Porsche 917: The Complete Photographic History by Glen Smale

Porsche 917

Chapter 4

The birth of a legend Although there were rumours circulating about a largePorschesportscarbeingconstructed,theproject had been kept a closely guarded secret and there was no concrete evidence of such a car until the wraps were taken off the 917 at the Geneva Motor Show on 12 March 1969. The Geneva display model was painted in white with green livery on the front end of the car. An informative pamphlet quoted a retail price of DM140,000 (or approx. £16,000).

The assembled press, stunned by the unveiling, realised that they had just witnessed the birth of a u The Geneva Motor Show, 12 March 1969, and the Porsche 917 has just been unveiled. Ferdinand Piëch (right) and Porsche racing driver Gerhard Mitter (left) discuss some of the finer points of the new race car. Two months after the Geneva Show, in May 1969, Mitter won the Targa Florio in a Porsche 908, but he was sadly killed while practising for a Formula 2 race at the Nürburgring in August of the same year, aged just 33 years.

(Porsche-Werkfoto)

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new class of racer, but there was still a lot of ground to cover before the 917 could actually race at Le Mans.

In reality Porsche had done the unthinkable – in the space of eight months, the racing department had performed the impossible task of creating an all-new race car with a brand new engine configuration. The FIA, and Porsche’s rivals for that matter, would now experience at first hand the whirlwind of ingenuity and determination created

by Piëch’s team.

The birth of a legend

p u q These photographs show the Porsche 917 on display at the Geneva Motor Show in 1969. This was the first 917 produced and carried the chassis number 917 001. (LAT)

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Porsche 917

p Le Mans 24 Hours, 14/15 June 1969.

The Elford/Attwood car approaches the pit straight for another lap. (LAT)

q Le Mans 24 Hours, 14/15 June 1969.

Vic Elford and Richard Attwood qualified second on the grid (147mph average) and agreed to take it easy and utilise the 917’s 30mph straight line speed advantage. They led until Sunday morning when gearbox problems forced them to retire. (LAT)

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u Le Mans 24 Hours, 14/15 June 1969.

The leading no. 12 Porsche 917 of Elford and Attwood enters the pits for a routine stop in the early evening light. The 917s easily had the heaviest fuel consumption of the whole field and so frequent stops were expected. Eager to be right there in the action to see how his creation was faring, Ferdinand Piëch holds the door open for Vic Elford during the driver swap, while Richard Attwood walks around the car on the left. Standing in front of the car and overseeing proceedings is Helmuth Bott (red Jacket), as mechanic Gerhard Küchle changes a wiper blade.

Checking the back tyres on either side are two Dunlop technicians. (LAT)

International Championship for Manufacturers 1969

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Porsche 917

p Monza 1000kms, 25 April 1970.

The no. 7 Porsche 917 (016) of Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen pushes the no. 2 Ferrari of John Surtees and Peter Schetty hard during the Monza race. In this shot, the Porsche is quite literally under the rear wing of the Ferrari as these two great marques took and retook the lead from one another throughout the race. (LAT) t Monza 1000kms, 25 April 1970.

The David Piper-entered 917 (010) driven by Tony Adamowicz (USA) and David Piper (GB) failed to finish the Monza race, citing gearbox problems on lap 55. (LAT) u Monza 1000kms, 25 April 1970.

Another of the 917s that failed to finish was the no. 10 Porsche Salzburg car driven by Vic Elford (GB) and Kurt Ahrens (D). They retired from the race on lap 92 with suspension problems. (LAT)

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Championship for Manufacturers 1970

p Monza 1000kms, 25 April 1970.

The no. 8 Siffert/Redman 917 swallows up its smaller sibling, the no. 53 Porsche 907 of AndrĂŠ Wicky (CH) and Mario Cabral (P), which finished 15th overall and first in the 2000cc class.

Siffert and Redman finished 12th overall. (LAT)

u Monza 1000kms, 25 April 1970.

Unfortunately the no. 8 Gulf 917 (009) of Jo Siffert and Brian Redman caught the barrier with the back of the car, damaging the rear suspension. A 20-minute repair ensued, dropping the car back somewhat and also causing it to run a bit slower, but it still finished in 12th place. (LAT)

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Porsche 917

p Le Mans 24 Hours, 13/14 June 1970.

