Niki Lauda's Ferrari 312T, a car steeped in history, goes under the hammer
Niki Lauda passed away on May 20, but the legacy of the three-time Formula 1 world champion lives on. As reported on the zwischengas blog on June 2, his cars are now being given a further boost in value. The first car, the 312T from 1975, is already on the market and is considered one of the most beautiful Ferrari racing cars ever. It is now being auctioned off in Pebble Beach. "Gooding and Company" estimates the value at between six and eight million US dollars.
"auto motor und sport" writes aptly: "Niki Lauda enjoys hero status. His three Formula 1 world championship titles for Ferrari and McLaren make him one of the most successful drivers in history. His fire accident at the Nürburgring in 1976 made him a world-famous sportsman. His fighting spirit and resilience made him a role model. His hard-hitting and unsparing analysis made him one of the most valued experts in the paddock."
Lauda's first world championship car
He drove home his first title in the premier class in Austria in 1975 with the 312T. Lauda won five GPs in 1975: Monte Carlo, Belgium, Sweden, France and the USA. The Austrian won the French Grand Prix in Le Castellet with chassis number 22 and later took second place at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort and third place at the Nürburgring in Germany. It is precisely this GP winner that the auction house is now auctioning off.
The 312T is 4.143 meters long, 2.030 meters wide and 1.275 meters high. The wheelbase of the then first world champion Ferrari since 1964 (John Surtees) is 2.518 meters. From a technical point of view, the changed gearbox position stands out, as chief designer Mauro Forghieri had the five-speed gearbox installed at right angles to the engine in front of the rear axle. Hence the T in the name for "transversal".
144 of the 600 kilogram total weight came from the engine. In 1975, a V12 with a 180 degree bank angle was still responsible for the true sound in the car from Maranello. The three-liter twelve-cylinder produced around 505 hp at 12,200 rpm. The dimensions: 650 mm long, 680 mm and 300 mm high.
Lauda drove this Chassis 22 in five Grand Prix races in 1975 and put it in pole position every time, according to Gooding and Company. Lauda took the best starting position a total of nine times that year. Including at the Nürburgring, when he spun the 312T around the 22.8-kilometer Nordschleife in under seven minutes (6:58.6 min.).
This 312T was sold to the French collector Jacques Setton in the 1980s, who later sold it to the Dutchman John Bosch. From there it went to an American collector in 2008, who now wants to sell the Lauda-Lauda for a profit. The auction house is now expecting a sales value of between six and eight million US dollars. The racing car with the characteristic air scoop above the driver's head will be auctioned by "Gooding and Company" in Pebble Beach on August 16/17, 2019 .
