In 1969, the porsche 917 was a scary bit of racecar. Additional 917021 race history info can be seen in the 917 porsche book by reynald hezard, with forward by vic elford. It is our intent to make this chassis registry the most accurate reference anywhere in the world. Original 917k factory blueprint pelican parts forums. This book about the porsche 917, one of the most successful and iconic racing cars of all time, presents a detailed chassisbychassis and racebyrace history of the cars entered by the john wyergulf team. Words to that effect were surely muttered in porsches boardroom in 1968 when their cars, successful as they were in other types of motorsports, simply didnt have the legs to be competitive in longdistance endurance racing. Following a brief spell in switzerland during the early 2000s, it was then acquired by american carl thompson. Porsche, which until that moment had been competing with it. Theres a chapter regarding every chassis numbers history and i learnt so much about this car from reading this book. Porsche has led the way with a significant display at its museum. Ian wagstaff describes with an amazing detail the history of porsche 917023, this book belongs to the very few single chassis number books.
We know, however, that this registry will be a living work, not just an archive, that will evolve as the. Mar 06, 2007 incredible video of the greatest porsche of every time. Morgans book however takes you through the history of the 917, from the early beginnings of testing on up to the 917 30 version and its banning from canam racing. According to walter nahers authoritative book, 917 archive, there is no record of the exact date of completion, but it was. The former is now in a private collection in europe, and the latter belongs to porsche. The cars profiled in the book were instrumental in porsche s taking of the 1970 and 1971 world sportscar championship titles as the gulfporsche 917s won 11 of the 17 championship races entered. May 01, 2009 this remarkable new book brings to life the period of the porsche 917, the charismatic and allconquering sports racing car that became one of the most loved and, at the same time, most feared. The porsche 917 is a sports prototype race car developed by german manufacturer porsche. The porsche museum is honouring the 50th anniversary of the racing sport icon from 14 may to 15 september 2019 as part of a comprehensive special exhibition entitled 50 years of the porsche 917 colours of speed. Porsche 917 the autobiography of 917023 limited edition. In the 2000 edition of the le mans race, a jury, composed by specialized journalists, declared the porsche 917 as the car of the century at le mans data provided by francisco muniz. Chassis 002 went back to the factory race department to be rebuilt and adopted for the european. Gunnar racing restored 917 015 from 917 01021 in 19992000, but recreated 917 01021 using the original roll bar and rear section of the chassis.
Chassis 001 was part of a display of historic porsche racing cars at courtanvaux castle. Incredible video of the greatest porsche of every time. Nov 06, 2006 the following year, the 917 gave porsche its firstever win at le mans and repeated the result in 1971. This year possibly the most prominent racing car in porsche motor racing history is celebrating its 50th birthday. This magnificent book tells the story of the most important porsche 917 of all the one that gave porsche its first. I began with that car in july 2010 and got help from the book porsche 917. The photos are awesome and great source for reference for a model builder, such as myself. On march, 1969 at the geneva international motor show, dr.
Porsche 917 owners workshop manual by ian wagstaff. If youre into the 917, however, you surely cant do better. This magnificent book tells the story of the most important porsche 917 of all the one that gave porsche its first victory in the le mans 24 hours. Some of the lines in the blueprint are missing just behind the cockpit, tail. The 50 th anniversary of porsches 917 has triggered a wave of interest and appearances for the cars.
Porsche 917 the autobiography of 917023 home facebook. Sep 30, 2016 asa0857337653asa haynes publishing added a book to its owners workshop manual series that probably nobody would have thought about. Gulf 917 is a chassisbychassis, racebyrace history of the porsche 917s used by the jw automotive engineering team with gulf sponsorship in 1970 and 1971. Gillotti does list all known chassis numbers and provides a very brief history of each. Porsche 917 construction report part 1 tube frame paulsf1. Original 917k factory blueprint i am at rennselaer and it would be easy and cheap to produce one of these my roomate is an architect and is very familiar with these type of printers. This is an excellent book about the details and history of the porsche 917 up to. The first porsche 917 chassis 001 international motor racing. Forty years in the history of the porsche 917021 described by an enthralling investigation that includes a journey to the heart of deepest germany, trips to stuttgart and hamburg as well as the black forest, the moselle region and the rhine. The porsche 917 was acclaimed as the greatest racing car of all time in an expert poll conducted by motor sport magazine in 1997.
