1970 Porsche 908/3

Spyder
Chassis number: 908/03/004

While the 917 would garner all of the praise and recognition, there would be one chassis built by Porsche that would have a nearly perfect record and would be every bit as dominant, but more often than not, undeservedly overlooked. The 917 had one very important weakness and it would take its understudy to carry the Porsche name to glory.

When Porsche finally earned overall victory in the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans its 917 would become the toast of sportscar racing, and the praise would be deserving. However, the car wasn't perfect. It had one major weakness, one major chink in its armor that threatened Porsche's hopes for retaining its title as Makes Champion. What's more Porsche knew it.

The 917 was being developed for one thing—Le Mans. Therefore, the car was powerful, but it was also heavy. The weight wouldn't be as much an issue at the ultra-fast Le Mans circuit, but, its size and lack of handling would certainly be exposed for all to see at other events in the championship, circuits like the Nurburgring and the Targa Florio.

Porsche knew the 917 just wouldn't be capable of competing at these races for they were filled with constant twists and turns—absolute death for a big, ill-handling, machine. Thankfully for Porsche, they had hope.

Porsche had won the championship in 1969 with its 908/2. It knew it had a very capable design concept. And, with the Targa Florio and the 1000km of Nurburgring presenting the deepest concern, Porsche would determine to build an updated version of the 908 that would be utilized in just those two races in an effort to keep Porsche's championship aspirations alive.

Though the 908/2 would win the championship in 1969, there would end up being very little that would translate over to the final example of the 908. Porsche would determine that the engine was certainly worth keeping. Therefore, the design team would begin by taking and designing a car around the 350 bhp, air-cooled 3.0-liter flat eight engine. Basing their design on their highly successful 909 hillclimbing car, the team would play around with driver positioning and would end up throwing out the use of metal body panels in favor of a polymer body that was both strong and very light. The end result would be a car that was extremely nimble on its wheels and that moved very little side-to-side during quick changes of direction. Porsche wouldn't merely make a suitable understudy to the 917. Instead, they would achieve in creating a car that was every bit as good, perhaps even better in some important categories, than its more famous brethren.

Though very much a new car, Porsche couldn't take any kind of teething issues. And, considering the pressure, the car would perform flawlessly. In the hands of Jo Siffert and Brian Redman, the car would achieve its purpose by taking 1st in the 1970 Targa Florio. Two other 908/3s would finish the race in 2nd and 5th. The car would continue to perform flawlessly as it would go on to the infamous Nurburgring and would come away with a dominative one-two finish. Immediately following its two races the 908/3 would be stored away. That is, until the following year, when, once again, they would be brought out for the same two events. Though the Targa Florio didn't go as they hoped, another one-two finish at the Nurburgring would certainly demonstrate the sheer brilliance of the 908/3.

While never considered a second thought, the 908/3 was certainly created as a stop-gap measure. However, the car would come at a time in Porsche's sportscar racing history when it was on the rise, and therefore, the car would easily exceed expectation. Because of its impressive power-to-weight ratio and nimble handling the 908/3 would go on racing for a number of years following the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

Despite the fact the 908/3 would go on to race even as late as the early 1980s there would be just 13 examples that would be produced. Obviously, 004 would be just one of those.

Even amongst the 908/3 chassis there would be some that would receive all of the glory while others would remain hidden in the shadows, but vitally important to the overall goal. Chassis 004 would be one of these that would be overshadowed, even within its own model. Originally designated as a spare chassis, 004 would never be fitted with a body, even after it would come to be purchased by Kremer Racing in 1976.

Even when it came to be owned by Kremer, the chassis would remain a backup to 006, the car they already had and were actively using. Kremer would never use 004 and would end up selling the car to Bill Bradley Racing.

Bill Bradley Racing would retain the car until the mid-1990s when Porsche historian Mr. Miller came calling. The owner of Miller Historic Motorcars and a respected trader of rare Porsche prototype race cars, the 908/3/004 seemed the perfect fit.

