Indholdsfortegnelse for Porsche Legends i Porsche Legends

How do you quantify a classic carʼs desirability? If the evolution of the sporting coupé could be reduced to a mathematical formula, where such intangibles as looks, charisma, usability and driving pleasure could be measured, multiplied and illustrated by means of a schematic, what we have here would surely represent the pinnacle of automotive achievement. Produced during a golden era at the tail end of the 1950s, these sublime fixed-heads from Alfa Romeo, Lotus, Porsche and MG represent a high-water mark. A cut above the average, these are vehicles for which no concessions need to be made. They have none of the rough edges of pre-war cars, yet unlike later models remain unsullied in their appeal. Free from the constraints of safety and smog controls, unencumbered by an excess of…

‘It starts with a wonderfully throaty bark and comes alive as you wind up the revs on a wave of top-end power’ It’s a crisp autumn day in Bedfordshire and a quiet calm has returned to a scene that moments before was frantic with the squeal of tyres and the howl of flat-six battling highly strung ‘four’. The leaves barely have time to settle before the silence is once again shattered by a sublime 1965 Porsche 911, swinging into frame behind it the squat streak of French Racing Blue worn by its great period rally foe, the Alpine-Renault A110. Astounding motorsport history is justification enough to pit these rear-engined masterpieces against one another, but their rivalry began long before the World Rally Championship, stretching back to the aftermath of the…

Way back in 1516, the Bavarians adopted a new statute – the Reinheitsgebot – that sought to control the ingredients of beer. Five centuries later the law might have evolved, but Germany still proudly regulates its brewing industry. Add anything unexpected and you canʼt call it bier. Much to the chagrin of 911 fans, such purity orders have never applied to Porsche. As a result, 41 years ago the marque released one of the most controversial models in its history: the 924. The car was totally at odds with the company ethos, yet it deserves to be honoured. A worthy enough design in isolation, it went on to spawn two of the most capable sports cars of the 1980s and 1990s – the 944 and 968. Unveiled in 1975, the…

The ʻPoor Manʼs Porscheʼ stigma has tarred the reputation of many an otherwise brilliant Weissach offering. Usually delivered by people who canʼt hope to own even the ʻpovertyʼ model they denigrate, it seems to suggest that, simply because the engine hasnʼt been mounted – er, a bit dangerously? – way out behind the rear axle line, it somehow doesnʼt deserve a place in the Porsche hall of fame. The other common theme among these besmirched sports cars is, of course, a heavy Volkswagen content. But not only is the Boxster free from the influence of the Wolfs burg parts bin, itʼs also almost 50% 911 (996). It is no coincidence that the two-seater looks similar to its exalted 2+2 sibling from the doors forward, because much of their front-end panelwork…

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No car manufacturer has been more successful at Le Mans than Porsche, with its record 19 wins, and in 2023 the famous German marque will return to the Circuit de la Sarthe in a bid to add to that tally under new LMDh rules. But trace the marqueʼs legacy back to its origins and you arrive at the 917, a fearsome racing car that made its debut in 1969 and went on to become the most iconic endurance racer of all time. Capable of a still-astonishing 246mph, at a time when aerodynamics was not yet fully understood, the 917 was a flat-12-powered brute that even the best struggled to tame. The 917 won Le Mans twice, taking back - to back victories in 1970 and 1971 before a rule change…

‘At low speeds it’s a car your grandmother could drive, but explore the envelope of performance and it’s clear the RSR is a very different animal’ It’s gone midday in late July and the sun is fierce. It’s quiet, bar the hum of tweeting birds and chirping grasshoppers; the sort of lazy calm that only comes on still summer days, the heat acting as a blanket that hangs heavy over the circuit and stifles the senses. Then the spell is broken: rising from the distant treetops the unmistakable report of a blipped throttle and an aggressive downshift, followed by the glorious howl of a pinned flat-six. In what seems like a split second the boxer scream is all around us, reverberating from the tunnel of trees through which the white,…

If youʼre of a certain age, the Porsche name will be synonymous with race circuits and road cars – be that prototypes howling into the night along the Mulsanne, or bankersʼ wheels clogging the streets of EC1. In both production and competition terms Stuttgartʼs activities are very focused, and mixing it with Subaru and Mitsubishi isnʼt the name of the game. Not even the Cayenne likes to get its wheels dirty. Yet leaf through the Sport pages of C&SC and, among the inevitable Escorts and Minis, youʼll find a mass of 911s tearing up the special stages, flicking their pert tails across the gravel with abandon. Zuffen hausen might be more LMP than WRC today, but it wasnʼt always so. The firm was once big on the rallying scene. Perhaps…

