Vintage Ferrari race cars are rare enough, and successful ones even more so. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to see one go up in flames. Video and photos posted to social media show a 1971 Ferrari 512M, supposedly driven by Sam Posey to a third-place finish at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, engulfed in flames as it circled Watkins Glen International raceway last month.

It’s unclear exactly what happened, but a broken fuel line is the suspected cause. The video starts with the car already on fire, flames and black smoke billowing out from the back. It’s a short clip that doesn’t reveal the aftermath. Photos posted on Facebook show the Ferrari stopped on the track with flames tearing through the rear-end bodywork before a track crew doused the fire. Another photo shows the driver standing outside the Ferrari unharmed, with white smoke obscuring the car and the extent of the damage.

 

 

Sam Posey raced a Ferrari 512M in 1971 for NART. After DNF-ing in both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona, Posey teamed up with Tony Adamowicz and entered the 512M into the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the pair took third place. The car, a modified version of the 512S, featured a 5.0-liter V-12 engine.

If this truly were Posey’s Ferrari, we would hope for nothing less than for the current owner to do a complete restoration if possible. The fire supposedly burned for about four minutes before a crew arrived, mainly damaging the body. We’ll have to wait and see if it ever hits the track again.

 

Well before the NSX, Honda had a beautiful wedge-shaped concept called the HP-X—the brand’s first modern concept car. Designed by Pininfarina, the HP-X debuted at the 1984 Turin Motor Show and previewed a radical, ultra-aerodynamic sports car.

The HP-X had a 2.0-liter V-6 engine derived from Honda’s Formula 2 race car, and employed kevlar and carbon fiber to keep things light. It also used “ground effects” for the first time and had a driver-controlled air brake. Unfortunately, the HP-X never saw the light of day; The NSX debuted about five years later, and the rest is history.

Honda

But at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Honda is dusting off its 40-year-old concept car and competing on the main stage. The fully restored Honda HP-X will be the first Japanese car on the main event field in over 50 years. It will compete in the obscure “Wedge-Shaped Concept and Prototypes Class.”

Honda kept the HP-X as original as possible throughout its restoration. It has the same two-tone white-and-navy-blue paint job with red accents from 1984, a red-and-white suede interior with a button-heavy center stack—and no doors. The original used a single-piece Perspex acrylic canopy with a fighter-jet-inspired hatch revealing a two-seat layout, and that’s still true here.

“The Honda HP-X Concept was the star of the 1984 Turin Auto Show, showcasing elements of engineering excellence and cutting-edge design, with extreme wedge-shape styling that continues to inspire future generations of car designers and engineers,” said Acura Design Executive Dave Marek.

“The forward-thinking HP-X had an undeniable impact on the industry, highlighting our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in automotive design.”

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance takes place on Sunday, August 18, 2024.