The spoils of war! Richard ‘Dickie’ Attwood, on the right, and Hans Herrmann wave to the crowds after their race win. Herrmann announced his retirement from motor sport immediately after winning the 1970 Le Mans 24-Hour race. (Michael Keyser) p ‘Racing is the ultimate test.’ Porsche were quick to use their victory at Le Mans with the 917 in their motor magazine advertising campaigns. Here the race winning no. 23 car is pictured alongside the regular 911 and 914 in this magazine advertisement mock-up.

(Porsche-Werkfoto)

q Here, the 1970 Le Mans winner is used again to promote the other Porsche models. The statement in the advertisement says that the road cars have benefited from racing components ‘like the five-speed gearbox’ used in the 917. (Porsche-Werkfoto)

u At last, Porsche claimed the crown that had eluded them for so long, and they did it without John Wyer, although this is perhaps an unfair way of presenting the fact. Without the mutually beneficial cooperation between the factory and Wyer’s Gulf team, Porsche would certainly have taken longer to achieve this goal. However, victory in the 24 Heures du Mans on 13/14 June 1970 felt very sweet for the Stuttgart company – a journey which had steadily unfolded during 19 long years since the first tentative steps were taken by the diminutive 1100cc 356 Coupé in the 1951 Le Mans. The French victory put Porsche on 69 points in the Championship table, compared with Ferrari’s 38 points.

(Porsche-Werkfoto)

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Championship for Manufacturers 1970

p Watkins Glen 6 Hours, 11 July 1970.

Richard Attwood and Kurt Ahrens teamed up again to drive the Porsche Salzburg 917 no. 32 car. They would endure race-long tyre problems in an otherwise sound performance. (Michael Keyser) p Watkins Glen 6 Hours, 11 July 1970.

Pedro Rodriguez sits casually on the fender of his car, the Gulf 917 no. 2 (917 016), prior to the start of the 1970 Watkins Glen 6 Hours.

(Michael Keyser)

u Watkins Glen 6 Hours, 11 July 1970.

Five Porsche 917s occupied the top seven places of the Watkins Glen grid, the odd men out being the Andretti/Giunti Ferrari 512 S in second place and the Ickx/Schetty Ferrari 512 S in fourth. Here the cars are just about ready to set off on their warm-up lap.

(Michael Keyser)

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Porsche 917

p Buenos Aires 1000kms, 10 January 1971.

Pictured in the early stages of the race itself, the no. 36 Martini Porsche of Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep didn’t get very far before dropping out with a holed piston while on the second lap.

(LAT) t Buenos Aires 1000kms, 10 January 1971.

There were no fewer than seven 917s on the grid for the Argentinean race. The no. 34 Zitro Racing team 917 entered

by Bolivian businessman Ortiz Patino (917 025) finished in tenth place. Having completed 145 laps, drivers Dominique Martin (CH) and Pablo Brea (RA) were 20 laps down on the winning 917 at the end of the race. (LAT)

t Buenos Aires 1000kms, 10 January 1971.

The Gulf 917 of Rodriguez and Oliver (917 035) was missing a headlight, but this did not stop the no. 32 car from putting in a storming run in the Buenos Aires race, finishing in second place.

(LAT)

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Championship for Manufacturers 1971 u Buenos Aires 1000kms, 10 January 1971.

Unfortunately the Argentinean race was marred by the death of Ferrari 312 PB driver Ignazio Giunti and the effect of the tragedy was felt throughout the rest of the event. Here the Gulf 917 of Siffert and Bell (917 029) is seen during its trouble-free run. (LAT) q Buenos Aires 1000kms, 10 January 1971.

Martini’s driving pair of Elford and Larrousse in car no. 38 is seen in the pits in Buenos Aires, but this car was disqualified (lap 65) for receiving assistance when the mechanics tried to restore fuel pressure out on the track. While GÊrard Larrousse looks on, Vic Elford is standing on the left of the car, still with his helmet on, taking a much-needed drink of water in the sweltering South American heat. (LAT)

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Porsche 917

p Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

The Porsche racing teams were at Le Mans almost a week before the start of the race. The Martini 917/20 here is still without its unusual pork portion names, as these were only applied to the car one day before the race. (Porsche-Werkfoto) t Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

A relaxed Jo Siffert and Derek Bell engage in discussion during qualifying, the first time a Gulf 917 had been raced at Le Mans in long-tail form.