The full story of porsche 917023 has now been committed to print in a book by former silverstone press officer, ian wagstaff, which will be released on june 1st. This book was a laboroflove retirement project for him. The 917 took porsche to places theyd never been, and fast. The following year, the 917 gave porsche its firstever win at le mans and repeated the result in 1971. According to walter nahers authoritative book, 917 archive, there is no. The porsche 917 is a sports prototype race car developed by german manufacturer. It includes the history leading to the 917 and the partnership between porsche, gulf and jw automotive engineering. It raced in the 1971 interserie championship in shell colours of yellow and red and was entered by uschi heckersbruch for jurgen neuhaus to race. New special exhibition 50 years of the porsche 917. However, some things are too important not to have their story told. All of the original suspension, engine, gearbox and bodywork from the spyder have been used though. Turning the clock back to 1970, it was martini racings hansdieter dechent who offered his actually a factory car 917043 for porsches recently appointed designer, anatole lapine, to decorate. Nov 17, 2015 also included is an extensive appendix about each particular chassis, its history, and what happened to it. Was it steve mcqueen in the movie lemans that gave the 917 its iconic status.
Maybe the most famous and common sport car in motor racing history. The car was far afield of what most fans were used to seeing in the series and it would ultimately be the race car that broke the half decade long dominance of the mclaren team on the canam series. Aug 23, 2019 this is the best thing you will watch today. This book is a great written history of the 917 with lots of interesting photographs to help.
A porsche expert told me this is the book on the 917. The book itself is big and heavy, theres beautiful photos. Built from an austriangerman factory, the porsche ag, the type 917 was the epitome of the endurance championship in the early 1970s. With the english edition, i can instantly understand naher without resorting to a germanenglish dictionary. This magnificent book the second title in our great cars series tells the story of the most important porsche 917 of all the one that. Sure, two 917s that would definitely be more valuable than this one are chassis 917023, which brought porsche its firstever le mans victory in 1970, and 917053, which won le mans in 1971. Jay is the author of gulf 917, a comprehensive history of the porsche 917s. New special exhibition 50 years of the porsche 917 colours. Ian wagstaff tells the story of porsches first le mans winner, with a full history of the chassis, its drivers and its later life.
Gunnar racing restored 917015 from 91701021 in 19992000, but recreated 91701021 using the original roll bar and rear section of the chassis. Porsche museums own publishing company was given the international historic award in the publication of the year category. The porsche 917 is one of the most successful and iconic racing cars of all time, thanks in part to its starring role in the steve mcqueen film, le mans. Archives and works catalogue 1968 1975 by walter naher isbn. The format of the book takes each chassis in turn that ran in gulf colours. Continuous known history with only five owners from new.
These 5 books belong on every porsche enthusiasts shelf. Nov 26, 2018 gulf 917 table of contents c the book gulf 917 starts with the early history of porsche, a short chapter not telling anything unknown for most readers. In february 1971, porsche factory selects a spare longtail chassis 917044 from the 1970s batch and builds a complete new car and mechanics on it. Also included is an extensive appendix about each particular chassis, its history, and what happened to it. Both sportscar can be seen as the predecessors of the porsche 917. After almost 6 years i was finally able to see again the white and blue zitro racing porsche 917 chassis 917025 i recorded in monza during a historic racing weekend. Of all the recently published 917 books this one stands alone in offering porschephiles an allnew take on the cars and drivers. World sports racing prototypes porsche 917 chassis numbers. This remarkable new book brings to life the period of the porsche 917, the charismatic and allconquering sports racing car that became one of the most loved and, at. But then it continuous with the development and design of the porsche 906 and porsche 910. The book includes the history leading to the 917 and the partnership between porsche, gulf and jw automotive engineering. Well he sure contributed to that but the porsche 917 is by many seen as the best race car of its era. May 09, 2015 qualifying way down the field, a win should have been impossible for porsche 917023, but then the rain fell and history was made.