Even after being purchased by Mr. Miller chassis 004 was still not a proper, complete race car. Therefore, following purchase of the car in 1996, a complete restoration would be undertaken to make the car a proper 908/3. With the help of well-known Porsche expert Jerry Woods, work would begin. Once a chief mechanic with the Kremer team Woods would be quite competent in his own right. However, Woods would turn to Morspeed for help, especially with the chassis and bodywork.

The work would be second to none and every possible step for an authentic 908/3 would be taken. This would include getting fiberglass cloth directly from Germany along with authentic body molds. An actual 3.0-liter 908 engine would also be located and rebuilt to original specifications by Woods. Everything possible that needed to be addressed to make it a proper 908/3 would be, including the car's livery. Not surprisingly, the John Wyer/Gulf Racing livery would be the scheme chosen to finish the car. When it was all finished in 2005, approximately $300,000 would be invested in the venture that took two and a half years to complete.

Finally, 004 would take to the track. The current owner would end up racing the car about a dozen times. And, just as it did when it was first introduced back in 1970, the performance and handling would be impressive and hard to beat. In its first competitive outing, the 2005 Road Atlanta Vintage Event, the car would end up taking pole. In 2009, the car would finish in 9th place at the Monterey Historic Races. Interestingly, the field for that particular race would include a couple of Porsche drivers, Brian Redman and Derek Bell driving a couple of 917s.

It would seem as though this particular chassis, without an exhaustive racing history, would be less desirable. However, there are some particular issues that must be addressed when assessing the real value of this car. One of those issues is that of the bodywork not being original. However, it must be considered there is just one 908/3 with its original bodywork intact and currently mounted to its chassis. Therefore, since all of the others in existence are also wearing some refurbished body certainly gives 004 some room for special consideration. The reason for the special consideration would be the fact that it never did race, and therefore, in many ways would be considered fresh. Either way, 908/3/004 is still certainly an important piece of Porsche racing history and would certainly be a proud member of any collection.

Chassis 004 would be presented for sale at the 2013 RM Auctions event held in Amelia Island. Just one of 13 ever to be produced and recognized as authentic by the Porsche factory, 004 would draw estimates prior to auction ranging from $1,400,000 to $1,700,000.

Sources:

'Lot No. 148: 1970 Porsche 908/3', (http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1057767). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1057767. Retrieved 6 March 2013.

'1970 Porsche 908/3 News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8004/Porsche-908/3.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8004/Porsche-908/3.aspx. Retrieved 6 March 2013.

by Jeremy McMullen

Spyder
Chassis number: 006

The 908/3 was Porsche's secret weapon for 1970 and was so effective that it never really got it's proper due. Built as a complement to the awesome 917, which overshadowed the 908/3, it assisted in securing Porsche's second straight world manufacturer's championship that year, as well as the 1971 championship. The concept of the car was a scaled down version of the 917, with they eight-cylinder engine from the previous 908/2, and a very special gearbox with the differential AFT of the transmission, thus having the driver/engine/transaxle assembly between the two axle assemblies (a true mid-engined car). A total of 13 examples were built to be utilized for only two races in 1970: The Targa Florio and the 1000km at the Nurburgring, winning both handily. A repeat appearance at the same two races in 1971, winning the Nurburgring, and the 908/3 went into retirement. Four of the cars were sold to privateers who campaigned the cars competitively for an unheard of additional 9 years. Perhaps the greatest testimony for the 908/3 turbo was in 1982 when on was leading the FIA Norisring race ahead of Porsche's Werkes Team 956's...a 12 year old car leading the state of the art 1982 LeMans winner for the initial 1/4 of the race!

This car, chassis 006 was sold to Dennesburger Racing in 1975. Driven by Herbert Mueller, the car finished 34d at Mugello, 9th at Dijon, DNF at Monza and Spa, and was 9th at the Osterreichring. Sold then to Kremer Racing it was campaigned by Klaus Ludwig to the 1977 German Sports car championship. Kremer later restored the car back to its 1971 configuration and sold it to collector Hans Deiter Latsheim of Colgne in 1980. Dale Miller purchased the car in 1995 and sold it to John Wean in 1996. Wean campaigned the car for two years in selected vintage events and traded it back to Miller, who sold it to a former Indy 500 winner and 3-time CART champion, Bobby Rahal. Rahal ran the car for one season and sold it on to it's current owner Greg Galdi in early 2003.

