Porsche & Indy – The Tale of Two Worlds (Part 3)

We return to the year 1980 and the ill-fated Typ 940 program.

By 1979, Porsche had become ubiquitous in the American car market. Offering products that mixed economy, performance, and, more importantly, an identity blended with a unique lifestyle, the Zuffenhausen brand knew it had struck gold. It is no surprise that, in the second half of the 1970s, the United States had already become the brand’s top market outside Germany.

One factor that certainly contributed to this image was Porsche’s success on racetracks across the USA. Since 1973, the Carrera RSR and 935 models had proven almost unbeatable on IMSA and Trans-Am, allowing the German automaker an unprecedented series of triumphs in endurance and sprint races on American soil.