A Brief History In mid-1967 the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced that it had decided to modify the regulations pertaining to the Sport Prototype, Sport and Gran Turismo categories. As a result, the World Brands Championship was on the brink of the greatest crisis in its history. Many were the...
1970 Porsche 917 K Pictures...
Kyalami Racing Circuit – 2019 Last held officially as a 9-hour race back in 1982, Kyalami will play host to the revival of a great classic endurance race next month, the Kyalami 9 Hour. Run by the masters of the international endurance motor racing scene today, the SRO Motorsport Group,...
Background The Porsche 917, unveiled in 1969, stands as a testament to Porsche’s commitment to innovation and their quest to conquer the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its debut at Le Mans in 1969 revealed its formidable speed and reliability, yet aerodynamic issues resulted in high-speed instability. After major changes,...
After claiming two Le Mans victories with the iconic 917 Kurzheck, Porsche’s Weissach engineers converted it into a Group 7 contender by 1973, boasting over 1000 bhp. The result was the L&M Porsche+Audi 917/10, driven by George Follmer and backed by Penske, which triumphed in the 1972 Can-Am Championship, outshining...
1971 Porsche 917 K Pictures Visually, the “shark fins” on the tail look awesome, but they also gave the Porsche 917 KH 1971 greater directional stability and reduced wind resistance by 11 percent. ...
With the aerodynamic instability of the 917 in the 1969, two separate configurations were used in 1970. These were the short-tail Kurzheck version and the less common Langheck or long-tail. Most of the 917's accolades were achieved by the 917 Kurzheck, leaving the Langheck a less popular, but ultimately just as potent contender.
Porsches have scored a record 16 overall victories at Le Mans, 14 similar triumphs in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and eight 12-hour wins at Sebring, and upon all of them can be found the fingerprints of Norbert Singer. A 30-year-old graduate engineer with a Masters in Mechanical Engineer, Aviation...
Le Mans 24 Hours, 14-15 June 1969: On the final lap, the No. 64 Porsche 908 LH of Hans Herrmann/Gérard Larrousse swapped places with the No. 6 Ford GT40 of Jacky Ickx/Jackie Oliver as many as five times. The two cars were so evenly matched that what the Ford lacked...
Chassis #019 Campaigned by the Martini Racing Team in 1971, chassis #019 has been preserved in the same unrestored condition as when it finished the Spa 1000km race. This 917K (Kurzheck or short tail) competed in both the 1970 and ’71 seasons, racing with Porsche Salzburg during its first year...
Porsche 917 Full Demo – 77th Members’ Meeting ...
Porsche & Le Mans Newly released “Racing with Giants” video features archival footage of Le Mans past and present, along with interviews with multiple drivers and Porsche team principals, including Allan McNish, Patrick Long, Jacky Ickx and Nick Tandy. Porsche has long competed at Le Mans, though recently solely in...
With the 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Jo Siffert, Porsche is paying tribute to the late Swiss racing driver while also commemorating the first victory of the legendary 917 almost 55 years ago. On 10 August 1969, Siffert and Kurt Ahrens won the first international 1,000-kilometre race at the Österreichring...
April 6, 1970, Volkswagen test track (Ehra-Lessien). April 6, 1970 was a test day. Factory test driver Kurt Ahrens was testing various aerodynamic solutions on chassis 006/040. The tests lasted all day, although the weather was unlucky – it was drizzling and the track remained wet. Towards evening, a package...
The story of Mark Donohue’s racing achievements has been told in numerous magazine articles over the years. His achievements too, in the famous #6 Sunoco Porsche 917/30 in the 1973 Can-Am series, have been similarly covered many times. But until I read The Unfair Advantage, I had little knowledge of...
Held in the grounds of Hedingham Castle, Classics at the Castle is a very special Porsche car show held annually. One of the highlights of the show was the Le Mans winning, Number 23, 917K as driven by Richard Attwood. We spoke to Richard about what it was like driving...