Owners:

1975: Herbert Mueller

1977: Klaus Ludwig

1980: Hans Deiter Blatzheim

1995: Dale Miller

1996: John Wean

1998: Bobby Rahal

2003: Greg Galdi

Spyder
Chassis number: 908/03/004

Ferdinand Piech was obsessed with winning the World Manufacturers Championship in 1970, having sipped the champagne from Porsche's first championship in 1969. Piech was certain that Ferrari was building a 'secret' lightweight car to contest the short circuits, so a complement to the 917 was designed for contesting the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring events. Ferrari's 'secret weapon' never appeared and the Porsche 908/3 dominated the Targa and the Nurburgring so strongly that they were brought out of retirement for 1971, contributing to Porsche's domination of both the 1970 and the 1971 Manufactrer's Championship. Thirteen of these cars were built. Weighing a svelt 1,125 pounds with 350 horsepower, the 908/3 won both the Targa and the Nurburgring in 1970 and again in 1971. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that these cars were competitive for 10 years, with a turbo-engined 908/3 winning a championship race as late as 1980.

Spyder
Chassis number: 908/03/08

This light and nimble Porsche 908/03 (chassis number 008), one of 13 built, won 1970 Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000 Kilometer races. Drivers included Brian Redman, Jo Siffert and Vic Elford. The 908 was originally a closed coupe, but in 1969 it was redesigned as a lighter open spyder named 908/02. For the 1970 season it was redesigned into the more compact 908/03, in order to contest just two races, the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring, both of which were run on twisty circuits that demanded high levels of maneuverability. The 908/03s had flat-eight 3-liter engines that produced 370 hp and top speeds of nearly 175 mph. Weighing only 1,200 pounds these cars boasted an astounding power to weight ratio of just 3.24 pounds per horsepower!

Despite the immediate success demonstrated in the 1969 season by the formidable Porsche 917, and in view of new competition coming from Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, Porsche could leave no stone unturned in its quest to win the 1970 and 1971 World Championship of Makes. Hence was born this 908/03, which compared to the 5-liter, 12-cylinder 917, which was smaller, less powerful (having only a 3-liter 8-cylinder engine), but much lighter, more nimble and brutally quick. Weighing only 1,200 pounds, perfectly balanced with its weight concentrated in the center and with 370 horsepower boasting an astounding power-to-weight ratio of just 3.24 pounds per horsepower, it was capable of 175 mph with acceleration matching the 917.

The results were immediate and overwhelming. This vehicle scored overall victories as part of the Porsche factory team in three of the four races for which it was built. The first two, both in May 1970, enabled Porsche to clinch the 1970 championship at just half season. The same success came in the 1971 season, again realizing the championship at half season.

Winning drivers included Brian Redman/Jo Siffert, Vic Elford/Kurt Ahrens, and Vic Elford, this time teamed with Gerard Larrouse.

by Sam Cabiglio

Spyder
Chassis number: 90803007

Porsche 908/3-007 spyder was a works race car and is one of eleven examples of the Mark 3 variant built for the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

The 908 originally was a closed coupe to provide low drag at fast tracks, but from 1969 on was mainly raced as the 908/2, a lighter open spyder. An even more compact 908/3 was introduced in 1970 to complement the heavy Porsche 917 on twisty tracks that favored nimble cars, like Targa Florio and Nurburgring. Sold off to privateers for 1972, various 908s were entered until the early 1980s, often retro-fitted with Porsche 934-based 2.1-liter turbocharged flat-6 engines.

Chassis 007 was entered in the 1970 Targa Florio in 'sunburst' livery as a works car driven by Vic Elford and Hans Hermann. It crashed out of the race on its first race lap, but sister cars 008 and 009 finished the race first and second respectively.

908/3-007 was repaired over the winter and upgraded to 1971 specification with tailfins. It was next entered into the 1,000 Km Nurburgring under Martini Racing livery and finished third at the hands of Gijs von Lennep and Helmut Marko.

