1985 Ferrari 156/85 V6 F1 Turbo 1500cc

The 1000-plus horsepower flame-spitting machines — 1985 model Ferrari 156/85s — were driven in their day by the late Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson in the 1985 Formula One grands prix, with Alboreto heading the points table for most of the year in his best season in F1.

He won the Canadian and German grands prix, and was on the podium eight times. Ferrari’s results faded badly in the second half of the season as other emerging drivers took the fight to Alain Prost driving his McLaren MP4/2B, but the Ferrari cars remain among the most iconic of the turbo era.

The 1985 Formula One season is widely considered by the F1 community to be one of the best and most exciting of all time. It was the season that saw new names in Formula One emerge. Ayrton Senna (Lotus 97T) and Nigel Mansell (Williams FW10) were just two of the up-and-coming stars, and the likes of Alain Prost, Nikki Lauda (McLaren MP4/2B) and Keke Rosberg (Williams FW10) were still
out there winning.

To have two of the most iconic cars from that era of Formula One running at the Ferrari Festival 2014 at Hampton Downs is very exciting and something that all Ferrari fans will enjoy.

The two 1985 Ferrari 156/85 cars (chassis numbers 079 and 082) at the 2014 Ferrari Festival are now owned by Guido Belgiorno Nettis of Sydney, Australia, and they get regular track workouts, as he explains:

‘I purchased my first 1985 Ferrari 156/85, chassis number 079, in 1995. As a 1985 Ferrari works car, chassis 079 was used in nine races.
It was car number twenty-seven when Alboreto drove it and twenty-eight when Johanssen drove it. The nine races were as follows: Alboreto drove it in the Brazilian GP [second] and the Portuguese GP [second], Johanssen in the San Marino GP [sixth] and Monaco GP [retired], Alboreto in the French GP [retired], Johanssen in the British GP [retired], German GP [ninth], Austrian GP [fourth] and Dutch GP [retired]. Enzo Ferrari then passed 079 into the private collection of Alboreto’s supporter, Count Gugge Zanon, where it remained for ten years until I purchased the car and took it to Australia. Since then, I’ve demonstrated 079 at many Australian historic meetings and now race in it Group R historic events in Australia.

‘In 2006 when I bought chassis 082 it had done a Goodwood meeting in 1999 with Alboreto driving it, I believe. This was a new car in 1985 that Johansson drove first in practice for the Belgian GP [the race was rescheduled due to track conditions], then in the Canadian GP [second], and the USGP (Detroit) [second].

Before I got 082 in 2006, the car had been static for most of the time. When I got the car it carried number twenty-seven. I had my mechanics pull it down and prepare it for racing. Overall the car was in okay condition, but not race-ready. We renumbered the car from twenty-seven [Alboreto’s number in 1985] to twenty-eight, which was the number that Stefan raced under in 1985. Alboreto never raced this car so it would not have been twenty-seven unless he was in it! This car has the original seat made by Ferrari with Stefan’s name engraved on it and to me it looks like it was moulded to his body shape. Conveniently, it fits me very nicely as well.

‘We have done a lot of racing in 082. It has a qualifying engine plus a different suspension package, as well as a much bigger aero configuration than the number twenty-seven car [chassis 079] I also own. It is more set up for shorter, tighter circuits and corners as it has more downforce overall. The fans will see this when they watch the cars next to each other at the Ferrari Festival 2014 at Hampton Downs.’

CHASSIS

Construction: Carbon fibre
Max length, width and height: 4292/2135/1080 mm
Wheelbase, front and rear: 2600/1790/1644 mm
Dry weight: 548 kg
Fuel capacity: 48 gal/218 litres
Tyres — width/diameter: 12inch/13in front; 16 in/13in rear

ENGINE

Cylinders: 6-cylinders — V12 twin turbo
Bore and stroke: 81 x 48 4 mm
Displacement: 1496.4 cc
Crankcase and cylinder head materials: Light alloy, treated aluminium cylinders/liners
Compression ratio: 7:1
Max bhp race: 780 hp at 12000 rpm (race)
Max bhp qualifying: 1000+ hp at 12000 rpm (qualifying)
Distribution: 4 valves per cylinder, twin overhead
Fuel system: Injected: supercharged: 2 lateral KKK turbos
lgnition: Single, electronic capacitive discharge

SOURCE: NZFMR 2014 Official Programme, page 54 & 55.