1971 Porsche 917 Spyder

Model History

Auction sales research

Specifications

Body styles and Chassis Data

Exterior Photos Interior Photos Engine/Mechanical Component Photos

Spyder Chassis Num: 917.01.021   The Porsche 917 was unveiled in 1969 at the Geneva Auto Show. By May, twenty-five examples had been constructed and satisfied FIA homologation requirements for Group 4 Sport Car racing. On the racing circuit, success was not immediate. Its powerful 4.5-liter V12 engine made handling difficult. It was driven at LeMans in 1969 and nearly won the race. The first overall victory for the 917 would come in August of 1969. A short-tail coupe claimed victory at Zeltweg, Austria. At the close of the season, the 917 project was passed to John Wyer's JW racing team. The team changed the bodywork to mimic the Lola T70 coupe. This did much to rectify and eliminate the vehicles handling shortcomings. The 917 would go on to win the 1970 and 1971 World Championship. Rules changes for 1972 made the 917 obsolete. In its racing career, the 917s won 15 of the 24 World Championship races they entered, 11 of them were won by the Gulf-Wyer cars. This 1971 Porsche 917 Spyder was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida. The car was estimated to sell for $850,000 - $1,000,000. It is powered by a 5.4-liter flat 12-cylinder, air-cooled engine. It has a five-speed gearbox in unit with the transaxle and a multi-tubular space frame chassis. The body is constructed of fiberglass reinforced plastic. This racer was delivered in May of 1970 as a coupe to the AAW Racing Team. It was entered into 13 races which included the Watkins Glen 6 Hours, Nurburgring 1000 kms, Spa, and LeMans. Its principal driver was Gijs van Lennep with co-drivers being David Piper or Gerard Larrousse. At the close of the 1970 season, the car was returned to the factory. The factory supplied the AAW team with Spyder parts and mechanical upgrades such as the 5.4-liter engine. The car competed in all seven races of the 1971 European Interserie by Leo Kinnunen, winning the championship. It was raced on occasion during the 1972 and 1973 season. It was later restored and sold to the Harrah Automobile Collection. It was acquired in 1987 by Robert Hendrickson who kept it for several years. The next owner was Bob Rapp. Under Rapp's care, the car was treated to an extensive mechanical restoration which brought it back to near-original condition. The car left the auction unsold. By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2012

Auction Sales Information
Auction	Vintage Motor Cars at Amelia Island
Estimated Value:	$850,000-$1,000,000
Lot was not sold

Event	Group
Vintage Motor Cars at Amelia Island	1970-1995