It just looks wrong, doesn’t it?
Porsche means curves, and while the wedge design element became such a defining shape of the 70s, it just doesn’t work for me on the Giorgetto Giugiaro designed Porsche Topiro concept. Maybe that’s why they had to pair it with curves on the stage.
Throwing a 993 engine in a longhood 911 chassis sounds like a very, very good idea. The 1993—1998 version of the 911 represented the swan song of the air-cooled flat-6; and what a marvelous song it is. Many Porsche purists consider it the last real 911 before Porsche abandoned the air-cooled platform for the liquid cooled engine that has powered subsequent 911s. It’s a remarkable engine, and a remarkable car—one Porsche reseller told me that he could make a business of just brokering 993s and that their demand hasn’t diminished in the 12 years since the last one was built.
Even though Porsche was at the peak of the air-cooled 911 engineering curve, the 911 had been hamstrung by a design compromise made three decades earlier. When the 1974 911 was released, the newly required impact bumpers created an odd rubbery front end. The flexible bits necessitated shortening the hood by a few inches, forever dubbing pre-’74 cars “longhoods”. Ever since, there has been a cottage industry of backdating cars: taking a later model 911 and modifying the body panels and trim to make it look like a pre ’74 car—usually an RS or RSR.
Enter Singer Vehicle Design. Rather than taking a salvaged pre-’74 chassis and dropping in a 993 engine, they’ve started with the much less desirable ’87-’89 3.2 liter chassis. This is an example of the versatility of the 911’s lineage. That a 1987 chassis with a 1998 engine can look like a 1972 car. The consistency of construction and timelessness of the 911 makes it virtually the only car that can undergo such apparent time-shifting.
The Singer Design build is compelling for a number of reasons, and seems to combine the best of both worlds of classic design and modern(ish) power. I think it does so fairly successfully. There’s a lot I like about it, the lifting duck-tail is a great compromise between the classic ducktail and the later-model fin. The Raydot style mirror is a lovely race-y touch that evokes the competitive spirit of the marque, as does the center-hood fuel filler cap. The side mounted oil filler is a great throwback to the ’72-only location.
The vintage style interior is fantastic, from the grommeted seats to the Momo Monza wheel. Why they chose that odd silhouetted screaming face as a ghosted background for the tachometer in an otherwise perfectly executed gauge cluster remains a mystery.
I don’t know pricing, but it’s certainly a remarkable looking machine, and a great way to have the best of Porsche’s various 911 models. More information on Singer’s site.
Update:
Hank hipped us to this video of the Singer team walking Adam Carolla through an example. Thanks Hank!
Shane Balkwitsch wrote in with this outstanding project that he’s undertaken, and looks nearly complete. Hamilton Classics is assembling this very promising 356 outlaw, with some interesting specifications. As you can see in the ‘before’ shot above, this was no small matter of a paint refresh and some tweaks to the motor. When the car was found she hadn’t been on the road in more than 25 years. As is so often the case with these types of long dormant cars, the disassembly happened and then…. 20 years in a garage.
Shane has documented the progress very well as he keeps tabs on the project remotely. The Internet and digital photography must make these sorts of projects so much easier to keep up with. I’d imagine that in the past, you had to send your car to the specialist that would restore the body, then you’d see it again months later; with nothing but phone calls and an occasional mailed photo along the way. Today owners can receive frequent updates on the status of their projects—perhaps to the dismay of restorers, who must feel they are spending as much time photographing and emailing as beating panels.
The new paint looks marvelous and has a bit of a story of its own. Shane wanted to imbue the car with some Porsche history, despite the updates and mods. What better choice for a color then, than the original shade of silver grey that bedecked Porsche No. 1—the first example Porsche produced in 1948. A phone call to the Porsche Museum later, the paint code was in hand (K45-286). It’s a lovely shade, even if you don’t know the story as it passes you by on the freeway.
Still to come on the project, engine upgrades to boost the factory 95hp motor upwards of 150hp. That, coupled with the modifications that have already been completed to strip weight from the car, are sure to provide no shortage of smiles when Shane travels to Texas to drive her for the first time. Have a blast, Shane! And we wouldn’t mind seeing some photos of her maiden voyage.
More information on Shane’s project site.
One of the best Alfa v. Porsche contests this side of the Targa. Bianchi and Vaccarela in Tipo 33/2 or Siffert and Steinemann in 910: who will it be?
“No proving ground can duplicate the elements which make competition the final test of a car’s performance. The rivalry of premier drivers, the unexpected moments, the constant stress on the entire machine, and the incentive to win are present only in racing.
Research, not publicity, has been the prime objective of Porsche’s competition program since the firm’s founding. Win or lose, Porsche races to prove our engineering and design concepts under the toughest of all possible conditions.
Take one example. The Sportomatic semi-automatic transmission was installed in a Porsche 911 and raced in the Marathon de la Route, 84 hours over the demanding Nürburgring course. It met the test. The car won.Porsche prototype racers, last year, won the Daytona 24-hour, Sebring 12-hour, Targa Florio, Nürburgring 1000 kilometer and other major races. The earlier developments perfected in these unique cars brought victory to virtually stock Porsche sedans in the Trans-American championship and to hundreds of amateur owner-drivers who race their own Porsches.