‘One potential purchaser would ensure the car’s iconic status and his own. In March ’55, James Dean walked into Competition Motors’ Todayʼs media is awash with celebrity endorsement. The 21st-century marketplace practically dictates that in order for a product to succeed and remain in the public eye, it must have an association (forced or otherwise) with someone of recognition. So when this support is suddenly volunteered instead of being on the payroll, imagine the impact and the delight of those pushing that product. In the post-war 1950s boom the automobile market was expanding, and feedback from dealers to manufacturers was crucial in allowing them to create and keep up with demand. As the sole importer of Porsches and other European marques to the US West Coast, Max Hoffman often made…

Less is more. Itʼs a simple premise, and one that over the years the car industry has increasingly ignored to sate our appetite for ever more convenience, luxury and safety. But in the early 1950s, one inspired individual truly embraced the principle and gave what was then the fledgling Porsche brand a lasting foothold in a major market, as well as influencing a series of now rare and collectible models. Max Hoffman was Americaʼs European-car import supremo, handling the likes of Jaguar, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz through his Park Avenue showroom in New York. In 1950, Hoffman met Ferdin and Porsche at the Paris motor show and agreed to sell Porscheʼs recently launched 356 model in the United States. Porsche said that heʼd be happy if five cars a year found…

The Porsche 911 was unveiled to the public in 1964 and made its competition debut just a year later on the Rallye Monte-Carlo with Herbert Linge and Peter Falk. The pair quickly demonstrated the Porscheʼs suitability for the special stages by taking a relatively standard car (warmed-over to 160bhp) to fifth overall, with Günter Klassʼ 1967 German National Rally Championship title underlining the 911ʼs untapped potential. Peculiarities of homologation rules allowed Porsche to make an all-out assault on international rallying in 1967, entering the 912 in Group 1, the 911L in Group 2, the 911T in Group 3 and the 911S in Group 4. Vic Elford, who was recruited from Ford, proved dazzling, winning the Deutschland Rally, Tulip Rally, Tour de Corse and Geneva Rally, and finishing third on the…

“It has been 36 years since I last drove one and after one lap Iʼm completely back in the swing of it,” enthuses Alain de Cadenet as he climbs out of the mint RS. “For me, they didnʼt get better than this and the hilly Millbrook course brought back great memories of racing one in Sicily. The balance is wonderful and the steering super-responsive. Even in the wet they are on your side. Thereʼs a slight wash-out as it understeers into turns, but that is easily countered with a little right foot. In no time I felt comfortable sliding it. The back stepped out in the hairpin, but it wasnʼt a problem. Even on the Targa I never spun. “I love that you can still feel the DNA of the…

‘These two could have shared showroom space back in the 1990s, although they look generations apart – because fundamentally they are’ Don’t sweat the small stuff, so the famous saying goes; it’s the bigger picture that matters. But sometimes you have to understand the detail so you can truly appreciate the bigger picture. Sometimes those details are the bigger picture. On the surface, the two cars we have here would seem to share little beyond the Porsche crests on their bonnets, teardrop ‘Cup’ mirrors, and the Guards Red warpaint they wear. One is the last gasp of Porsche’s failed front-engined GT experiment to replace the 911 and recently sold at The Hairpin Company for around £70,000. The other, the former property of four-time IndyCar champ Dario Franchitti, is a thinly…

The sensation is exquisitely, queasily uncomfortable. Your pupils have dilated like a crazed cartoon characterʼs and your chest is tightening more than is medically advisable. Try not to think about the 850bhp that is propelling you forward – hurling, more like – or the damp runway that clearly hasnʼt been swept since the last Cold War. Ignore the nutter on the superbike, pulling wheelies and trying to goad you into racing. He doesnʼt stand a chance: this is a Ruf Rt12R. No, just keep doing what youʼre doing and remember that at some point youʼll want to brake. But not yet. Okay, that sidewind came out of nowhere. How fast is fast enough? You donʼt want to look like a yellow-belly before handing over the reins to the hotshoes. Just…

Mid-engined, targa-topped, two-seater. This hyphenated lust list really should have resulted in an instant icon, but when the Porsche 914 was introduced to the motoring press and the general public, the initial reception was far from enthusiastic. That it received a shrug of the shoulders rather than a passionate embrace, however, was more down to the state of the market at the time and the carʼs positioning, rather than the 914ʼs engineering credentials. The relationship between Volkswagen and Porsche was coming to a climax: the formerʼs developmental work had for some time been outsourced to the latter, but this arrangement had just one project left under the original terms. Volkswagen decided that the 914 would be the catalyst for an amicable split and so handed over this final contract –…