Porsche race engineer, Norbert Singer, asked Bell what engine revs he was doing on the Mulsanne straight, to which Bell replied, “8100rpm.”

“That’s good, because at 8200 she blows up!” was the reply. Walking across the paddock, Bell then enquired what speed that equated to, and Singer, looking at his slide rule replied, laughing, “I think it is better you don’t know.”

Bell responded saying, “I have got to drive this thing for 24 hours, I think it’s right that I know what top speed we are going.”

So Singer reluctantly replied, “Allowing for tyre growth, you were doing 396kmh, which is 246mph.”

(Michael Keyser)

t Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

Willi Kauhsen describes his experiences in the no. 23 Porsche 917/20, or ‘Sau’. (Walter Näher)

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Championship for Manufacturers 1971 t Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

Jackie Oliver looks concerned – he needn’t have been – he and Rodriguez were on pole with the Gulf Porsche Langheck by a full second from Larrousse and Elford in the Martini Langheck car.

(Walter Näher)

u Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

Richard Attwood pauses during qualifying for the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour race. (Walter Näher)

q Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

The Porsche 917/20, ‘Pink Pig’ or ‘Sau’, is probably one of the most recognisable 917s of all, yet it failed to achieve much. The name was drawn from its ugly styling, which Porsche decided to exploit. So it was painted in pink, showing the various cuts of pork (as seen by the dotted lines) and appropriately labelled. It was the brainchild of Porsche designer, Tony Lapine. The car was regarded as ugly due to its rotund but stubby styling and with a very wide body. It was built as test-bed for future Can-Am parts and aerodynamic ‘low-drag’ concepts. Over the test weekend of 18 April, Willi Kauhsen had set the fastest time in the ‘Pink Pig’ (although it was still painted white at that stage) with a lap of 3min 21.7sec, hinting at the car’s potential performance. (LAT)

q Le Mans 24 Hours, 12/13 June 1971.

Officially opposition, but nevertheless close comrades off the track, Jo Siffert and Herbert Müller enjoy a joke just before the main race at Le Mans on 12 June. (Michael Keyser)

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PART vi – new horizons

Porsche 917 PREVIOUS SPREAD: George Follmer at speed in the L&M Porsche 917/10 with which he won the Can-Am Championships in 1972.

(Porsche-Werkfoto)

Chapter 19

Home and away With the 1971 season now consigned to history and with three Manufacturers’ Championship titles to their name (1969, 1970 and 1971), Porsche decided not to develop a new 3.0-litre racer for the next European season. Instead, they would support those customersstilldrivingtheevergreen908,whereasthe 917 would soldier on in the Interserie in the capable hands of Willi Kauhsen, Leo Kinnunen and others who were active in this series, which was contested on British and European circuits.

Now in its third year, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Interserie had been tailor-made for one car and for just one or two drivers in particular.

The Porsche 917/10 totally dominated the series in its early years. Porsche 917 stalwarts Kinnunen and Kauhsen stood head and shoulders above the rest of the field as the most successful drivers in the Interserie during this period.

Interserie podium results for the Porsche 917: 1970–1972 Year 1970 (6)* 1971 (7)* 1972 (9)* 1st place 3 1 7 2nd place 5 3 7 3rd place 1 2 3 Total podiums 9 6 17 *Number of races in that year The existence and, indeed, the survival of the Interserie was not as a result of a high level of direct manufacturer involvement.The series was contested mainly by privateer teams. Any factory support was just that, support only, and did not include any race car development – the works teams had decided to put their weight behind the North American CanAm series. As the 917s competing in the Interserie were all owned and run by private teams, the series was always competing for media attention along with all the other race series on the calendar, and therefore well below the Can-Am series in terms of being a media priority. As a result, the Stuttgart manufacturer’sfocusshiftedtothevirtuallyunlimited Group 7 class in the North American Can-Am

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series, and this required the Stuttgart manufacturer to develop a more powerful race car with which to compete successfully against the big American V8s.

Although similar in some respects to the other 917s, the Porsche 917/10 was in fact purpose-built to qualify for the Group 7 regulations of the Can-Am series.

