Tag: Porsche

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Historic Racing Photos Porsche

Fiddling with the Porsche 547 4-Cam Engine

Can you imagine a contemporary engine rebuilder breaking down their much-coveted and high-dollar Porsche Type 547 Carrera 4-cam “Furhmann” engine with it sitting on her side on the ground in the pits? These guys even have grease stains on their coveralls!

Perhaps more than anything, this tight little engine package earned Porsche her “Giant Killer” nickname. The high-revving little perfection box was complicated and notoriously finicky to tune. But when it was just right, it was just right—and has the very long list of victories to prove it.

Despite the difficulties of maintaining it, the cammer engine was reliable enough for an entire season of street driving to the track, capturing a trophy, and making the trip back home.

Besides, don’t these mechanics just look happy to be working on it?

via Hayburner Magazine.

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Porsche

Spyder Garage


Even in an era before ubiquitous photography where everyone has a camera in their pocket (and no film processing!) there are thousands and thousands of moments captured on track. Perhaps that’s why I’m always so drawn in by these quieter, more banal moments.
This bustling workshop preparing for a race conjures so many stories in my mind: mechanics furiously scrambling to get the machines ready; visiting besuited executives quietly observing or barking encouragement; the professional-looking woman making a—for the time—rare entry to a male-dominated environ. I don’t even know what workshop this is (though it looks like some I’ve seen at LeMans) and as much as I want to know who these people are and what they were actually doing, I might prefer the imagined stories I’ve created for them in my head.
I am curious about the woman in the Dior-esque “new look” style skirt suit though—anyone recognize her?

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Historic Racing Photos Lost Track Porsche

Gary Mason's 1960 SCCA Nationals at Marlboro Raceway


Gary Mason sent us a whole pile of his photographs shot as a teenager during his travels through Europe hitting every motor race he could. His passion for racing, however, did not wane once he was back stateside. Here is a collection of his photos from the 1960 SCCA Nationals at Marlboro Motor Raceway in Maryland. Some great images here from the President’s Cup race which featured a wide variety of machines ranging from the heavy iron of Corvettes and big Ferraris down to Porsches and Lotus Elevens.
I love these mixed grids, especially when the finish order isn’t just a descending list of horsepower. Roger Penske took the day in his Porsche 718 after taking over the lead from fellow 718 driver Bob Holbert on the 3rd lap. If we were giving out trophies for aesthetics I’d be tempted to give a special prize to Bill Mitchell’s Corvette. That Stingray still looks exotic.
Gary Mason's 1960 SCCA Nationals - Bill Mitchell Stingray
There are some photos from additional races that weekend, but I’m not immediately finding documentation about this MGA heavy grid or the little blue Devin.

More of Gary Mason’s photos in the archives. Thanks Gary!

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Porsche Video

Ride Along for the Targa Florio's Last Hurrah

These onboards from the Targa Florio during the practice period are always harrowing. When you see the occasional shepherd and daily Sicilian traffic it’s not hard to see why this footage from 1973 was the last year of the event. Let’s ride shotgun with the Claude Haldi/Bernard Chenevière Porsche 908. Almost a shame we can’t see the lovely Toblerone livery of this unusually red P-car. The car didn’t make the main event due to blowing an engine in practice. Easy to believe from where I’m sitting.

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Porsche

This Tactic (Still) Doesn’t Work

The new Boxster is lovely. But sit one next to the old Porsche 718 and it looks like garbage. We’ve talked before about marketers doing this “let’s photograph the new one next to the old one and show our lineage and the power of our history” tactic before. It. Does. Not. Work.

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Event Porsche

Porsche SA buys Kyalami

Here’s a round of auctioneering you don’t often see. Watch the bidding floor as Porsche SA purchases Kyalami for R205Million.
Thanks, Porsche for keeping Kyalami out of our Lost Tracks series.

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Automotive Art Porsche

Malte Dorowski's Lego Martini Racing Porsches

Malte Dorowski's Lego Martini Porsche 911 Carrera RSR
I’m consistently amazed at what Lego builders can do with nothing more than their ingenuity and a handful of Lego bricks. Somehow those little blocky chunks of plastic can be massaged into the most beautiful contours. Malte Dorowski has put together a fairly complete Lego garage of Martini Racing Porsches (and transporter… and support vehicle), but it is probably no surprise that his take on the Carrera RSR is my favorite.


Malte Dorowski's Lego Martini Porsche 911 Carrera RSR EngineLook at those iconic bulbous arches around this thing. Coming up with this collection of bricks and assorted bits and bobs and deciding that they can come together to create that arch is mind boggling. Malte didn’t just get the general shape nailed down and call it a day though—the details are where this model really sings. The peek through the door at the gauge cluster; the way the windscreen wiper is perched; the steering wheel’s center button: They all come together and get that RSR just right. Absolutely beautiful work.
Malte Dorowski's Lego Martini Porsche team
More at Malte Dorowski’s Flickr gallery. Thanks for the heads up on this one, Ryan!

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Classic Sportscar Porsche

How Does This Happen?

I’m just going assume that this is fake and that photoshop, not neglect, is to blame for this Jaguar XK and Porsche 356 racer rusting away amongst the trees.
Update: Ugh. A few emails from readers and Frederik’s comment on Facebook have confirmed that these are indeed authentic. One of whom pointed me to this article about a German who purchases vintage cars and allows them to rust in his “garden” as a sort of art project. What an asshole.

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Historic Racing Photos Porsche

The Less Than Palatial LeMans Garages of 1972

1972 Porsche LeMans Garage
Porsche’s 1972 LeMans garages were a buzzing environment with cars being tuned and prepared, and busy 1970s technicians with 1970s hair. Porsche’s star was bright indeed coming off of two straight years of wins and the factory was shining.
Wait a second. This doesn’t look like the workshop of a winning endurance racing team. These are the garages of the rag-tag up-and-comers in over their heads playing on a stage too big for them. These are the facilities of underdogs. I have been in lone racers’ shops that were better equipped than this.
Just look at this. This could be your garage. There’s no precision instruments here; not even a flashy (albeit utilitarian) immense tool chest larger than a kitchen counter. Just shove that table out of the way, maybe stack the chairs on it to clear up some floor room. Pull that 55 gallon drum over here so I can pop the engine up on it. Let’s start turning some wrenches.
This. This right here is why I love vintage racing. Looking at these guys, you almost get the sense that anyone could do this. That you could hatch a scheme to race in next year’s LeMans and June would roll around and you’d be there. And this is Porsche we’re talking about. Repeat this for Cooper Garages (or Lotus.. or BRM…) heading into Formula 1 and you see that the pinnacle of the sport in every corner was more likely to be filled with dedicated hot-rodders than aerospace engineers.
via Le Container

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Porsche

A Porsche Log Ride

RSK with some spray

The log flume was always one of my favorite rides as a kid. I’m glad I can still enjoy it while piloting a Porsche RSK.