Even on a chilly Monday morning, Southend-on-Seaʼs two-mile-long promenade is a place where attentions are snap-quick and show-offs wildly competitive. Palm trees meet chippies and quaint, multi-coloured beach huts sit next to the Modernist water features that represent the latest of this Essex seaside townʼs amusements. Vying for the attention of Southenders and off-season tourists, our two brightly-coloured convertibles join a surprising number of classics cruising down the strip. A Guards Red Porsche cabriolet still might not yet be the sort of image a coin-pushing slot gamer would appreciate. Its £39,000 list price back in 1989, some £5000 more than an already pricey 944 S2, has stubborn connotations of flashy wealth that, even with a decade behind it in the budget section of the classified ads, it hasnʼt shaken off…

The 1964 Paris 1000km at Montlhéry, the legendary banked circuit south of Paris, has a special significance in Porsche history. Late in the season for the international endurance race, a flat-six powered Porsche lined up on a windy, wet October weekend with Herbert Linge and Gerhard Mitter as co-drivers. To many, the car was just another 904, but under that distinctive sugar-scoop-style tail was a new Type 901 engine originally planned a year earlier for this sleek, glassfibre sensation. In the marqueʼs typically understated style, the motor sport lineage of six-cylinder Porsches began, a legacy that would stretch on through the 906, 910 and 907, not to mention the famous engineʼs dominance in powering 911s. Yet the debut of that first 904/6 was disappointing. Although Linge turned in rapid laps,…

Gijs van Lennep took the second and final win for the Porsche 917 at Le Mans in 1971, driving a 4.9-litre Short-tail in Martini colours with teammate Helmut Marko. “I did 22 races in the 917, more than anyone – Le Mans, Interserie, two Can-Am races – and it was one of my favourite cars,” enthuses Gijs. “I was never afraid of any understeer or oversteer because it was so nicely balanced, and you could drive it on the throttle fantastically because it had a 100% locking limited-slip differential. But I was lucky not to drive it in 1969, when they hadn’t sorted the aerodynamics! It felt very good already in 1970, and then in 1971 it improved again with the 5-litre flat-12 instead of the 4.5.” Gijs’ Le Mans…

Few cars had the staying power for such a lengthy campaign as Porscheʼs 956 and, by proxy, its 962 descendant. Seven victories at Le Mans represent just the tip of a particularly large iceberg; the last win came a full 12 years after the first, letʼs not forget. The fact that variations on the theme outlived the formula for which the model was conceived says it all. To a generation of racing fans whose formative years were the 1980s, Porsche was Group C. Those who witnessed the category in its pomp still recall it with awed reverence. Introduced in 1982, it breathed new life into an arena of motorsport that had been flogged once too often over the previous five years. Grids during the Group 6 era ebbed as manufacturers…

The way Porsche Museum boss Alexander Klein frames it, Peugeot didnʼt so much file a lawsuit against Porsche in 1964 as politely ask that the Stuttgart firmʼs new 2+2 rear-engined sports car be called something other than ʻ901ʼ. The model had been displayed on Peugeotʼs home turf at the Paris Salon in October that year, and the French could quite reasonably point to a tradition of naming cars by inserting a zero between two digits that stretched back to the 201 of 1929 – and indeed it owned the rights in key markets. “It wasnʼt concerned about race cars – weʼd produced the 904 and 906 previously – but Peugeot wanted to keep that system exclusive for road cars,” explains Alexander. The diplomatic German doesnʼt mention that it would have…

Could there be a more natural subject for a back-to-back test? Two cars born in the same era, from the worldʼs most revered sports car makers, originally priced to compete with each other, close in size and with the same number of cylinders, similar capacities, power outputs and performance. Itʼs no wonder both have become motoring icons. The Dino, built by Ferrari but only badged as such for the UK market, was the companyʼs first mid-engined road car. A thing of great beauty, its profile defined a look for Ferrari that is still evident in recent mid-engined models. As with almost all ʻmodern-eraʼ Ferraris it was styled by Pininfarina, but this is the one that history records as Sergioʼs favourite Ferrari design. The 911ʼs status is so deep-rooted that you…

It’s all very well being a superhero. It must be pretty useful when a railway bridge collapses just as the evening express steams in, or if a stray nuke is four seconds away from Washington and about to cause of WW3. But the fame and notoriety – not to mention the constant battle with evil geniuses – must be a pain in the backside when you’re trying to buy bread, milk and a Sunday paper. No wonder they need an alter ego. It’s the same story with supercars: brilliant when the rev counter and speedometer needles are doing a synchronised swim towards the top of the dial, but in a stop-start cross-town commute, most of us would rather be in a Micra. In a Countach or Testarossa, the constant need…

