132116-16M Le Mans Miniatures Ferrari 312PB – New & Boxed – LMM Slot Car 132116-16M

Le Mans Miniatures Ferrari 312PB – No.16 Le Mans 1973.

Driven by Arturo Merzario and Carlos Pace

Already in 1973, the 50th anniversary of the Le Mans race was commemorated. The Matra Ferrari duel is announced. Matra puts its title of winner at stake, and Ferrari fights to win the World Brand Championship. Before the race at Le Mans, the Italian team scored 95 points against 64 for the French team.

Arturo Merzario’s Ferrari No.16 started on pole. As planned, he plays the role of hare at the start. But on lap 30, when Carlos Pace had taken over three laps earlier, he turned on the small light on the left wing to warn of his return to the pit. In a crash, the driver gets out of the car with the suit soaked in gas; the small buffer tank on the right side leaks into the passenger compartment. It loses 25’ in the pits. When Pace goes back on the road, François Cévert’s Matra took the lead of the race, the other two follow him, and he leaves in 30th position. He improves the lap record. It then begins a long comeback. At 1:15 in the morning, while it is in 5th position, the clutch breaks; a new pit stop immobilizes it at the pit for 37′. It is back in 7th position and still making progress until the end of the race. The team took advantage of the retirement of Ickx – Redman’s Ferrari No. 15 in the last hour of the race to secure second place.