When you drive a historic, one-of-a-kind car out on public roads, you’re always taking a risk. Risk of a crash, risk of someone else hitting you. Risk of fire, even, which is what happened to Jim Glickenhaus’s Ferrari 512S Modulo concept recently.
There is only one of these cars in the world. Designed as a concept by Italian designer Paolo Martin for Pininfarina, it was first showed off at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. Glickenhaus bought it from Pininfarina in 2014 and spent four years restoring it. It finally drove for the first time under its own power last year.
Thankfully, both he and the car are alright. Glickenhaus was driving it on the rally for the Elegance et Automobile a Monte-Carlo when he first noticed fire out of the exhaust, according to a Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus spokesperson. Glickenhaus kept the speed at 20 mph to keep the fire from the cabin, activated the onboard fire suppression system and was able to successfully put out the flames.
The fire started, continued the rep, because a company that SCG no longer works with allegedly didn’t design the mufflers and exhaust to run cool enough. So, the trapped heat somehow managed to set the trunk carpeting and the route book paper that was also back there on fire.
Happily, though, the damage appears to be relatively minor. The Modulo’s body is made of steel, so it’s fine. Glickenhaus will need to paint the back, replace the carpet and get a new muffler, but it was still driven later on in the day, burn marks and all.
Again, you run the risk of fire when you drive something old and unique like the Modulo around on public roads. But sometimes it’s a risk you have to take. It’s definitely better than locking it up in a shed and never driving it because you’re too afraid.
Life is too short not to drive the cars. Just keep a fire extinguisher handy.
(h/t to creative accidents!)