Video History of Porsche Racing

July 11, 2008

As I was doing additional research for my ongoing series on the history of the Porsche 917 I came across the following series of videos. The end of the third video in this series, and most of the fourth, does a better job than I ever could in completing the history/documentation of the 917. The rest of the videos are here for your enjoyment. It’s quite a long series, but definitely worth the watch. You may want to bookmark this page and come back a few times as each video (and there are 10 of them) is nine to ten minutes long. Definitely worth the watch! If you only want to finish up the history of the 917, then the end of the third video and most of the fourth is for you. Otherwise, start at the beginning and enjoy.

I’m surprised at how much is still available to find on the internet. If you like these videos, please let me know. I will continue to scour and search and post up what I find. Thanks for looking and thanks in advance for the feedback.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche 917, Videos | 2 Comments

Porsche 911 and 993 Owners Video

June 1, 2008

Like a lot of today’s Porsche 993 owners I purchased my car used. I was very careful in my selection, did a lot of research and made sure the car had a very thorough service history. Amongst the things I was looking for to accompany my purchase was original documentation (window sticker, owners manual, etc.) While I was very fortunate and found a very nice example of a 1997 Porsche 993 C4S I still didn’t get all the documentation that was delivered to the very first owner. As it turns out, one of the items that new 993 owners received was a ten minute long video that introduced them to Porsche and answered a number of frequently asked questions about all 911 models and some specific to the 993. A broadcast of the video is below for your enjoyment.

Last week I posted about 10 Things you might not know about the Porsche 993. The video below, narrated by Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) and hosted by Hurley Haywood (of Porsche endurance racing fame) is very informative and answered a few additional esoteric questions I had always wondered about. Are any of you the original owner of your 993? Do you have an original VHS copy of this tape? If so, please get in touch with me and let me know as I would love to get a copy.

Lastly, don’t forget to participate in the current poll regarding gas prices and your driving habits. It’s right there on the right. ———>

Enjoy the video.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche 993, Videos | 3 Comments

Porsche 917, Possibly the Best Race Car of All Time

April 6, 2008

Ever since Porsche took the overall win at Sebring a few weeks ago, I’ve been exploring the history of Porsche racing more and more. Out of my research has come a fascination with the Porsche 917. I am in love with both the aesthetics of this car and its impressive track performance capabilities.

So much has been written about these great cars, their development, their race history and the people responsible for them that I could never give them the proper respect they deserve in the format of this web-site. In no way is this meant to be a complete history of the 917. Instead, this is a multi-part story that should provide the casual enthusiast with enough background to pique your curiosity and links to resources where you can learn more.

Part I on the History of the Porsche 917

The 917 is best known as the race-car that put Porsche on the map in endurance racing with their first overall win(s) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and again in 1971. Based on the Porsche 908 and powered by a 4.5, 4.9 or 5.0 liter flat 12, air-cooled engine, the 917 posts performance figures on par with almost any race-car of the modern era.

We can thank the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) as the catalyst for the creation of the Porsche 917. Looking to bring manufacturers who were currently building 3 litre motors for Formula One Racing into the endurance racing fold, the CSI opened enrollment to the World Championship of Makes for a 3 litre cars across a four year period from 1968 to 1971.

As there were very few manufacturers who could accept the challenge in the time frame provided, the CSI opened the category up to those 5 litre cars that would be able to meet the homologation requirements of at least 50 cars. This new group, known as Group 4, became part of the Sport category. Shortly thereafter, CSI reduced the minimum production requirements from 50 to 25 (at the request of Ferrari) so the 250LM could compete.

An Open Door for Porsche

This reduction in homologation requirements opened the door for Porsche. Although it would turn out to be extremely difficult and expensive, it was one of the best decisions Porsche made, with regard to racing, ever. The 917 was conceived, designed and manufactured in only 10 months time. This is an amazingly short period for the development of any vehicle, let alone one subject to the homologation rules of the time. The first 25 cars are pictured below:

Despite the 917’s short but storied history, its career as a racer did not start well. I’ll explore the beginning of Porsche’s race history in the 917 more in-depth on my next post in this series. In the interim, please enjoy this great video that showcases just how amazing these cars truly are.