In total 25 Porsche 917 were presented in April 1969 for the official homologation. When approved, Porsche dismantled 15 of them for later use, chassis 001 was retained for promotion purposes and 10 chassis were used for racing.
Chassis 007 was one of the three 917 Langhecks who took part in the 24h Le Mans 1968. Two of these were works cars while the third (#005) was delivered to privateer John Woolfe. He had an accident in which he died just after the start. Chassis 008 with drivers Vic Elford and Richard Attwood had to stop with clutch problems after 327 laps (Hour 22).
Driven by Rolf Stommelen and Kurt Ahrens Jr., chassis 007 was painted white with a yellow nose and ran a special 585bhp engine. It started from pole position but succumbed to an oil leak after 148 laps.
At the end of the season, it was rebuilt to 1970 Kurzheck configuration and was then sold to Hans-Georg Biermann who ran GESIPA Blindniettechnik GmbH in Frankfurt, better known as Gesipa Rivets.
The 007 was painted the company colours of light blue and yellow. In this configuration, it contested more than a dozen races during 1970 including some World Sportscar Championship events (Monza, Spa and Nurburgring) and the entire Interserie campaign.
In the six-race Interserie programme in 1970, Jurgen Neuhaus yielded two wins and three seconds which enabled him to claim the overall champion title.
At the last race of the year, the 1000 km of Paris, where Neuhaus and W.Kaushen drove the car, they had an accident and almost destroyed the car. They were however classified as P04 in their class.
Chassis 007 returned to the factory and was rebuilt into a Spyder configuration. It was then used in the 1971 Interserie championship, still in the Gesipa colours and driven by Michel Weber. The car also took part in the 1000 km Paris with H.Marko and M.Weber, where there was a DNF.
The car stayed in German hands : 1973 sold to Albert Pfuhl who took the car again to the Interserie championship under the Aotofox racing team. He did also two Interserie races with it in 1975. Albert Pfuhl sold his 917-007 in its Spyder configuration to Mr Blatzheim from Cologne in the late of 1975.
Blatzheim was very friend with people at Porsche (Weissach) especially with Ferry Porsche, so that he was able to collect a lot of 917-007 K coupe body parts (was on storage since 007 rebuilt as a Spyder for 71' Interserie) plus a lot of NOS spare parts.
Then during 10 months between 1976-1977 , 917-007 was reconfigured to K coupe specification by Erwin and Manfred Kremer at their Restoration workshop and more interestingly they used 917-013(034) as a template for reconfiguration of 917-007 to K coupe closed top body. They had 917-013(034) for around 10 months at their workshop !
after the car reconfiguration was complete in 1977 , Mr Blatzheim raced it in historic events and private tests especially at Nurburgring.
There is a photo from the 1982 Oldtimer GP Nurburgring.
In 1985 Blatzheim was killed driving the 917-007. This fantastic 917 K was on loan by Mrs Blatzheim to Mr Blatzheim's close friend Peter Kaus for displaying at his Rosso Bianco Museum from the late of 1987 until 1995 when finally Mrs Blatzheim commissioned to Klaus Werner of Wuppertal to selling the car to an enthusiastic collector Jean Guikas who immediately sold it to his close friend and racing partner and true collector Francois Fabre. He still is the owner and he rejected many offers as high as some Million Euros. Chassis 007 is still alive. (2016)
In the 24 hours of Le Mans 1970, the 917 chassis 021 from the David Piper/AAW Racing #18 was damaged in an accident. Racing Team AAW was run by Finnish industrialist, Antii Aarnio-Wihuri. He was also an enthusiastic racing and rally driver and he supported young Finnish drivers. With Chassis 021, the team had raced already at Monza, Spa and the Nurburgring 1000 km.
AAW needed a new car, so Porsche opted to fit the 021’s mechanical components into a new chassis: 012. The newly assembled chassis 012 subsequently appeared under the identity of 021 for carnet reasons.
Following its hasty assembly, chassis 012 arrived at the Norisring Interserie race with a yellow tail and unpainted panels elsewhere with Gijs van Lennep as driver. A week later, chassis 012 arrived at the Hockenheim race having been repainted a similar purple and psychedelic green livery to the 917 L that finished second at Le Mans. Later, in the 6h of Watkins Glenn, the car had Martini stickers on. After the summer, the car was painted in Monza,Spa and the Nurburgringyellow & red psychedelic livery. Chassis 012’s final two outings in the 1000 km Paris and the 9 hours Kyalami were under Martini entries.
