The Ferrari 312 (Type 601/602) was Maranello's front-line Formula 1 challenger from 1966 through 1969, powered by a 60-degree 3.0-litre V12 — the Tipo 242 — producing approximately 390 bhp. By 1968 the car had gained mandatory aerodynamic wings and switched fuel sponsorship from Esso to Shell, yet retained the unbroken Scuderia Ferrari rosso corsa livery that had defined the team since the 1950s.
The Ferrari 312 in Its 1968 Configuration
For the 1968 season, the Ferrari 312 wore newly introduced aerofoils front and rear — a direct response to the FIA's aerodynamic regulations that transformed the grid that year. The 3.0-litre V12 remained the backbone of the package, delivering competitive power on circuits that rewarded high-revving engines. The Nordschleife was exactly such a circuit: long, technically demanding, and punishing of any mechanical weakness. Ferrari entered the 1968 German Grand Prix on 4 August as one of the genuine pace-setters, a fact Ickx would confirm emphatically in qualifying.
Ickx, the Nordschleife, and His First Career Pole
Round 8 of the 1968 Formula One World Championship was held in conditions the Nürburgring seemed to manufacture on demand: wet, foggy, and relentless. Jacky Ickx — in only his first full F1 season — put the Ferrari 312 #9 on pole position, the first of his career, over the full 22.8 km Nordschleife layout. In the race he finished fourth, with Jackie Stewart taking victory in the Matra-Ford MS10. The pole lap, however, was the moment that announced Ickx to the broader public as a driver of rare natural talent, particularly in the wet — a reputation he would spend the next decade reinforcing at Le Mans and beyond.
The 1:18 Scale Model by Tecnomodel
Tecnomodel is an Italian specialist whose 1:18 resin models are aimed at collectors who prioritise accuracy and hand-finished detail over play features. This piece reproduces Ickx's car #9 in rosso corsa with white 'FERRARI' lettering and the Prancing Horse badge, as raced at the Nürburgring on 4 August 1968. The model is hand-assembled and hand-painted, consistent with Tecnomodel's production approach for their 1:18 range. A driver figure is included.