Not all Porsches are raced, of course. But the Porsche you drive is raceworthy; able to take the punishment of high speed racing. Engine, brakes, suspension, electrical systems—the total design—are based on race-bred research and built to racing standards.
Can a car be built too good for everyday use? Porsche doesn’t think so.
If you’re serious about your driving, you can have a lot of fun driving a Porsche, the car that’s good enough to race.Prices start at about $5,100, East Coast P.O.E. See your Porsche dealer or write to the Porche of America Corportation, 100 Galway Place, Teaneck, NJ 07666″
Was there ever a better marriage than the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS and the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie?
Oh No! Sir Stirling is ok, but in reasonably poor spirits after his car was involved in a crash during this year’s Monterey races. StirlingMoss.com reports that “On Stirling’s out lap the car stepped out a wheel onto the grass putting it off the circuit, albeit without coming into contact with the barriers. A second car, also on its warm-up lap, left the circuit and hit the RS 61. Happily Stirling was unhurt, the car however suffered considerable damage, rendering it undriveable for the rest of the Monterey weekend.”
What a shame that this debut outing for Moss in the RS61 he purchased earlier in the year will also be the season’s last. Indications are that the car is repairable.
Update: From other reports on the incident, it appears that the other car mentioned was John Morton’s ’58 Scarab. Morton was taken to hospital, but climbed from the car on his own and waved to the crowd before climbing into the ambulance. From the looks of this photo, it doesn’t look too good for the Scarab itself. Hopefully it too will be repairable.
As Sean points out in the comments, the Moss and Morton crashes were entirely separate incidents. It seems obvious now that the Scarab and Porsche would be in different races but I guess this is what I get for trying to follow along on the weekend’s events from 2 time zones away. I’m sorry for mixing that up.
More updates on the incident as I hear more.
What you see above is an excerpt from the January, 1964 issue of Road & Track’s road test of the then brand new Porsche 904. I’m a huge fan of the 904. So was Road & Track. They give the car’s brakes and handling high marks. But mostly they praise the affordability of the car for the amateur racer.
Wait. What?
Which is why I’ve highlighted the pricing information above. $7425 sounds like a very small number indeed. Of course you’re thinking, “but that’s 1964 dollars. Factor in the inflation and you’ll see that it’s the princely sum we’ve come to expect for a world-class competition car”. Thanks to our friends at The Inflation Calculator, I can tell you that $7425 in 1964 is the equivalent of $50,810.87 today.
Now $50 Grand is no small amount of money, but where can I buy a current racing car that can compete at the international level for $50 Grand? Or $100 Grand? Or $200 Grand—What does a Porsche Cup Car cost these days? The 904 wasn’t just a competitive car, either—It was dominant; taking the World Sportcar Championship in the 2-liter class. Where can I buy a class winning contemporary racing car for $50 Grand? I’m struggling to think of a contemporary club racing car that can be bought for $50,000 – spec Miata not withstanding.
Road & Track had this to say about the 904’s costs. “The price is certainly right, $7245 at the factory, as this means the private owner in the U.S. can obtain a first class racing car and basic spares for something under $9000, dirt cheap for a first-class competition car.” I agree, dirt cheap indeed.
Doug Nye says it best: “As 550 chassis 01 it can be described as being the first purpose built competition Porsche”.
Bonhams upcoming Monterey spectacular, Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia auction at the Quail Lodge is selling off the Michael L. Amalfitano Collection of Porsches. There’s such a stunning array Porsches that I couldn’t decide between the two star attractions.
The 910 is a highly desirable ex-factory car that, despite lacking any serious World Sportscar Manufacturers Championship wins, led the 1967 Nürburgring 1000 Kilometers race with Gerhard Mitter and Lucien Bianchi. They led the race right up until the last lap when an alternator failure kept the 910s to only a 1-2-3-4 finish.
Originally raced with an air-cooled 2.2 liter flat 8, the car is currently fitted with a 2 liter 6 cylinder from when Porsche sold the car to be raced by a customer. I adore the factory Porsche team liveries of this era. The Grand Prix White bodies with bold blocks of color on the bonnets is pure utilitarian delight. Complete details on Bonhams lot detail page.
The 917 is every bit as magnificent. Campaigned by David Hobbs and Motorcycle champion Mike Hailwood, this example debuted for the Gulf Wyer team in the 1970 LeMans. The car performed exceptionally well lapping with Hobbs at the wheel at an average lap time of 3 minutes 35 seconds. Hailwood proved he was as able on 4 wheels as 2 by keeping within 15 seconds of that time. Sadly, as the rain persisted Hailwood overran the pit entry, missing the opportunity to switch to rain tires. A hundred yards later, he slid off the Dunlop Curve and into a parked car. Complete history in the lot details.
What do you think? Which would you choose?
The 910 Sold for $799,000 inclusive of Buyer’s Premium.
The 917 Sold for $3,967,000 inclusive of Buyer’s Premium. Yowza!