Porsche 917K
Key facts
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Year
1969
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Country
Germany
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Capacity
4,998cc
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Cylinders
12 horizontally opposed
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Valves
quadruple overhead camshaft
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Output
630bhp at 8,300rpm
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Performance
Over 220mph
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Price new
£16,000
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Loaned by
Private Owner
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Manufacturer
Dr Ing h c F Porsche KG, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
The Porsche 917 is one of the most successful racing cars ever. This car, chassis 917-13, competed during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. In 1970 it appeared in the Steve McQueen film Le Mans, crashing during filming while driven by David Piper. The rebuilt 917-013 was raced by the JW Automotive/Gulf team during 1971, winning races at Daytona, the Österreichring, Monza and Monthléry with drivers such as Pedro Rodriguez, Jo Siffert, Jackie Oliver and Derek Bell.
Porsche took just seven months to design and build the first 25 917s required to meet new World Sportscar Championship regulations in 1969. The cars were incredibly successful, winning nearly every race for the next two seasons. The 917/10 and 917/30 spyder, or open cockpit, versions went on to dominate the Can-Am Championship in North America. In this form, the air-cooled, flat-12 engine was developed to produce over 1,100bhp.
The Rodriguez/Oliver car took the flag three laps ahead of its team mate after a splendid demonstration of organised long-distance racing
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