the distinct styling you see here to create the ultimate Geneva-bound show stopper.