No Subscription? You’re missing out Get immediate ad-free access to all our premium content. Get Started Already a Member? Sign in to your account here....
Incredibly successful in Le Mans Porsche was incredibly successful with the 917 in Le Mans and in the World Championship for Makes in 1970 and 1971. However, the governing body’s decision to only accept engines with a maximum displacement of three liters meant Porsche could not compete in the following...
Professor Ferdinand Porsche (centre) with F. A. ‘Butzi’ Porsche (left) and Ferdinand Piëch (right), ca. 1949 Ferdinand Karl Piëch was born in Vienna, Austria, on 17 April 1937, to Louise (daughter to Ferdinand and sister of Ferry Porsche) and Anton Piëch, a lawyer. He was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche,...
Like the 917 LH of 1969 and 1970, the 1971 version was also made for one race only - the 24 hours of Le Mans. The 917 LH-70 had already proved that the body was excellent for Le Mans, so the aerodynamical modifications for 1971 were mild. The front was modified and the rear wheels were covered. The 917 LH-70 that scored 2nd at the 1970 Le Mans 24H (chassis 917-043) was modified for the Le Mans 1971.
Porsche 917K Onboard Video filmed during Rennsport Reunion IV, in 2011 at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. Chassis 016 was originally driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen for John Wyer’s Gulf Oil sponsored racing team during the 1970 World Sportscar Championship (what is today the World Endurance Championship,...
Motor racing has always involved risk for the drivers, and sometimes for spectators too, as was seen to horrific effect The chaotic scene just after the #88 car of Huhn/Schwarz crashed at the Nürburgring in 1970. Photo: Porsche Werk in the disaster that occurred at the 1955 Le Mans 24...
Gérard Larrousse (2017) Former Porsche works driver, Gérard Larrousse, celebrates his 80th birthday on Saturday 23 May 2020. Gérard Gilles Marie Armand Larrousse was born in 1940 in Lyon, where his father ran a textile factory. “I was fascinated by motorbikes and sports cars from a young age but my...
Mention the name Porsche and motor racing, and minds immediately focus in on one of the famous race cars to pass out through the gates of the Stuttgart manufacturer. Depending on your age or favoured period in racing, the number of ‘best’ racers will be many and varied. However, the...
Last weekend, we would have been at the Le Mans Classic had the coronavirus pandemic not intervened. Now, thanks to this global medical crisis, all sports and major events involving large public gatherings have had to be either cancelled or postponed. One of our favourite historic race car meetings, the...
Rennsport Collective, Donington Hall, 20 July 2019: Porsche 996 GT1 Evo 1997 on display with numerous other Porsche classics They were all there, from a Pre-A 356 to the latest 991.2 GT3 Clubsport, by way of the most mouth-watering collection of 911s, 956 and 962s, including the indomitable 917. The...
The first turbo-Porsche, Can-Am winner 1972, Interserie winner 1972, 1973. The first ever publically seen turbocharged Porsche was the 917/10 Turbo with chassis number 917/10-011. It was entered for the June 11, 1972 Can-Am Mosport race. Mark Donohue was fastest in the qualification with it, but scored second in the 80 laps race after the 8.1-litre McLaren. The Porsche Turbo era had begun. Eight 917/10 were racing in 1972 in Can-Am and in Interserie.
Corsica Rally, 1967: Vic Elford and David Stone driving a Porsche 911 2.0 R Not a company to stand still for long, Porsche was constantly looking for ways to improve its engines in the ‘60s. Somehow the Type 916 twin-cam 6-cylinder engine always seemed to miss the limelight…not anymore! The...
Peter Falk sits on the sill of the famous #23 Porsche 917 KH Coupé, winner of the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours. On this occasion it is located in the Porsche Museum Workshop on 28 June 2010 In a 34-year career at Porsche, the influence of Peter Falk – Porsche’s...
