Porsche Builds 1965 911 to Celebrate 70 Years of Racing Excitement
Daily Slideshow: This past race season, Porsche brought a rebuilt 1965 911 to a series of race tracks, including, Nürburgring, Le Mans, and more, to celebrate its 70-year anniversary. And it was driven by two famous celebrities in the race circuit – click thru to learn more.
What raceways did the 911 travel to?
On April 7, this classic 911 ran an extended test at an HSCC race at Donington Park. It performed very well with former British Touring Car Championship ace Anthony Reid and 1970 Le Mans winner Richard Attwood sharing the drives. Thereafter the car was taken to the following tracks:
18-20 May Peter Auto Spa Classic, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
17 June HSCC Guards Trophy, Silverstone, GB
6-8 July Le Mans Classic, Le Mans, France
20-22 July Silverstone Classic, Silverstone, GB
10-12 August OldTimer Grand Prix, Nurburgring, Germany
25-26 August HSCC Guards Trophy, Oulton Park, GB
2 September Porsche Classic Trophy, Brands Hatch GP, GB
Its final race will be on October 21, for the HSCC Guards Trophy, in Silverstone, GB.
What’s the point of the race program?
The race program is managed by Porsche Cars GB. One of its goals is to show the car maker’s commitment to the continued enjoyment of the more than 70% of Porsches that are still on the road today. It’s also meant to remind enthusiasts of the 52,000-plus Classic Genuine parts from over 1000 Classic suppliers.
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This is not the first time Porsche has done this
'Following the success of our similar 928 race car project in 2017, we were keen to find another initiative to tie into the upcoming celebrations of 70 years of Porsche sports cars,' said Jonathan Mannell, manager, Owner Services, Porsche Cars GB. 'We are privileged to own a 1965 short wheelbase 911, which was last used for racing in 2013 as part of the 50th anniversary of the 911. Working with Porsche Recommended Repairer, Road & Race Restorations, a hand-picked team from the Classic Partner Centres will prepare and run the car in a series of races over the course of 2018 as a roving ambassador for the Porsche Classic business.
Mannell added:
'Bringing our history and tradition alive in this manner is also a great way to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first Porsche sports car and to highlight the passion for Porsche Classic at both Porsche Cars GB and our Classic Partner Centres.'
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This is also not the first time Porsche has so heavily promoted its 911 car
Back in 2013, the company celebrated the 911’s 50-year anniversary by racing a restored version of the vehicle in historic motorsport. The 1965 short-wheelbase 911 raced under the ‘Project 50’ banner in selected events alongside appearances at larger festivals such as Silverstone Classic.
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Care to learn more about Project 70?
The ‘Project 70’ 911 is a vehicle built to celebrate long-famed racing pedigree of the Stuttgart sports car. With its elegant accents, the early 911 had a very distinct design purity - a lasting legacy from Ferdinand Porsche. This not only established the coupé as a style icon but set the template for future generations of the car.
Per the website’s description: “Built in September 1965, ‘Project 70’ is a short-wheelbase Porsche 911 powered by a rear-mounted, 1,991 cc flat-six boxer engine. In these early days of 911 production, a right-hand drive was available as a special order factory option and the ‘Project 70’ car features this configuration. Once built, the car was sold to an Italian buyer and after spending some time in America the car was then imported to the UK in the late 1990s where it was subsequently fully restored and converted into an FIA approved race car.
In 2013 Porsche Cars Great Britain raced it as part of the 50th anniversary of 911 celebrations and now, once again, it is being prepared for the track.”
Follow the car's performance and travels on the 911 Project 70 website.
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