This is a very valuable piece of porsches great motor racing history. Smale tells a fully fleshed out story of the 917 development and racing history within the. In the 2000 edition of the le mans race, a jury, composed by specialized journalists, declared the porsche 917 as the car of the century at le mans data provided by francisco muniz the history section compiles the participation of the porsche 917. On page 177, 917021 was also known as the other psychedelic 917 having the green purple lemans hippy livery and similar livery in yellow and red. This volume presents a detailed chassisbychassis and racebyrace history of the porsche 917s raced by the john wyergulf team. Gulf 917 table of contents c the book gulf 917 starts with the early history of porsche, a short chapter not telling anything unknown for most readers. Gulf 917 librairie passion automobile paris, france. The iconic porsche 917 was an extremely important race car for the company as the one that enabled it to take its first overall win at the 24 hours of le mans in 1970. Forbes takes privacy seriously and is committed to. Qualifying way down the field, a win should have been impossible for porsche 917023, but then the rain fell and history was made. The photos are extraordinarily complete, showing details of the cars chassis.
In 1967 the commission sportive international, the independent competition arm of the fia, decided to ch. Jay gillotti has concentrated only on the chassis that were raced or handled by the gulf team in 1970 and 1971, after which the 3liter rules took effect. Documentary shows the debut of the porsche 917 in canam. Meanwhile, the factorybacked jw automotive 917s captured the world championship of hailed by many as the greatest racing car of all time, the 917s story is packed with superlatives. Porsche 917021, the subject of a new book by jacques breuer and raymond collignon, tells the story of the other hippie porsche 917k, its time racing in the 1970 world championship of makes and subsequent life as a road. This book is a great written history of the 917 with lots of interesting photographs to help tell the tale of the cars development and racing history, with the one critique that the writing style is more oriented to an experienced motorsport fan who knows something of the time period and the various racing series of the time. He is most likely the world record holder for the most miles driven in any porsche 917. Mar 16, 2019 after almost 6 years i was finally able to see again the white and blue zitro racing porsche 917 chassis 917 025 i recorded in monza during a historic racing weekend. The book is complete inasmuch as it omits nothing of importance and photographic in. The centerpiece of the colours of speed exhibit is the newlyrestored 917 chassis 001.
The first porsche 917 chassis 001 international motor. The 917 gave porsche its first overall wins at the 24 hours of le mans in 1970 and 1971. Nov 27, 2018 the 917 took porsche to places theyd never been, and fast. Thats merely a replica laser 917 on a vw beetle chassis. While the memory of many successful racing cars fades with time, that of the 917 has endured, passing not just into porsche history but motorsport folklore itself. Ferdinand piech reveals the 917 at the geneva salon. Even though the porsche 917 is an iconic car, driven by legendary racers like vic elford, gijs van lennep or hans herrmann, you dont expect to find a workshop manual for a racecar like this in a bookshop. The house of stuttgart would enter the 1969 season with it. For the 50th anniversary of the 917, the museum shop is also selling a special range of 917 products, including the anniversary book entitled colours of speed 50 jahre porsche 917 colours of speed 50 years of the porsche 917 published as part of the edition porsche museum, along with a barbecue apron designed as a tribute. This documentary shows the debut of the porsche 917 at mosport in 1972. More detailed chassis and engine drawings and details would have taken this. Retained by porsche, the frame was sold to baur in 1978.