Le Mans: The Official History 1960–69 by Quentin Spurring © Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale This edition of Quentin Spurring’s fabulous series covering the Le Mans 24 Hours decade-by-decade, concerns the 1960s. Many will agree that the decade, 1960 to 1969, saw some of the most innovative race cars, and with relatively...
Enjoy a close-up experience of the history of Porsche at the Porsche Museum, at night when the museum comes alive! Encounter legendary racing and sports cars, fascinating production models as well as unusual prototypes. More than 80 vehicles will take you from the early years all the way to the...
Porsche 917K Racing at Spa A works car, this 917 was entered at Le Mans in 1969 for Vic Elford and Richard Attwood as a 917 LH. The British pairing led for 18 hours and by six laps until clutch issues signalled the beginning of the end for the final...
1970 Porsche 917 ‘Interserie Spyder’ Pictures...
Le Mans 24 Hours, 23-24 June 1951: In the foreground of the workshop at Teloché is the #46 Porsche 356 SL driven by Edmond Mouche and Auguste Veuillet, while in the background is the #47 Porsche 356 SL which was damaged in practice by Rudolph Sauerwein Porsche has been represented...
1970 Porsche 917 Langheck Pictures...
Monterey 2021—How to Start the 1970 Porsche 917 K How do you start a Porsche race car? It might be more involved than you think. Watch and listen in for a quick lesson with Paul Lanzante, owner of Unit Four Limited, as he instructs on the proper method for starting...
‘It feels like a bathtub with a bomb stuck to the back of it!’ Those were the words of a shocked F1 driver, Mark Webber, after a turn at the wheel of the Porsche 917 racecar. It’s an extreme description but apt for one of the most fearsome machines ever...
If you were lucky enough to visit Rennsport Reunion 7 in Monterey, California, then chances are you gazed at one of Mark Morgan’s illustrations without even realizing it. An illustrator based in the U.K., Mark has mixed his passion for Porsche and his artistic talents to yield some truly exciting...
Some great work by one of our colleagues who managed to put together the chassis numbers for all the Porsche 917s. Chassis Number Notes Active Years Team Details 917-001 First 917 to appear in public, at the Geneva Salon in March 1969. Used for testing and announcement of partnership with...
1971 Porsche 917 16-Cylinder Prototype Pictures & Gallery...
The undisputed King The Porsche 917, conceived in the late 1960s, emerged from Porsche’s strategic intent to conquer the World Sportscar Championship, particularly the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This ambition materialized through exploiting a loophole in the homologation requirements, allowing the creation of a vehicle with unprecedented speed and...
Can-Am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out with North America’s Greatest Race Series 1966-74 © Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc First impressions – Can-Am 50th Anniversary is a big book! It’s not that it is so thick, but dimensionally it is large in length and breadth, so you had best find yourself...
The video shows the Porsche 917 in action driven by Derek Bell. It also contains some period footage of an interview with Brian Redman and Derek Bell explaining the car in detail....
The 917 Kurzheck Coupé (917K) first appeared in 1970 and contributed more to the Porsche 917 story than any other variant. It was a high-down force version that featured a cut-off tail for increased downforce. This reduced the cars top speed, as much as 30 mph. Le Mans winner 1970, Interserie winner 1970 and Manufacturers' World Championship for Porsche in 1970.
An attempt to blend the best aerodynamic characteristics from both the short-tailed 917 K and long-tailed 917 LH led to the the 917/20, otherwise known as the Pink Pig. The car's combination of a long body, stubby face, and wide hips gave it a pig-like look, which inspired Porsche designer Anatole Lapine to give the car a pink paint job with butcher cut lines covering the exterior. It was hugely popular at the 1971 Le Mans race, and was the fastest in qualifying and nearly came in fifth place, before a brake failure caused it to crash before the finish line.
The Porsche 917 story is among the most significant chapters of the marque’s history. More than five decades after the first iteration of the 917 broke cover, six examples gathered at the Velocity Invitational, a celebration of vintage racing on the Monterey Peninsula. No Subscription? You’re missing out Get immediate...
