Ferrari B3S

In 1972 Forghieri developped the B3 Spazzaneve. It did not race due to known causes and Ferrari developped the 1973 B3 under Colombo's direction. It was produced in the UK by John Thompson.
By mid-season Forghieri had been asked to return and develop the B3 to get better results.
This car appeared at Zeltweg and is often referred to as B3S.
Was this an official denotation?
And where does the S stand for? Mostly an S stood for Sport and later Speciale at Ferrari, but these of course all not F1.
I could only gather S for Sviluppo (italian for developped) or Scopa (first car with periscope air intake).

Edited by Arjan de Roos, 10 January 2013 - 08:35.

First time I can recall seeing the car referred to in this manner. Sounds to me like a piece of post-period anoraksia, derived from '312B Spazzaneve'. But I also recall the 312PB cars in period being referred to merely as '312P's... The PB suffix appeared to be a subsequent FOC brigade device to differentiate the flat-12 engined cars from their 1969 V12-engined 3-litre predecessor. In similar vein through 1964 talk was not of Ford GT40s, but of 'The Ford GT'.

DCN

Well I thought the same as many cars get their (nick)names or indications later on in their career. Still I was triggered by Jonathan Thompson's Boxer book from 1981. In his Formula 1 book of 1976 he speaks of Late Version.
Still other books also speak of B3S. German writer Ulrich Schwab stated "Ferrari 312 B3 Special or whatever it is called". So it was used as early as 1973.

Now I see Piero Casucci mention in one of his three Profili Quatroruote: B3 S for Sperimentale.

Indeed the Bible 'Ferrari, Sixth Edition' doesn't speak of B3S. I do keep it underneath my pillow each night Doug! Come to think of it.

Oh yes indeed - sagging bed springs...

DCN

Well I thought the same as many cars get their (nick)names or indications later on in their career. Still I was triggered by Jonathan Thompson's Boxer book from 1981. In his Formula 1 book of 1976 he speaks of Late Version.
Still other books also speak of B3S. German writer Ulrich Schwab stated "Ferrari 312 B3 Special or whatever it is called". So it was used as early as 1973.

Now I see Piero Casucci mention in one of his three Profili Quatroruote: B3 S for Sperimentale.

Indeed the Bible 'Ferrari, Sixth Edition' doesn't speak of B3S. I do keep it underneath my pillow each night Doug! Come to think of it.

Arjan,

Paolo d'Alessio in FORMULA FERRARI mentions the 'updates' for Zeltweg but sticks with the designation 312B3...No 'S' or anything..

How is your neck, after sleeping for many years on the Ferraribook?? Maybe you should take the much slimmer 1st edition under your pillow..

Regards Michael

Anthony Pritchard's Directory of Formula One Cars 1966-1986 makes no mention of the cars used late in 1973 having any designation other than 312B3.

It might indeed be a description used by some (books, notably Jonathan Thomson). But I stumbled on this when restoring some 1/43rd models.
Also notable that this particular Ferrari F1 does not exist anymore as all were modified to 1974 form and not like others destroyed. Thanks for your input!

It might indeed be a description used by some (books, notably Jonathan Thomson). But I stumbled on this when restoring some 1/43rd models.
Also notable that this particular Ferrari F1 does not exist anymore as all were modified to 1974 form and not like others destroyed. Thanks for your input!

Another designation , offered in Alan Henry's: Ferrari, the Grand Prix cars (New edition 1989) , page 224:

At a first glance, the 'Thompson B3s' (as they were to become informally dubbed)........

Best regards Michael

Thanks Rega! So I think B3S, as Doug indicated, is surely not a Factory indication. Just mentioned by some journalists/writers (Thompson/Schwab/Autosprint). Possibly the Ferrari team/ Forghieri coined it, who knows.
All the 1973 B3 cars (010, 011 and 012) went through stages: B3 'Thompson' --> B3 'S' --> B3 '74. Nowadays all B3's are either 1974 spec or upgraded to 312 T. Except B3 009, the snowplough, for many years the ugly duckling, now covered with autographs of designer and drivers.

There must be a factory project number connected with the 312B3/73, a precursor of the 640 and 641 of later years. I wonder what it might be...?

Unless, that is, Forghieri's Modena advanced projects office operated under a different drawing ID system. Sitting here eating my morning toast I don't know the answers.

DCN

Good morning Doug and 'bon apetite'!

Wasnt the 639-643 coding to do with each Transmission project? 638 F1 87/88C, 637 was the Indy car. 636 the 1986 transmission, 635 the 1985. So 1973 623?

First time I can recall seeing the car referred to in this manner. Sounds to me like a piece of post-period anoraksia, derived from '312B Spazzaneve'. But I also recall the 312PB cars in period being referred to merely as '312P's... The PB suffix appeared to be a subsequent FOC brigade device to differentiate the flat-12 engined cars from their 1969 V12-engined 3-litre predecessor.
DCN

IIRC in '72 they were being referred to as 312PB.

Just passed by this Autosprint of 1973 as Regazzoni mentioned. Dramatic and sad front cover. But lower end reveals Jonathan Thomson was not alone in his nomenclature and even may have been inspired by the Italian top mag.



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Edited by Arjan de Roos, 07 February 2013 - 09:06.

Just passed by this Autosprint of 1973 as Regazzoni mentioned. Dramatic and sad front cover. But lower end reveals Jonathan Thomson was not alone in his nomenclature and even may have been inspired by the Italian top mag.



Uploaded (I think) with ImageShack.us

"La B3 - S del ritorno" appears to translate to "The B3 - S back".

I can only imagine that the S refers to Spazzaneve and not to a new model type B3 - S.