12 replies to this topic

[917]

There are many racing cars I find fascinating, two of my favorites are the Porsche 917 (kind regards to Felix Muelas!) and the Porsche 908/03. As you all know, Porsche used the 908/03 1970 and 1971 in the Targa Florio and 1000 km Nuerburgring races:

Targa Florio, 3 May 1970
1. Siffert/Redman (#12)
2. Kinnunen/Rodriguez (#40)
5. Waldegaard/Attwood (#36)
DNF Elford/Herrmann (#20) accident

1000 km Nuerburgring, 31 May 1970
1. Elford/Ahrens (#22)
2. Herrmann/Attwood (#15)
DNF Rodriguez/Kinnunen (#21) accident
DNF Siffert/Redman (#20) oil pressure

Targa Florio, 16 May 1971 (23 May?)
39. (41.?) Elford/Larrousse (#8) 4 laps behind the winner (accident)
DNF Rodriguez/Mueller (#4) accident
DNF Redman/Siffert (#7) accident

1000 km Nuerburgring, 30 May 1971
1. Elford/Larrousse (#3)
2. Rodriguez/Oliver/Siffert (#1)
3. van Lennep/Marko (#4)
DNF Siffert/Bell (#2) chassis broke

The strange thing is that Porsche had four works cars in the three races they won and only three in the 1971 Targa. Does anybody know the reason for that?

Thank you
Michael

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by 917

The strange thing is that Porsche had four works cars in the three races they won and only three in the 1971 Targa. Does anybody know the reason for that?

According to Autosport, they were new cars, and the fourth had not been completed in time.

[Mark Beckman]

Another testiment also to the amazing driving skills of Vic Elford.

[Bladrian]

There are a number of unsung motor racing heroes, but Vic Elford must rank at or near the top. I think just one illustration will serve: In his first F1 GP, in a car he had never driven before (Cooper), and after starting dead last - Vic finished fourth overall, in the rain. And this was NOT a Baghetti-esque performance. Vic continued to prove his immense natural talent in all manner of cars. And had it not been for a horrific accident involving Mario Andretti (and a totally blameless Elford) I suspect Vic would have gone on to great achievements in F1 as well as sports racers.

Yet his name hardly ever comes up when the 'Greats' are mentioned. That's not fair.

Just my hap'orth.

[Rainer Nyberg]

This is the '70 Björn Waldegård/Dickie Attwood entry. No sure who is behind the wheel though.

Always wondered about the 'blanket' with the racenumber over the nose. Anybody know the story?

[Bladrian]

;)

That Ace of Spades worries me even more ...... tempting fate a bit, there.

[Doug Nye]

Waldegaard is driving I would have thought - definitely not Tatty Atty, but the driver does not look sufficiently blob-shaped for Big Bjorn... The nose 'blanket' is an optical illusion for a scarlet colour flash edged in dark blue...

DCN

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by Bladrian
;)

That Ace of Spades worries me even more ...... tempting fate a bit, there.

When the 908/3s first appeared in the 1970 Targa, each had the emblem of a suit of cards on the nose, clubs, hearts diamonds and spades. this was a rather nice momento to the "Sascha" Austro-Daimlers which ran in the 1922 Targa, one of htem wining its class driven by no less than Alfred Neubauer. The Sascha's were designed by Professor Porsche.

[917]

Roger,

thank you, that would fit what Paul Frère writes in his book "Das Rennen vor dem Rennen" (The race before the race) that eleven 908/03 were built: 2 development vehicles, 7 race vehicles in 1970 and 2 in 1971. The latter were only used in the 1000 km Nürburgring race (start # 1 and 2), where their chassis broke (due to a mistake when welding the tubular frame).

Mark and Bladrian,

I agree that Vic Elford is one of the great drivers, because he raced such a big variety of different racing and rally (!) cars (and all rather quick). The names of other versatile drivers coming to my mind would be his cockpit partner Gérard Larrousse, Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti (both have their own thread), Björn Waldegaard, not to forget Graham Hill or Sir Stirling...