Interserie 1970 Hockenheim july and Hockenheim october.
In April 1971, chassis 012 was sent back to the Porsche factory where it was stripped of its mechanical parts. These were then used to assemble AAW’s original chassis, 021, which had been revamped to Spyder trim and renumbered 01-021.
The bare chassis and bodywork from 012 remained at the factory until 1972 when they were acquired by Manfred Freisinger of Karlsruhe.
In 1976, Freisinger sold 012’s chassis and body to restaurateur, Joachim Grossman, who owned a Porsche 930. Grossman initially had the chassis inspected by Porsche’s Jurgen Barth. He rebuilt the 917 for road use from his garage. A five-litre 600bhp engine was installed and, one year later, the car had been approved by the TuV. Now white with a white leather interior, Grossman had also installed a handbrake, modified exhaust and heated window.
Chassis 012 was registered CW K 917 and, in April 1977, the finished car was featured in Auto Motor Sport number 14. Grossman kept 012 until 1983 when it was sold to American, Don Marsh. Marsh subsequently converted the car to race trim and re-instated its purple and green Martini livery. He retained 012 until 2002 at which point it was sold to professional racing driver, Bobby Rahal. Last known owner Chris Cox-USA.
Sold at auction by RM Auctions @ Amerlia Island in 2007. Last seen in Europe.
Another works 908/02 Spyder, chassis 010 debuted in April 1969 in the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch in the hands of Vic Elford and Richard Attwood, who would go on to finish second. A month later Rudi Lins -Gérard Larrousse got to P21 at the Targa Florio. In the 1000 km Nürburgring, the car became third, driven by Elford and Kurt Ahrens.
In June 1969, replacing his 910 (#028) that he had raced earlier in the year, 010’ was then sold to the Lausanne, Switzerland, based Swedish private owner/ driver Richard Brostrom. Broström was well known as a formidable competitor who had been able to lure great drivers, such as Joakim Bonnier and Masten Gregory, to partner with him in endurance races. With a top-level 908/02 at his disposal, Broström won his first race in 010, a non-championship event at Anderstorp in Sweden. This was followed by 5th Place at Hockenheim and an unfortunate disqualification at Zeltweg for driver Masten Gregory.
The 908/02’s next race was one of the more interesting in its incredible career. Chassis 010 had been fitted with Porsche’s updated “Flunder” (flounder) bodywork, presumably by the Porsche factory. The car did not take part in the 1000 km Buenos Aires 1970 due to an accident in practice. Pedro Rodriguez was in between Grands Prix for BRM and was invited to drive the car in the Interserie race at the Norisring in June 1970. Rodriguez drove 010 to 3rd Overall and 1st in Class. Reine Wissell used the car in the Hockenheim race (P15).
By November 1971, the 908/02 was sold to another prominent Swiss privateer racer named André Wicky. Like Broström, Wicky acquired the 908 to replace another ex-works Porsche, a 907 (#031). A Porsche repair order on file from February 1971 indicates that Wicky shipped 010 to the factory for work to be completed, which included repairing a fuel tank and installing an FIA-mandated brace.
Wicky entered the 908/02 in many events over the course of the next four years, competing in some endurance races throughout Europe, including the 1000-km races at Dijon, Monza, and Nu?rburgring. Importantly, this 908 competed in four 24 Hours of Le Mans races, highlighted by a 21st Place finish in 1973, wearing a Camel Cigarette livery. Its final contemporary appearance came in at Le Mans in 1975. Wicky owned 010 until 1981, when it was purchased by enthusiast and racer Albert Eggs of Sierre, Switzerland.
According to invoices on file, Eggs took the 908/02 back to Porsche circa 1982 for extensive reconditioning, but its event record during his ownership is unknown. California-based collector and gentleman driver Said Marouf purchased the 908/02 in 1989, and raced it in vintage competition, supported by mechanic Rob Shanahan. In 2005 it was sold at auction to Miguel Amaral of Portugal, still fitted with the Flunder bodywork that was fitted for Richard Broström in 1969.
