In the later part of the 1960s, Ferrari gave Pininfarina a bit more freedom to draw up crazy designs such as the 512S Modulo. Only one example of the breed was ever manufactured, penned by Paolo Martin with a sliding canopy.
It’s one of the most outlandish Ferrari concepts out there, shorter than the Ford GT and tipping the scales at close to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) despite the 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 and five-speed manual transaxle. Being based on the 512 S Group 5 sports prototype, the 48-valve engine develops close to 550 horsepower on full song.
The Modulo can theoretically hit 220 miles per hour with the right gearing, and acceleration to 60 miles per hour takes a little more than three seconds if you don’t care about the clutch’s wellbeing. Fast-forward to September 2014, and that’s when James Glickenhaus bought the one-off supercar from Pininfarina for an undisclosed price tag.
Following an impressive appearance at the Villa d’Este in early June 2019, the Modulo caught fire days after the show. The muffler started the raging inferno, extended to the rear deck and rearmost fenders of the million-dollar supercar. The onboard fire-suppression system kept the fiery mess under control, but Glickenhaus couldn’t let this incident hamper down on the appeal and historical significance of the Modulo.
Three months later, the damage to the body panels and engine bay has been repaired and the fresh paintwork completes the picture. Strangely enough, the photographs uploaded by Glickenhaus on Facebook don’t feature any of the rear-exiting exhaust tips.
Considering that the custom muffler from a third party was to blame for the fire, there’s no denying that Jim could be working on an improved design. Regardless of what happens under the hood, the 24 holes in the engine cover allow passersby to admire both the engine and exhaust manifold.
Over the years, the Modulo won 22 awards for its bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful design. And while on the subject of aesthetics, the sliding canopy makes this car a one-door coupe.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News