Surface Level
To understand the Ferrari 312T on a surface level doesn’t take a genius.
Three liters,12 cylinders, fixed to a transversely-mounted five speed gearbox. Ninety races, 27 wins, 61 podiums, and 19 poles. Four constructor championships and three driver championships; Niki Lauda twice in ’75 and ’77 with Jody Scheckter finishingit off in ’79, a couple years before the car would be replaced by the turbocharged 126C.
The ‘2’ simply stands for version two, revised with updates to stay competitive with the field as well as to remain compliant with the ever-changing rules in Formula One. The year of312 T2’s debut was 1976, with Niki Lauda leading the world championship before his suspension failed at the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring, resulting in a catastrophic three-car accident.
If you don’t know how the ’76 Formula One season ended and you haven’t yet seen the 2013 filmRush, stop here, watch the movie, and come back. You’ll thank me later.
Otherwise — as you know — Lauda sustained severeburns and was hospitalized, heroically returning to the co*ckpit just six weeks later. Although James Hunt would go on to eke out the driver championship by one lone, singular championshippoint, the 312 T2 (with the sister car piloted by Clay Regazzoni) would fetch the constructor championship for Ferrari.
The following year thecar was further upgraded, earning a ‘B’ at the end of its chassis code. This season brought with it additional challenges for Ferrari’s Formula Oneprogram, with tire supplier Goodyear favoring the high-downforce dynamics of the Lotus 78. Laudawas unhappy with the performance of the car which ultimately led to a redesign of the rear wing, bodywork and suspension.
Lauda’s requested changes worked; he successfullypiloted the 312 T2B over the course of the season to earn the driver championship, and again handing Ferrari the constructor championship. Ferrari went on to produce several additional chassis and versions —3, 4, 5, and 6 — which also saw success until they were replaced for the 1981 FormulaOne season
In The Flesh
Fast forward42 years from when chassis 026 was raced by Niki Lauda to the 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, when I firstexperienced the car up close and in person.
I was standing on Laguna Seca’s third turn during a warm-up lap as the Ferrari blazed through; even at pedestrian speeds theflat-12 sounded unimaginably celestial.
Currently owned by the MacAllister family, Lauda’s 312 T2 has been driven at historic races since at least the late 1990s. This is when Chris MacAllister tracked down the owner, asking for first place in line should the car ever be sold. The owner insisted he wasn’t interested in parting with the car but, lo and behold, a few years later the Ferrari was added to Chris’s collection.
Chris told me he was an avid Formula One fan in the ’60s and ’70s, and that Niki Lauda was his favorite driver. “He was no-nonsense and successful,” much like the incredible 312 he drove.
Although Lauda only used chassis 026 for a handful of races towards the end of 1976,Chris shared with me that this wasthe car that Lauda stepped out of at a torrentially wet Fuji Speedway to hand Hunt the championship.As 026 was then used early in the ’77 season, the car retains the bodywork specific to this year.
Chrisdescribed the experience behind the wheel with sudden excitement in his voice. The “car feels very light, andresponsive. There’s no understeer. The gearshift is the smoothest… it’s a delight. And what a great sound.”
From the sidelines, all we can experience is that sound Chris describes, the incredible barrage of12 pistons screaming away at 12,000rpm, delivering 500 horsepowerto the tarmac.
The special experience of driving Niki Lauda’sretired Formula One caris not lost on Chris; he tells me every time he’s behind the wheel hefeels a great sense of appreciation.
Chris went on to explain that theFerrari has quite the learning curve, but once you get there it’s like nothing else. It’s not overly tight, there’s good visibility, and more importantly the car has “good ergonomics and good synchronicity… I love how it looks and drives,” he says.
Not having the pleasure of watching the Formula One seasons asthey unfoldedlive throughoutthe 1970s, it’s thanks toowners like Chris MacAllister that any of ushave the opportunity to get a taste of fantastic cars like this in person today.
Even if it is just a small sliver of the magnitude of experience that the 312 T2 can deliver, I count myself lucky.
Trevor Yale Ryan
trevor@speedhunters.com
Instagram:tyrphoto
TYRphoto.com
Historicphotos provided by Alex MacAllister
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18 comments
8:56 amMarch 10, 2019Maz
I could be wrong, but isn't the engine is still longitudinally-mounted? if I'm not mistaken, only the gearbox is mounted transversely, which where the T in the name came from.
9:45 amMarch 10, 2019Trevor Ryan
Haha oops, took out a couple important words trying to trim that sentence down lol. You're absolutely right, the T was referring to the gearbox which was shoved in ahead of the axle.
11:48 amMarch 10, 2019Spirit Road
Now this is exactly what I was hoping to see and read on a Sunday morning! Thanks Trevor!
12:40 amMarch 12, 2019Trevor Ryan
Thanks! I have a closer look at another F1 car coming soon... one from '83.
2:07 pmMarch 10, 2019D1riverz
Love this!
3:24 pmMarch 10, 2019Matthew Everingham
Nicely done!
4:57 amMarch 11, 2019Just Gary
Cool car, inspiring driver, great photos & text.
Thanks, Trevor!
4:59 amMarch 11, 2019Will Peeters
As a fifteen year old I saw This cars pre-descessor being beaten by the Hesketh Ford of James Hunt who took his maiden win in the formula one during the 1975 Grand Prix of the Netherlands at the Zandvoort circuit. But it was only soms thirty years later I van to fully enjoy the glourious flat twelve sound of It when I was standing at the pitwall at Spa Francorchamps during that years Spa Ferrari days and that thing came blasting by at full speed at what seemed an armlength. There also were soms 10 cilinder Ferrari's present which also raised all the hair on my arms and neck but the twelve cilinder die sound that more special. Great memories about these encounters.
7:29 amMarch 11, 2019Wires
Such an iconic machine, I always preferred it with the massive periscope air intake, shame they were banned.
10:28 pmMarch 11, 2019Trevor Ryan
Yeah, I've loved the look of the intakes from that era since I was a kid. Changes the entire look of the car.
10:14 amMarch 11, 2019Dec
I'm sure I'll start an argument here, but didn't this car have a flat 12?
10:26 pmMarch 11, 2019Trevor Ryan
Yep, no debate there! Thanks for keeping me honest.
3:12 pmMarch 11, 2019Will Peeters
No argument because you're completely right. No V12 but a flat 12.
4:36 pmMarch 11, 2019Christoph
Amazing feature. Trevor knocking it out of the park as always. Enjoyed reading this.
12:38 amMarch 12, 2019Trevor Ryan
Thanks dude!
7:44 amMarch 14, 2019Angel Quereda
7:44 amMarch 14, 2019Angel Quereda
4:49 pmMarch 16, 2019Antonio Alvendia
DAMN!!!! This story was so awesome Trevor!!! And those old school photos together with the recent track pics!!!