Category: Porsche

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Historic Racing Photos Porsche

Film Noir in the ’67 Sebring Porsche Pits

There’s an atmosphere captured in these shots of the Porsche pit crew servicing Siffert and Herrmann’s Porsche 910 at the 1967 Sebring that is hard to put into words. I don’t know if it’s something to do with the film grain or the sun setting behind the car, or something less discernable. But there’s just something about the shots that make the event seem important: an importance that transcends the perceived importance of a motor race. There’s something in these photos that gives them historic weight. Just amazing.

More at Gearheads and Monkeywrenches.

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Historic Racing Photos Porsche

Wading Through the 1965 Sebring

Daytona Cobra in the pits at the 1965 Sebring

In the hours leading up to the start of the 1965 running of the Sebring 12 hours race, it seemed like a perfect day for racing. A bit hot maybe at 94° but that wasn’t unusual for a Florida afternoon—even in March. There were rumors of hard weather on the way, but radio jamming between the US and Cuba meant that there was no solid local weather report available trackside.

Cobra and 904 throwing rooster tails at the 1965 Sebring

After 6 hours of racing the sky began to threaten rain. An hour later, at 5:25 pm the sky opened up. By the time the race was over, prototype drivers were saying that their cars were filling up to their elbows with rainwater. It sounds like hyperbole until you see the photos. Rain delay? What’s a rain delay?

MGB throws a bow wake at the 1965 Sebring

There’s endurance racing, and then there’s endurance racing.

More on the race and the spectacular conditions it was run in at Sportscars.tv. Some photos from BARC Boys, Via Retro and The Inside Line.

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Porsche Vintage Racing Advertising

The Proving and Improving Grounds

In a race there are two things you can count on. The unexpected and the unpredictable. So the car must respond with an almost animal quickness and sureness.

Speed alone is not enough. Every part of the car must possess the utmost in reliability. For Porsche, racing is the ultimate test of that.

We use the classic courses and tracks of the world as our research laboratories. They are the proving and improving grounds for established ideas. And the headwaters of inspiration for new ones.

It is not incidental that we have been the world’s champions for the last 3 years in a row.

The more we race, the more features we prove. And only when something has passed the test of the track does it ever show up on a car for the street.
Everything we’ve learned goes into the mid-Engined Porsche 914 and the Porsche 911.

At Porsche we do not race to make a name; we race to build a car.
For dealer information call (free) 800-553-9550. In Iowa (collect) 319-242-1867.
“Racing is the ultimate test.” Dr. Ferry Porsche

I love that they included the Cisitalia-Porsche in this ad.

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Ferrari Historic Racing Photos Porsche

ZANTAFIO56’s 1970 LeMans

Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood’s Winning Porsche 917

I don’t know that the 1970 running of the LeMans 24 Hours race is particularly pivotal for the public at large, but that particular running is just so cemented in my mind. I’m sure the documentation of it in the form of McQueen’s LeMans is the key reason. Also significant for Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood’s victory that gave Porsche their first outright win at the race: A feat they’d repeat 15 more times and started Porsche down their road to winningest team in the event’s history.

The Solar Productions 908 with Jonathan Williams and Herbert Linge at the wheels

These images from Flickr user ZANTAFIO56 only serve to further add to the importance and beauty of the race in my mind. He seems to have been all over the track, with some marvelous shots from several corners of La Sarthe and the pits as well. More of Zantafio56’s shots at his flickr set. Fantastic!

The winning drivers’ celebratory lap
Note the crashed ‘LeMans’ cars behind the Chevron

I just realized that this is my third 917-centric post in a week. I’ll take a break from her now. I promise.


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Historic Racing Photos Porsche Racing Ephemera

Top ‘er Off

Looking sharp in the pits

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never have a 917. But man, I’d sure like one of these Shell Super oil cans—particularly in the condition seen in this marvelous shot in the pits at Spa by Rainer Schlegelmilch.

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Porsche

Porsche 917 Booth Babe

Porsche 917 booth babe

I’m in the market for a new car so I made my way through the Auto Show this winter. It didn’t have anything on this.

I’m trying to imagine a similar scenario with a contemporary racing car being given the full rotating platform treatment at an auto show.
Wireless microphone… Bad jokes… Inane listing of specs… “The only car in it’s class with [insert proprietary technology name here]”…

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Automotive Art Porsche

Cleaning Up Around the 917

Porsche 917 by Bob Tilton
It’s always a treat to scroll through Bob Tilton’s posts on Werk Crew. He has a wonderful eye for design and photography and he uses his blog to showcase some of his process both as an artist and as a glimpse behind the scenes of his Porschephile nirvana books and calendars. This post on his photographic retouching process was particularly insightful recently.
Porsche 917 by Bob Tilton (Unretouched)I know that there are some that decry the use of any retouching; that the photograph should only exist as it was when it left the camera. If you’ve ever shot at a race weekend though, you know that the environment doesn’t always play nicely with your composition. This isn’t a magazine shoot we’re preparing for here, it’s messy. There are parts and tools and trash in the way. There are other racefans and onlookers and gawkers cluttering up the background. Bob’s relatively light touch on the post-processing here is a good example of doing retouching in a tasteful way.
On top of that, the craft of his retouching effort is on full display here. He’s pulling people out of the background and filling in the scene behind, including the proper reflections in the paintwork. He’s cleaning up the garage floor without obvious clone stamping from other sections of the concrete. There is absolute artistry in doing this properly. I’ve seen some bad shops in my day but when done properly this is very arduous, meticulous work and this is an excellent example.
Click on through to the Werk Crew post for the details on the retouching work. Keep at it, Bob. Love your stuff.

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Porsche Video

Motorhead’s Porsche Museum

Japan’s Motorhead Magazine visited the Porsche museum and they’ve let us tag along.
Now I know you’re going to be tempted to read these subtitles. I understand how difficult it is to try overcome the urge. It just compels the viewer to glance down at that text; wrestling with your brain and your eyes.

It’s ok. Don’t fight it. Go ahead and read along. Then start the video over and lose yourself in those slow, luxurious pans over these breathtaking machines.

Categories
Porsche Racing Ephemera

More Examples of This Not Working

’60s and ’10s Porsche 911

Advertisers! Abandon this concept. It makes exactly zero people want the new one.

1970 and 2008 Dodge Challengers
’50s and ’80s Mercedes
Categories
Automotive Art Porsche

906 Illustration Brings the Blur

Porsche 906 sketch by Mike Kim

I adore this “sketch” by automotive designer Mike Kim. Bringing the movement and shake and blur that has always been a favorite element of great racing photography to illustration… Now that’s something. Shows you how great it can be when automotive designers take a break from sketching cars of the future and take up their Prismacolors to doodle the machines of the past.