Making use of even more lightweight material, the 917/10 was also fitted with a larger fuel tank, which gave it the ability to complete a 200-mile race without having torefuel.Wherethe917/10enginedifferedsignificantly from the previous models was in the delivery of power, insofar as the new car was now turbocharged.

Willi Kauhsen was very involved in the initial development of the turbocharged engine destined for the 917/10, doing much of the early factory testing himself at Weissach in the latter half of 1971.

However, Kauhsen found the prototype turbo cars extremely difficult to drive, because of the way in which the turbochargers delivered their power. As the increase in power was generated by the pressure created in the exhaust manifold, which in turn forcefed gasses back into the intake system, there was an initial lag before this pressure boost was felt. This was disconcerting for drivers who had to get used to the time delay between depressing the accelerator and when the power delivery came through, with the result that they would have to time their acceleration out of corners accordingly.

But thanks to the persistent efforts of drivers like Willi Kauhsen, Mark Donohue, and Porsche engineer Helmut Flegl, the turbocharged 5.0-litre 12-cylinder engine was eventually sorted out and dropped into a working race car in 1972. As far as the factory was concerned, the Interserie was always going to be run in the shadow of the Can-Am programme, as the publicity and commercial exposure of the Porsche brand was far greater in the American market.

The 1972 Interserie season would show just how dominant the 917/10 was, with or without the turbocharged engine, as the number of podium finishes almost doubled during the series’ first three years. Admittedly the number of races also increased during this time, but the playing field was the same for

Home and away

p Porsche 917/10 first shown to the public at the MSF (MotorSport-Freizeit) in Stuttgart early in 1972. (Peter Hoffmann)

u The late Richard von Frankenberg discussing the shape of the Porsche 917 at the MSF in Stuttgart early 1972.

(Peter Hoffmann)

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Porsche 917 t Interserie Keimola, Round 7, 27 August 1972.

The track record around Keimola, a 3.3km circuit situated near the city of Vantaa in southern Finland, is held by Leo Kinnunen, or ‘Leksa’ to his friends. The record was established by Kinnunen during the seventh round of the Interserie on 27 August 1972. He achieved a lap speed of 165.4kmh in the turbocharged AAW Racing Team Porsche (917/10-004).

Kinnunen swept the table in Keimola both in 1971 and 1972, claiming pole position; setting the fastest lap and winning both heats. He became justifiably known as the ‘King of Interserie’ in Finland. Second place went to Willi Kauhsen in the Bosch Racing Team’s no. 11 Porsche 917/10 TC 002, while in third place was Chris Craft of Great Britain in the PiperWhite Racing Porsche 917 K (021). Ernst Kraus in the no. 17 Boeri Sport Helmet Racing Team Porsche 917 Spyder (021) retired with engine failure. (Peter Hoffmann Collection)

u Rheinland/Pfalz Preis, Nürburgring, Round 8, 24 September 1972.

Kauhsen’s mechanics attend to his car on the grid before the start of the race. (Porsche-Werkfoto) q Rheinland/Pfalz Preis, Nürburgring, Round 8, 24 September 1972.

Willibald Kauhsen manoeuvres his Porsche 917/10 002 in the paddock before the penultimate race of the season. (Porsche-Werkfoto)

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European Interserie 1972

q Rheinland/Pfalz Preis, Nürburgring, Round 8, 24 September 1972.

Leo Kinnunen’s Porsche 917/10 pictured on the grid before the race. (Porsche-Werkfoto)

u Rheinland/Pfalz Preis, Nürburgring, Round 8, 24 September 1972.

Leo Kinnunen drove the no. 1 AAW Racing Team Porsche 917/10 TC (004) to victory in the penultimate race of the season. (Bill Wagenblatt)

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Porsche 917 t Can-Am Watkins Glen, Round 3, 23 July 1972.

The no. 6 L&M Porsche 917/10 undergoes a thorough examination in the Penske pits prior to the race. (Charles Stucker)

q Can-Am Watkins Glen, Round 3, 23 July 1972.

Photographed in the Penske garage at the track on Friday evening, the L&M Porsche 917/10 bodywork stands to one side as the Follmer car is prepared for the ensuing battle. (Charles Stucker)

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Can-Am racing 1972 u q Can-Am Watkins Glen, Round 3, 23 July 1972.

