Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Marks 75 Years of Formula 1

Celebration of 30+ Cars includes Niki Lauda's Legendary Ferrari 312 T2 

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1976, Niki Lauda and the Ferrari 312 T2 reshaped what it meant to be a champion.

"Ferrari is synonymous with Formula 1, being the only manufacturer to have contested all 75 F1 seasons and winning 15 titles in the process," said Miles Morris, a Concours Selection Committee member. "Perhaps their most memorable season was in 1976, with Austrian Niki Lauda racing the sublime Ferrari 312 T2, an example of which we will have on the Pebble Beach Concours lawn as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of F1." 

Lauda, the 1975 World Champion, began the 1976 season behind the wheel of chassis 026, winning the Grand Prix in Belgium and Monte Carlo and finishing on the podium in Spain and Sweden. By the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring, Lauda had transitioned to chassis 028.

That morning, August 1, rain soaked the track, but moments before the 5-light countdown the skies cleared. Lauda was in the lead and ramping up speed when, approaching a sharp left turn, he lost control and crashed, and his Ferrari went up in flames. Lauda suffered severe burns and was given last rites.

Just six weeks later, Lauda climbed back into 026 for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and finished 4th. He and James Hunt battled to the last race of the season in Fuji, Japan. This race started in pouring rain, and after one lap, Lauda pulled into the pits saying, "There are more important things than the World Championship." Hunt finished 3rd and pipped Lauda by one point to win that title. Lauda also raced 026 in the first two races of the 1977 season before switching to a new car and winning his second World Championship.

Chassis 026 will be on the Pebble Beach Concours competition field along with more than 30 other race cars tracing the full history of Formula 1, from its origins in Grand Prix racing through to the present day.

The 74th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, to be held on August 17 at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, will also celebrate the centennials of Chrysler, Invicta, Moretti and the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Virgil Exner designs, and the Shelby Cobra 427 will also be featured. For more information and tickets, please visit pebblebeachconcours.net.

SOURCE Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance