AN extremely rare vintage Ferrari once driven by racing royalty has hit the market for a whopping £10million.
The 1970 512 M Francorchamps yellow racer is just one of 15 in the entire world and has had the likes of Derek Bell and Alain de Cadenet behind its wheel.
Decked out with an all-black interior and finished in its 1971 Livery, the sports car represents the peak of early 1970s Ferrari sports prototype engineering.
The powerful machine originally had a 5.0-litre V-12 engine producing 552 horsepower – but now hits 610.
Originally one of 25 Ferrari 512 race cars constructed between 1970 and 1971, it was upgraded to the ‘M’ specification – meaning modificata – along with 14 others.
It is however the only motor of that type to be in Giallo yellow.
The Ferrari is listed at a staggering £10m with RM Sothebys as part of their Paris sale taking place on February 4 until February 5 this year.
It was originally sold new in the spring of 1970 to the Belgian Ferrari concessionaire and racing team, Ecurie Francorchamps.
It then went on to make its debut on May 17, 1970, when drivers Derek Bell and Hugues de Fierlant qualified in 7th and finished 8th overall at the 1000km of Spa.
Their next outing was over June 13 and 14 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Alistair Walker and de Fierlant placed an impressive 5th overall and 4th in the 5.0-litre class.
That autumn, chassis 1030 made its bow on the big screen, deployed by Steve McQueen for the filming of Le Mans.
The impressive Ferrari then headed to South Africa for the 9 Hours of Kyalami, where it finished 6th overall and 3rd in class.
For the 1971 season, on January 10, Gustave Gosselin and de Fierlandt entered the 1000 km of Buenos Aires.
Sporting race number 18, the Belgian duo finished 6th overall and 4th in class.
The pair returned to the Americas over January 30 and 31 to compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Following Daytona, chassis 1030 returned to Belgium, where it became one of the 15 Ferrari 512s to be upgraded to ‘M’ specifications.
Since the 1970s, chassis 1030 has been owned by various renowned collectors across the globe, and was acquired by the consignor in 2018, where it has remained as part of his private collection.
The sale describes the motor as one of the “finest examples of the Ferrari 512 M”.
It reads: “The bodywork was painted Giallo, the only 512 to receive this colour, save for chassis 1002, which was painted Lemon yellow.
“The new engine was reduced in weight, given more efficient cylinder heads, and now produced 610 horsepower.
“New lower bodywork improved the aerodynamics and was finished again in yellow.
“Today, the car sports its 1971 livery and is still painted in the fabulous Francorchamps yellow.
“It is accompanied by a report from the marque historian Marcel Massini while the car was certified by Ferrari Classiche in 2005, and is accompanied by its ‘Red Book’.
“It should be noted that chassis 1030 is widely considered one of the finest examples of the Ferrari 512 M, having never suffered a major collision in period.
“The vehicle is a wonderful example of preservation.”