Stripped naked in the pits ahead of the race on Sunday, Follmer’s Penske 917/10 engine receives some last minute attention prior to the race. (Charles Stucker)

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Porsche 917

Chapter 24

Can-Amracing1973 Donohue would return to motor sport in 1973 driving a revised Spyder, the 917/30, which featured a longer wheelbase and revised aerodynamics.

Powered by a 5.4-litre turbo engine, the Sunoco Oil company-backed entry was capable of 245mph in a straight line. Surprisingly though, Donohue did not have things all his own way at the start of the season, as he dropped out of the running in the first race through a minor incident with a backmarker at Mosport. A fuel leak forced the Sunoco car into second place in the second race at Road Atlanta and early damage at Watkins Glen forced Donohue into his back-up car in the third race.

Although the first two Can-Am rounds went to privateers using the previous year’s 917/10 (Charlie Kemp and George Follmer won the first two races in 917/10s), Donohue would come back strongly, winning every race from the third race onwards. This was the first time ever that anyone had won six straight Can-Am races, while Porsche could claim wins in all eight races in the 1973 Can-Am Championships. After winning six races in a row and the championship, Donohueannouncedhisretirementfrommotorsport at the end of that season.

Porsche 917/10s and 917/30s won 14 of the 17 Can-Am races held in 1972 and 1973. Follmer took five races and Donohue one in 1972, while

Charlie Kemp and George Follmer won one race apiece and Donohue the remaining six races in 1973.

The SCCA forced the withdrawal of the 917 from Can-Am competition by drastically limiting its fuel consumption, forcing it to race with non-competitive boost pressures. The truth is that the opposition could not come up with anything to compete against the awesome performance of the 917/30, and so the best way for the SCCA to re-introduce new blood into the series was to change the rules – again.

Pre-season test session Penske Racing held a private test session at Mosport Park on Wednesday 6 June 1973, prior to the first race of the 1973 Can-Am season. The purpose of the test was to give the new Porsche 917/30 a shakedown ahead of the first race at Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada on 10 June 1973.

Photographer and media consultant, Chuck Boone, was present at the testing.This was requested by Roger Penske who wanted to produce a press pack for the Penske team which illustrated the car’s preparation for the first race. Boone was also asked by the SCCA, the Can-Am sanctioning body, to shoot a promotional film of the race, which resulted in a 14-minute 16mm film.

Table of dates and circuits for the 1973 Can-Am Championship: Round Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8

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Date 10 June 8 July 22 July 12 August 26 August 16 September 14 October 28 October

Circuit/Event Labatt’s Blue Trophy, Mosport Park Road Atlanta Watkins Glen Buckeye Cup, Lexington, Mid-Ohio Road America, Elkhart Lake Klondike 200, Edmonton Monterey Castrol GP, Laguna Seca Los Angeles GP, Riverside

Can-Am racing 1973

The Porsche 917/30 The Porsche 917/30 was indeed a very special sports car development, initially intended to be used by Penske Racing for Mark Donohue in the Can-Am series in North America. For this purpose six chassis were planned but only three actually built up into complete cars for the 1973 season – these were chassis 917/30 001, 002 and 003. The first of these, 917/30 001, was in fact the test car and was given the adjustable chassis which Donohue tested back in late 1972.

Sporting the familiar Sunoco colours, Cars 917/30 002 and 003 were built specifically for Penske and raced by Donohue throughout the 1973 season.

The remaining three chassis, 917/30 004, 005 and 006, were not completed at that time due to changes in the rules which would have ruled the cars ineligible, and so they remained unfinished until the following year. In 1974, Porsche 917/30 004 was completed, painted white and sold to Alan Hamilton of Australia, but he did not compete in contemporary races. Porsche 917/30 005 was sold in 1979 in America to Gerry Sutterfield, who finished the car but later passed it into the hands of a Swedish owner. This car also did not race competitively in its day. The final car, Porsche 917/30 006 was sold as a kit of parts to Vasek Polak in America, who later completed the car and entered it in historic races.

