Outside the Gatto Verde: Salvari (gearbox), Caliri (chassi), Rocchi, Bussi (engine), Marelli, Dondo, Forghieri
1969 - With limited financial resources and the prospect of the Porsche 917 in development since june 1968 with backing from Volkswagen, in the spring of 1969 Enzo Ferrari signed what many regarded as a pact with the devil. In return for 40 percent of Ferrari, Fiat's chief executive Gianni Agnelli gave Enzo a much needed injection of capital, allowing work to finally begin on the all new sports car, designed the 512S.
Ing. Giovanni Marelli with drivers Clay Regazzoni, Arturo Merzario, Vittorio Brambilla, and Peter Schetty at the official unveiling of the 512S
Heading the Team at Maranello charged with undertaking the project, and by inference upholding the honor of Italy, was engineer Mauro Forghieri. From start to finish, the first 512S was designed and built in just five months and introduced to the press at the Gatto Verde Restaurant, near Maranello, on November 6, 1969.
The twenty-five Ferraris and pieces lined up for FIA inspection at the factory in Maranello
In Italy, where strikes and labor slowdowns were and are a constant thorn in industry's side, the job of building the twenty-five cars so the 512 could be homologated for Daytona was no sure thing. In fact, when the CSI arrived in Maranello on January 20, a week before the first race, only seventeen cars were complete. The remaining eight consisted of chassi, body pieces, and components laid out on the floor of the factory. This was sufficient to placate the inspectors and the homologation papers were signed.
Mauro forghieri and Swedish driver Ronnie Peterson after driving the 512 for the first time
The car had been put through its initial shakedown on the old track at Modena prior to that date and through the remainder of the year it was tested at Vallelunga and Enna by the cream of Ferrari's drivers : Peter Schetty, Arturo Merzario, Ignazio Giunti, Nino Vaccarella, Clay Regazzoni, Vittorio Brambilla, and Mike Parkes, John Surtees and up-and-coming Swedish ace Ronnie Peterson also tested the car.
Nino Vaccarella and several carabinieri during a rainy test session at the Enna cicuit in Sicily