Le Mans 24 Hour, 13-14 June 2015: Lined up prior to the formation lap are (from L-R) – the #18 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Marc Lieb/Romain Dumas/Neel Jani (finished 5th); #17 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley/Mark Webber (finished 2nd); #19 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Earl...
No Subscription? You’re missing out Get immediate ad-free access to all our premium content. Get Started Already a Member? Sign in to your account here....
No Subscription? You’re missing out Get immediate ad-free access to all our premium content. Get Started Already a Member? Sign in to your account here....
The 917 Kurzheck Coupé (917K) first appeared in 1970 and contributed more to the Porsche 917 story than any other variant. It was a high-down force version that featured a cut-off tail for increased downforce. This reduced the cars top speed, as much as 30 mph, but it helped the Porsche win...
Richard Attwood relaxing between stints in the Drivers’ Paddock during the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed On 4 April this year, Richard Attwood will celebrate his 80th birthday, but speaking to him just a few months back about his win at Kyalami in ’69, you would not have thought as...
Brian Redman – Daring Drivers, Deadly Tracks © EVRO Publishing Brian Redman is about as down-to-earth as they come, which for a top-flite racing driver, is not an attribute common to all who ply their trade in this field. I have had the pleasure of interviewing Brian on twelve occasions...
Weissach – Porsche Werk 8 – on 9 June 2016 By the late 1950s, the German Wirtschaftswunder was well underway and as the economy grew, so traffic density increased. This was particularly noticeable around Stuttgart often making testing on local Autobahnen inconvenient and it caused Ferry to think about creating...
The Porsche 917/10, introduced in 1972, was purpose-built for the Can-Am series in North America. At its heart was a mid-mounted 5.0-liter flat-12 engine, equipped with dual turbochargers, producing an extraordinary 900 horsepower. This immense power enabled the 917/10 to achieve blistering speeds of up to 240 mph, making it...
Le Mans: The Official History 1970–79 by Quentin Spurring © Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale This edition of Quentin Spurring’s fabulous series covers the 1970s in his well-known and valuable decade-by-decade history of the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. The decade from 1970 to 1979, certainly saw some of the most...
Despite being 50 years old, the formidable Porsche 917/30 still boasts a power-to-weight ratio that rivals that of a modern Formula 1 car. With approximately 1200bhp generated by a 5.4-liter flat-12 engine equipped with two turbochargers, all contained within an 800kg car, the 917/30 proves its prowess on the road....
This large poster announced the 50th anniversary of the first victory by the Porsche 917 at the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hour race It all started back in early March of 2020. I had a trip planned to visit the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, to conduct another extensive photo shoot...
Porsche 917 Factory Racing In 1969 Porsche’s new 917 was never intended to be ready for the two Florida races, Daytona and Sebring, at the beginning of the 1969 season. As it happened, the 917 also missed the first two European races of the Championship for Manufacturers, namely Brands Hatch...
Racing Porsche with Style © Stéphane Coradi This is Stéphane Coradi’s third publication, and the third of his books that I am reviewing. It must be said that Stéphane’s enthusiasm for his work is so irrepressible, it’s contagious. But that is refreshing, because he really encourages the contributors to show...
Porsche 917 Sales Brochure The Porsche 917 is one of the most legendary race cars in motorsport history, known for dominating endurance racing and securing Porsche’s first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. Built to comply with FIA’s Group 4 homologation rules, Porsche was required...
Le Mans 24 Hours, 31 May-1 June 1986: Start of the race – Porsches dominate the lead group In Part 1, Stories from Le Mans – with a Porsche flavour, our intrepid scribbler who hails from that beautiful part of South Africa, the Western Cape, shares with us some hilarious...
1971 Porsche 917 Langheck Pictures...
Watch as Bruce Canepa gets behind the wheel of a 1969 Porsche 917K with chassis number 917-015 around the famous Laguna Seca along with other historic race cars....