Today, the turbo is all grown up. It has now been rehabilitated and domesticated, exorcised of the wild ways of its youth. No longer is it just a crudely effective mechanical means with which to conjure mega-horsepower bragging rights. Swiss engineer Alfred Büchiʼs ʻspinning topʼ is now a mild-mannered device that assists in ticking all of the right eco-efficient boxes. Even in Formula One, the turbo assists the hybrid powerplant rather than offering seemingly unlimited power for a limited period before expiring in a cloud of smoke – as was the case with many of the 1980s incarnations. The European trio you see here, however, represents the pioneering generation of turbo-charging. Sired by motorsport, or at least conceived with it in mind, these now-classic roadgoing machines have a considerably different…

Back in 1996, when Lady Di was still alive and Tony Blair had yet to take office and promise us all that things would only get better – nice one, Tone, thanks for that sage prediction – Lotus was very much on a roll. The Elise had already been unveiled to deafening applause, and then came the Esprit V8, all 349bhp and 172mph of it. This was the Esprit that every Lotus fan had patiently and quietly been waiting for, ever since Julian Thomson had subtly redesigned Peter Stevensʼ 1987 facelift and ʻThe Beckersʼ (Roger and son Matt) had worked their magic on its chassis. Anyone whoʼd previously driven a four-cylinder Esprit Turbo knew full well that the car was crying out for a touch more energy. And when it…

Set aside your preconceptions and there is a certain foresight to the Porsche 912. Consider that today Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin and soon Ferrari are all making vast, money-spinning executive SUVs for the masses with the sole aim to bolster the bottom line, and indeed Stuttgart has once again introduced a four-pot baby Porsche, and the original ʻentry-level 911ʼ is a car that shouldnʼt be sniffed at. That theme of broadening the customer base threads throughout the often-maligned four-cylinder Porsches gathered together on, as chance would have it, the best and brightest day between two name-worthy storms. Each one of the 912, 914 and 912E has its detractors because of an almost universal snobbery that declares these not to be ʻproperʼ Porsches. But all are true enthusiastsʼ…

Some cars will always defy their designersʼ intentions, no matter how well they perform or how brilliantly they were engineered. Take Porscheʼs 928. With a state of-the-art all-alloy, 240bhp V8 engine, a clever rear-mounted transaxle and captivating styling, this late-ʼ70s GT had all of the key attributes to be a truly great car. And plenty of people thought so at the time. It was even voted Car of the Year in 1978, the first time a ʻsports carʼ had clinched the coveted award. But the 928 seemed jinxed from day one – by nothing more than human irrationality. That lack of logic stemmed from three digits: 911. Serious Porsche fans never got over Stuttgartʼs decision to switch to front-engined power. Both the companyʼs bacon-saving 924 and the avant garde 928 might…

Out of a line-up of seminal supercars, itʼs the Bugatti Veyron that the wider public would recognise as the one that elevated engineering ideals above the concepts of profit and beauty to create a car that blew away the competition. And yet Porsche got there first, more than 20 years earlier. In a decade when the supercar was king and the majority of manufacturers were focusing on horsepower, top speed and little else, the 959 bucked the trend by being a technological tour de force, an engineering marvel that instantly rendered the competition obsolete. The 959ʼs story begins in 1982, when the FIA introduced Group B – a no-holds-barred race and rally formula to replace Groups 4 and 5. There were no weight constraints, while the free use of special…

Do we all agree that at 200bhp cars by and large become interesting, that by 300bhp things are beginning to concentrate the mind, and that once you have around 400bhp propelling a long ton then everything starts to feel really quite rapid? Good. Now weʼre sitting comfortably. Well, two of the cars you see here – Mercedes SLK55 and BMW Z4M – are slap in the middle of that 300-400bhp range, and the Porsche Cayman S isnʼt far behind, with a similar power to-weight ratio. All three can currently be had for sensible money (less than half their price new), which, considering the performance on offer, looks like a bargain. Add rock-solid build quality, plus practicality sufficient to mean that they can be used as daily drivers, and weʼre on…

• The last six-cylinder 904 made was regularly driven between Florida and Los Angeles in the late ’60s by Captain Vern Covert, a Californian Porsche specialist. Covert bought the ex-works car, chassis 906-12, from Brumos Porsche and immediately converted it for road use. Modifications included a sunroof, Volkswagen heater, homemade padded seats, a new mahogany dashboard, a radio and a luggage rack. Covert also reduced the fuel tank size from 30 to 17 gallons to allow for some luggage space. He and his wife entered ‘slalom’ driving tests, and they regularly took the red-painted GTS on long road trips with their Doberman Pinscher snug in the passenger footwell. • The shortest life of a 904/6 was chassis 005, which was dramatically tested by the factory to determine the body’s strength…