Porsche 909 Bergspyder

Premiere: September 8, 1968 Gaisberg hill climb in Austria

Engine: 2.0 flat-8, 205 kW

The 909 was developed using the know-how from the 910 Bergspyder. The total length of the car was only 344 cm/135". The European Hillclimb Championship regulations stipulated 2-litre engine but didn't stipulate minimum weight. This is something genius engineer Ferdinand Piëch could fully enjoy.

Safety wasn't an issue these days, so the car was built on an aluminium spaceframe. Different diameter tubes were used, but the average diameter was only about 1". Remember, the pipes were of aluminium, not of a high-strength material! Steel wasn't used at all, not even for bolts. Light non-magnetic and sometimes even exotic and dangerous metals were used to save weight literally everywhere, even by grams. As the car was designed for short distances, the fuel tank could hold only 15 liters. A special pressurized tank was used to save the weight of the fuel pump. All this resulted in a car weighing only ~400 kg / ~900 lbs and with the 8-cylinder boxer this car was a mad thing to drive.

Two 909s were built by September 1968. On September 8, at the Gaisberg hill climb in Austria, championship leader and 1966-1967 winner Gerhard Mitter didn't want to take risks with the new car although his 909 #95 was delivered to the event. Mitter decided to start with his 910 Bergspyder instead (remember, 910 came after 906 and before 907, 908 and 909).

Gerhard Mitter's 909 with red stripes is already labeled with his starting number 95, but he decides to race at Gaisberg with his older 910 © unknown (please inform if you know)

In the hands of Rolf Stommelen, the 909 #96 scored 3rd. Mitter had won the event with 910 and Dieter Quester with a BMW Monti scored 2nd.

1968 September 8, Gaisberg hill climb, #96 Porsche 909 Bergspyder of Rolf Stommelen© unknown (please inform if you know)

The second outing for the 909 was on September 22, 1968, at the season-ending Mont Ventoux event in France. Stommelen scored 2nd with the 909 #2. Mitter won again with 910 and didn't use his 909 #1.

This 909 Bergspyder was made for Gerhard Mitter, but he used it only for testing © Porsche

909 made for Rolf Stommelen © James Herne

The 15 litre titanium fuel tank weighs only 660 grams / 1.5 lb. Overpressure system obviated the need for a fuel pump, reducing the car weight by 1.7 kg / 3.7 lb.

As Porsche decided to withdraw from the hillclimb championships after three consecutive championship titles and 8 championship titles during the last decade, the 909 wasn't used again. Still, it was an absolutely amazing masterpiece and showcase, top of space-age engineering. Despite no racing victories, the information gathered in constructing it, made it one of the most important Porsches ever built - the know-how was extensively used in the racing cars to come.

Continue to Porsche 917

Anniversaries: Jul, 10 – 53rd birthday of the 910 (1966); Jul, 16 – 15th birthday of the 911 997 (2004); Jul, 22 – 63rd birthday of the 645 (1956); Aug, 19 – 80th birthday of the type 64 (1939); Aug, 23 – 23rd birthday of the Boxster 986 (1996)