917/30 Specifications: Engine location Mid Drive type Rear wheel Weight 800kg (1763lbs) Engine Engine configuration 180-degree Cylinders 12 Aspiration/induction Twin-turbocharged – cockpit adjustable boost Bore/stroke 90 x 70.4mm Displacement 5374cc (329.5cu in) Valves 24 valves – 2 valves per cylinder Valve train DOHC Horsepower 1100bhp (809.6kW) @ 7800rpm Torque 820lb ft (1098Nm) @ 6400rpm Power to weight ratio 1.7lb/hp HP/litre 203.7bhp/litre Fuel type Petrol Fuel feed Bosch fuel injection

Acceleration

Top Speed

0–60mph: 2.1 seconds 0–100mph : 3.9 seconds 0–200mph : 13.4 seconds 240mph (385kmh)

Standard transmission Gears 4 Manual Transmission Type 920 Seating 1 Exterior dimensions Length 4562mm (179.6in) Width 2085mm (82.1in) Height 1155mm (28.7in) Wheelbase 2500mm (98.4in) Front Track 1670mm (65.7in) Rear Track 1564mm (61.4in) Turning circle

13m

Wheels/tyres Front Rear

12 x 15in 19 x 15in

Source: Porsche Archiv

t Although taken more recently in a studio, this front three-quarter angle of the Sunoco Porsche 917/30 driven by Mark Donohue presents a perfect perspective of this awesome racer.

This car, 917/30 002, resides in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

(Porsche-Werkfoto)

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Porsche 917

p Le Mans 24 Hours, 13/14 June 1981.

The Kremer no. 10 Porsche 917 K81 lines up on the grid before the warm-up lap for the great 24-hour race. Clearly the media and those racegoers lucky enough to be allowed onto the starting grid before the race were really intrigued to see the 917 back at Le Mans. The Kremer car qualified in 18th place on the grid. (Porsche-Werkfoto)

t Le Mans 24 Hours, 13/14 June 1981.

After Bob Wollek had put in some respectable lap times, the 917 K81 looked like it was right back where it belonged, but it sadly retired on lap 82. Here it is being chased by the Porsche 936/81 of Jochen Mass, Vern Schuppan and Hurley Haywood which finished in 12th position. (Porsche-Werkfoto)

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The 917’s swan song

p Kremer workshops, Cologne, Germany 1982.

Kremer’s 917 K81 poses with some very special machinery. From the left: Kremer Porsche 935 K3, Kremer Porsche 956, Kremer Porsche 917 K81 (in its 1981 Brands Hatch livery), Kremer Porsche CK5, and Kremer Porsche 936. (Kremer Racing Archive)

race organisation’s desire to fill a rather depleted grid for that year’s race. This was because it fell between the outgoing Group 5 and Group 6 regulations and the new Group C class rules planned for 1982.

The Kremers had learnt many lessons from their years of racing and having won Le Mans in 1979 with their ‘Numero Reserve’ 935 K3, driven

by German Klaus Ludwig and the American duo, brothers Bill and Don Whittington, they were bristling with confidence. The 917 K81 had been strengthened and now incorporated several aerodynamicimprovements,butthebasiccarwasstill very close to the original 917. The Kremer Porsche 917 K81 was based on the Kurzheck design, but it had a rear tail section that was best described as a halfway house between the K and LH styles because

it featured a pair of fixed uprights and a full width rear aerofoil. The idea to cut a slot into the roof and to mount a third rear view mirror came from Erwin Kremer. This innovation gave the driver much better rear vision.

The 4.5-litre engine for the 917 K81 was supplied directly from the factory, which clearly had greater experience with the flat-12 engine than anyone else.

Sadly though the 917 K81, piloted by the French trio of Bob Wollek, Guy Chasseuil and Xavier Lapeyre, did not live up to its legendary forebears, dropping out at quarter distance with a broken engine mount.

With their typical never-say-die attitude, Kremer sent the 917 K81 to Brands Hatch in a last ditch attempt to prove the car’s competitiveness. Here, Bob Wollek mixed with the new generation race cars, and even led for a time, until a front suspension component broke, thereby ending the team’s dreams of going out with a bang.

The very fact that the 917 had shown great competitiveness in spite of its aged design, is a testament to the race car’s original design and strength. The 917’s chassis design was in fact carried over from the 908, which dates the car even further back in the annals of history.

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