Porsche Museum Marks Fifty Years of the 917
Marking fifty years of the famous Porsche 917 sportswcar that dominated very category it competed in, the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, will feature ten of the cars this summer, including a freshly restored chassis 001, in a new exhibit.
The 917 was first seen when 001 was displayed at the 1969 at the Geneva Motor Show, and a year later a 917K in the hands of Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann took the first of Porsche’s 19 Le Mans wins. The 1970 season was great one for the 917, cars winning the season opening Daytona 24-Hours and then taking all bar three rounds (and in two of those Porsche elected to run the more nimble 908/3), giving the German manufacturer a dominant International Championship for Makes win.
1971 saw wins at all the classic enduros, Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans, as Porsche took a second consecutive title. The car was then developed for use in Can-Am racing in turbocharged form, and was equally dominant with the Penske team.
Porsche’s ‘Colours of Speed – 50 Years of the 917’ exhibition runs from the 14 May to 15 September.
