Wonder if you lot can help: I'm researching a 935 30th Anniversary feature to be published in Total 911 magazine, and have come across a bit of an anomaly in various accounts.

Specifically, what I need to know is exactly when was the 935/76 run with the flat nose? Most accounts (Frere, Excellence, Starkey et al) seem to allude that the Ickx/Mass car ran with the flat nose from the opening round at Mugello, right the way through the 1976 Championship of makes season, and describe how the FIA chucked its toys out the pram over the issue from day one. However, Norbert Singer's book features pics of the 935 running with the conventional 911 front end at both Mugello and Vallelunga.

I've also seen references to the car running the conventional front end at Mugello and Vallelunga in practice only, but at Silverstone during the entire race.

I'll be buggered if I know how to interpret the various accounts.

Any ideas? If so, it would help a hapless journo from having stones thrown at him from outraged anoraks!

Nik

Paul Frère states in "PORSCHE racing cars of the 70s":

“Originally, the quickly detatchable reinforced polyurethane foam assembly forming the entire front part of the car, comprising the two fenders and the front spoiler, was modelled on the original, except for the lateral fender extensions covering the wider wheels. After the first race of 1976 season, however, which took place on the Mugello circuit in Italy, and which the 935 driven by Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass won, the assembly was changed for a different one taking advantage of the aforementioned stupid rule specifying that 'the material and shape of the wings (fenders) is free'. (This was really a loophole, as freeing the 'shape' was originally only intended to allow more bulging fenders to accommodate the whecis without having recourse to unsightly added lateral extensions). In the new assembly, the fenders sloped forward in unison with the front lid to join the front air dam, into which the lights were moved. ”

Nik,

Best I can tell, the factory ran the flat nose at the opening round at Mugello, but I seem to recall there were concerns about too much front downforce initially.

The conventional 911 front end was certainly run on the 935'a at the second and third rounds at Vallelunga and Silverstone, although it appears a flat nose was brought to Silverstone as well, but the standard nose car raced. I don't believe that it was ever used after Silverstone when the flat nose became permanent.

Thanks for the info, guys. Again, two slightly different accounts - impossible, isn't it?

If anyone else has got something that could shed some light on this, I'd be grateful.

Cheers

Nik

I've probably misundertood your post, but these Porsches do have *droop-snoots*...





I took those at Le Mans, 1981.

Nik,

Check the 1976 photos here for some partial photo evidence of the cars running (a) flat nosed at Mugello and (b) standard 911 configuration at the following two rounds at Vallelunga and Silverstone, and reverting to flat nosed thereafter.

Vasek,

Thanks mate. I'd already seen Jacky's site, and I reckon it's the version I'll go with and hope that I don't get lots of mail telling me how wrong I am! There's always one...

Thanks to you all for helping me out.

Nik