55 years since victory at the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring
This week marks the 55th anniversary of Ferrari's unforgettable victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring on the 21st of March in 1970 in the hands of Mario Andretti, Ignazio Guinti and Nino Vaccarella. Built in just three months under the leadership of Mauro Forghieri, the Ferrari 512 S showcased Ferrari’s engineering prowess and relentless spirit, competing in the 1970 and 1971 World Sports Car Championship seasons. Read on to discover the full race story and discover our exclusive 1:8 scale model of the #19 car that claimed pole position that weekend.
Discover the Ferrari 512 S model at 1:8 scale >
A Race for the Ages
Andretti qualified the #19 car in pole position, initially giving Ferrari a small but early advantage over Porsche's four 917K entries. The race began with a rolling start, a first for Sebring, and Andretti launched well to hold the initial lead. The 917s began to experience issues, losing entries due to an electrical issue, a puncture and irreparable suspension damage ,leaving all three works Ferraris - the #19, the #21 of Giunti and Vaccarella and the #20 of Jacky Ickx and Peter Schetty - with the lead as the sun began to set.
However, as night fell, Ferrari faced its own challenges, the #20 retired and after suffering a blown head gasket and the #21 suffering from many mechanical maladies. Andretti also faced gearbox issues, repeatedly bringing the #19 car into the pits, before ultimately retiring the car after 227 laps. It appeared that Porsche would claim a 1-2 victory. With just half an hour remaining, Ferrari's team manager gambled, swapping Giunti for the faster and more experienced Andretti in the #21 car. Starting a lap down, Andretti rapidly unlapped himself and set to chasing the lead Porsches. Suddenly, the lead Porsche, and final 917, came into the pits with a front hub failure, retiring just four laps shy of the end of the race. Andretti quickly overtook the new leader, but promptly returned to the pits once more for a final fuel stop. With just one lap to go, Andretti stormed back onto the track and chased down his rival, finishing the 248th and final lap just 22 seconds ahead after twelve hours of competitive racing.
The Ferrari 512 S at 1:8 Scale
Celebrate 55 years since Ferrari's iconic 1970 Sebring victory with our stunning 1:8 scale model of the Ferrari 512 S. Limited to just 199 pieces, this model perfectly replicates the car that claimed pole position in the hands of Mario Andretti and Arturo Merzario at the Sebring International Raceway on the 21st of March 1970 and is currently available to order on our website.