Bladrian,

despite the strange direction of the spades it was in the 1970 Targa a nice hommage to the livery of the Austro-Daimler "Sascha" cars in the Targa Florio (as discussed on another thread). The winning car had diamonds, car #40 clubs and the not finishing car hearts (what does this tell us?).

I always liked the colourful liveries of the early seventies, especially 1970/1971 Le Mans and the here discussed races. The spectators didn't need hawk eyes to distinguish one car from another (unlike contemporary Formula 1 with the nonsense rule that both cars of a team have to use the same livery):

Targa Florio 1970:
#12 Gulf blue with orange arrows on each side, green air intake sorrounding
#40 same colour, but only one arrow (on the left side), red air intake
#36 (the only one I have only the above b/w picture at hand): I suppose that this car was also light blue and that the huge arrow was orange (or scarlet as Doug mentioned)
#20 white with red or orange or scarlet ornaments at the front

Nürburgring 1970:
#20 and #21 as #12 and #40 in Targa Florio
#15 yellow
#22 white

Targa Florio 1971:
#7 as #12 in the previous year (but with green diamonds)
#4 light blue, orange air intake, swung dark blue/red stripe, spades this time in orange and pointing to the sky (despite the better omen the car had an accident on the first lap!)
#8 silver with dark blue/red ornament (# white on dark blue!)

Nürburgring 1971:
#1 Gulf blue with orange stripe at front and along the center of the car
#2 as #21 in the previous year, but with green air intake
#3 as #8 in Targa Florio (except # black on white)
#4 white with big forward pointing arrow in the Martini colours (dark blue, light blue, red)

Regards
Michael

[Doug Nye]

A number of 908/3 replicars have recently been completed in the US, based on original bits left over from the spares stock and salvage of the Herbie Muller and Hans-Dieter Blatzheim (I think?) fatal accidents. New flat-8 engine blocks were cast, as were the special gearbox casings - made from Unobtainium...a massive effort.

DCN

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by bertocchi
Mark and Bladrian, agreement all 'round on 'Quick Vic.' He did some loverly things...

I was also a follower of Vic in his era, ranking him in the same place as Mike Parkes as one to watch, one to not really know about because he didn't get the coverage, and one who was competing in F1 while others thought he belonged elsewhere (rallies in Vic's case, engineering in Mike Parkes')...

Fortunately I caught up with him at the Millenium race at Adelaide and spent a lot of time with him there. He spoke about being the only one (or the only one since Caratsch, was it?) to win six major races at the Nurburgring... commendable without going any further!... and many other things.

But his chain smoking detracted from the boyhood image, and his place there was somewhat mercenary, I thought.

Then again, what work is there for ex-works Porsche and Privateer Cooper drivers?

[mickj]

Doug
Will these 908/3's be known as 908/3/replicas??



Bertocchi
I agree with you Vic Elford would have made that Chaparral 2J fly when it had been sorted.
Teddy Mayer got his just deserts when the 917/30 came along.

[Rainer Nyberg]

From Gunnar Racing website :

Porsche 917-01-021 Reconstruction

The 917 Spyder shown here, is actually the second form, the original chassis (#917-015), took on. It started as a Gulf/Wyer 917K, which won the 24 Hours of Daytona, in 1970, with Pedro Rodriguez, Leo Kinnunen, and Brian Redman driving. After a crash during 1970, the car suffered a fate common with Gulf/Wyer cars that were crashed. The crashed cars would be returned to the factory, chassis plates removed, and placed on a new chassis. The crashed chassis would be modified, (roll hoop and rear tail sections changed) into a Spyder, and renumbered. This has been proven on the 917K of Jeff Hayes, the 917 Spyder of Mike Amalfitano (who has coupe bodywork to change the car back), and this car, belonging to Bob Rapp.