ACO Museum, Le Mans 16 September 2020: As it was the 50th anniversary of Porsche’s first win at Le Mans, a special display was set up featuring several of Porsche’s winning cars In 1971 the first ever Starbucks coffee house was opened in Seattle, Washington. That same year, the fourth...
1973 – 1974 Porsche 917/30 Spyder Pictures...
The winning drivers from Porsche’s first Le Mans 24 Hour victory on 14 June 1970 (from L-R) Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood (2019) Today, Porsche can boast a total of 19 overall victories together with countless class successes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most respected and...
The final evolution of the 917 was created after Ferdinand Piëch had left the Porsche company in 1972. Two complete 917/30 Can-Am cars with 2500 mm (98.4") wheelbase were made for Roger Penske Enterprises racing team. They were chassis 917/30-002 and 003. The 001 car was not a real 917/30 and was raced in Europe at the Interserie. The Can-Am 917/30 had a 5.4-litre flat 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine which produced so much power that nobody really knew how much.
Porsche 917/30-003 1975 Team Penske In 1976 Penske sold the chassis to privateer Otis Chandler. Pictured Riverside, 1979. Porsche 917/30-003 test drives ...
Motor Racing – The Pursuit of Victory 1963-1972 by Steve Wyatt © Veloce Publishing Limited The age of motorsport, when an aspiring photographer could amble around the paddock snapping world championship drivers, team personnel and stripped race cars, is long gone. Today, even with the required media accreditation, you have...
Have you seen a Porsche 917 in action outside of Le Mans? If not, you’re in for a treat as YouTube channel, 19Bozzy92, filmed a Porsche 917 bearing the chassis number 025 racing at the Monza Circuit....
The Martini team run by Hans-Dieter Dechent had three cars, two to race, and one T-car. The #3 was driven by the two Austrians, Helmut Marko and Rudi Lins Some say this was the best Daytona 24 hour ever. It certainly was the closest finish up to that point in time....
No Subscription? You’re missing out Get immediate ad-free access to all our premium content. Get Started Already a Member? Sign in to your account here....
Porsche 917K racing at high speeds! (brutal flat-12 sound) The 917 Kurzheck is very rare and very expensive. However, on a racetrack like Spa-Francorchamps you just gotta do what you gotta do, right? Drive it like you stole it! This was recorded during the Classic Endurance Racing 1 (one hour race)...
Bruce Canepa Street Driving the 1969 Porsche 917 Come along for the ride in the 1969 Porsche 917 driven by Bruce Canepa in the streets....
1973 Vasek Polak Porsche 917/10-018 Cam-Am Spyder driven by Jody Scheckter Jody Scheckter was born in East London on the east coast of South Africa, a sleepy seaside town that actually carried the honour of being the country’s motorsport centre up until the early 1960s. In 1973, Scheckter, by then...
50 years of the Porsche 917 Anniversary The most famous racing car of all time made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 12 March 1969, and the Porsche Museum is celebrating the landmark birthday with plans to restore the first 917 ever made to its original condition, as...
World famous icon to be auctioned in 2025 One of the most recognizable race cars of all time is coming to auction. Built by Porsche KG in 1969 for FIA-Homologation, the halo racer was converted to short tail specification by the factory in April 1970. The racer was then purchased...
Epic Porsche 917 On-Track Shakedown Hosted by Porsche Cars North America, Rennsport Reunion V once again brings together an extraordinary gathering of significant Porsche vintage and current racecars, as well as the motorsports figures who have designed, engineered, and driven them to victory in the world’s most famous sports car...
The 1970 #23 Porsche 917 KH at the Le Mans 50 years victory celebration at the Museum on 13/14 June 2020 More than 4.75 million visitors have passed through the doors of Porsche’s Museum in Stuttgart since the company officially opened its doors to the public on 31 January 2009....