Mr. Amaral desired to race the 908/02 at high-level vintage racing events, and sent the car to the noted specialists at Lanzante Limited in the UK for a complete restoration to contemporary racing specifications. This work is documented by extensive photos and videos on file, and included the replacement of the Flunder bodywork with new panels of the same style. The 1969-era pieces were retained and continue to accompany the car. Mr. Amaral’s exploits in 010 include competing in the 2010 Le Mans Classic (see photo below right). The current owner bought the 908/02 in 2011 and brought it to the US.
Desiring a more exacting, period-correct restoration, as well as a return to the original “Coke bottle” style bodywork and period livery, the consignor compiled a team of noted professionals to return the car to 1969 Targa Florio specification. Louie Shefchik’s team at J & L Fabricating in Puyallup, Washington, handled disassembly, reassembly, and logistics, while the body and chassis were sent to 908 expert Kevin Jeanette at Gunnar Racing in Florida. The engine, which is stamped no. 90803009, was sent to the experts at Jerry Woods Enterprises (JWE Motorsports) for a full rebuild and cosmetic restoration.
Upon disassembly and review of the file, Gunnar Racing discovered that 010 was a very sound and original example, and its race record does not record a single accident in six years of professional competition. The transaxle fitted is no. 020, which corresponds to factory documents showing it to be the same unit installed by Porsche for its final race as a works competitor, the 1969 Nu?rburgring 1000 Km. Any correct components that had been replaced or lost throughout the car’s history were sourced by Gunnar Racing and installed. The restoration is a marvel, easily surpassing the standards of even the most ardent fan of prototype Porsches.
Determined to experience his 908/02 as Porsche intended, the owner has subsequently raced it selectively, participating in the Monterey Pre-Reunion and Rolex Motorsports Reunion in 2015, the Rennsport Reunions in 2015 and 2018, and Velocity Invitational in 2021. In 2022, it was consigned as the headliners of the Gooding Pebble Beach Auctions.
This particular works team Porsche 910 Coupe began life as a factory car fitted with the fabulous 2.2-liter 8-cylinder air-cooled flat engine, before the present 2-liter 6-cylinder unit was installed for customer sale. After its deployment as a team car in 1967 it was converted into open-cockpit Spyder configuration, in which form it survived in service for many years before being returned to present Coupe form at great expense in the 1980s.
The number one driver at that time was Gerhard Mitter. A Porsche company letter dated January 9, 1978, dictated by factory racing specialist Jurgen Barth, is included in the documentation file accompanying this Lot. It states: "...that the 910 026 was driven by Mitter/Lucien Bianchi on the 1,000Km-race of Nürburgring, 1967".
This Porsche 910 was in the lead until the very last lap at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.When an alternator failed, the battery got flat. They ended the race in P04. When this car was sold ex-works into private hands, the flat-8 engine was replaced by the 2-litre flat-6 engine '023', which the car retains to this day.
Umberto Francini owned the car from1968-1970
In 1970, the car came into the hands of privateer Kurt Hild, who took the car into the Hockenheim 2 race in October 1970. He used it in the Interersie Championship in 1972 and campaigned the world Endurance championship in 1972.
Franz Esserbought the car on March 16, 1973. The Wagenpass photographs show the car cut down into stark open-cockpit Spyder form, and significantly records its all-up weight as just 550 kilogrammes. By June 27, 1977, ownership had been transferred to Robert Gelber of New York, USA. The car was registered (with license plate!) in New York state by 1979 and from that year until 1986 its Massachusetts title resided with SSK Leasing, Sham L. Sahni (President). Mr Mike Amalfitano acquired '026' on April 23, 1986, paying $95,000. During its Amalfi Racing tenure, '026' has further benefited from additional chassis work performed by renowned specialists Kevin Jeannette/Gunnar Racing during 2006-2007.Nineteen race entries are recorded in the Wagenpass up to a mountain-climb outing by Franz Esser in 1974, while the final entry is dated October 10-12, 1986, and lists an appearance by the late owner Mike Amalfitano in the Targa Florio Storica event in Sicily.
In 2010, the car was for sale at Bonhamm’s.In 2019, the car drove in the Historic prix age d’Or. (Photo below)
