Entering the 1974 season, a pair of fresh, new faces began exerting significant influence upon Ferrari, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (left) and Niki Lauda. Photo: Giorgio Nada
By the end of 1969, Mauro Forghieri had become the head of Ferrari’s Advanced Studies Office with the task of designing a new car for 1970, using a flat 12-cylinder 3000-cc engine called the 312, with two- and four-wheel drive. It was to be called the 312 B.
“I emphasized to my people that the 3-liter V12 unit we used in 1966 had always been a compromise,” he said. “It became more fragile with increased power output and, due to its dimensions, it was impossible to create an optimum weight distribution of 57-percent front and 43-percent rear.”
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