In 1973, the sports car races were dominated by F1-powered prototypes and chassis 007 was sold to a Mr. Fernandez in Spain. He then sold the car in 1976 to Egon Evertz, a German Porsche enthusiast who was highly successful in sprint races and hillclimbs with various Porsches. The car stayed in German hands until 1995 when it was sold to the US.

Today the car wears its 1970 Targa Florio sunburst-over-white works livery as restored by Ron Greuner at Morspeed (now a part of Jerry Woods Enterprises) for its debut at the 2000 Monterey Historic Races. The car was then sold to Europe where it was campaigned actively. It returned to the United States in 2007 and raced once again at the Monterey Historic Races.

In March 2012, the current owner purchased the car and began campaigning it in vintage events.

Spyder
Chassis number: 908/03-003

The Porsche 908/03 was built primarily for contesting the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring 1000 KM, where both required nimble handling and quick acceleration to conquer their peculiar twisty natures. At the Nürburgring 1000 KM, the Porsche 908/03 secured a 1st and 2nd overall and at the Targa Florio their efforts were rewarded with a 1st and 2nd overall.

The teams of Jo Siffert/Brian Redman and Leo Kinnunen/Pedro Rodríguez finished 1st and 2nd at the Targa Florio, with another 908/03 finishing 5th.

Chassis number 003 was built in January of 1970 and used by Porsche at their facilities in Weissach for final testing of the 908/03 prior to the 1970 racing season. It did not contest that year's Targa Florio, chassis 003 was used by Porsche in the pre-test of the event. It ran a total of 14 lapson the 72-kilometer long road course in pre-tests with drivers including Brian Redman and Jo Siffert.

The only formal competitive outing for chassis number 03 was at the Nürburgring 1000 KM several weeks later. It was campaigned by de-facto factory team Porsche Salzburg and driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood. Hermann's fastest lap during qualifying was a 7:57.10, which earned him 4th on the grid. Porsche took the top two positions, with chassis 003 coming in shortly behind Vic Elford and Kurt Ahrens Jr., campaigning chassis 008 also under the Porsche Salzburg banner.

For the remainder of the season, Porsche would use the 917. At the end of the year, Porsche had clinched the Manufacturers Championship.

Chassis number 003 was retained by the factory for further testing, specifically to test a solid rear suspension. By this point, the car had gained rear fins in an effort to add to its aerodynamic stability. At this time, the car was involved in an accident, although no details regarding the reason or extent of the damage are known.

Hans Dieter Blatzheim acquired the car near the close of 1973, after which it was acquired by Porsche factory driver Siggi Brunn. Over the years that followed, Brunn rebuilt the car using a variety of Mehako aluminum tubes for the chassis, sourced directly from Porsche, utilizing approximately 30–40 percent of the car's original chassis tubing. The chassis was reinforced to improve structure rigidity and to avoid cracks.

Around the early 2000s, the car was granted an FIA Historical Technical Passport to prepare for use in historic racing. In Brunn's ownership, the car took to the track in 2004 at Spa-Francorchamps for the One Hour historic race in the Classic Endurance Championship.

In 2007, Brunn sold the car to Uli Schumacher, who campaigned the car under his ownership. It was raced at the Le Mans Classic in both 2010 and 2012 and at the Oldtimer GP at the Nürburgring in 2010, and was also displayed at the Techno Classica in Essen in 2011.

Currently, the car is in the care of an Austria individual, who has returned it to its most signficiant livery - the pale yellow that it wore when it placed 2nd at the Nürburgring 1000 KM in 1970. A restoration was completed in 2016 where it received a new fuel tank and fire system. In July of 2017, it was shown at the Masterpieces Concours d'Elegance at Schloss Dyck where it was awarded First in Class honors.

Of the three cars campaigned by Porsche Salzburg and used by Porsche for development purposes, one remains with Porsche in the factory museum; one has remained in long-term ownership by a former Porsche team driver in Germany for decades; chassis 003 is the third.

by Dan Vaughan

The Porsche racing legacy began with the very first cars that it produced. Dr. Ferry Porsche was the company creator and a racing enthusiast who understood the benefits of racing participation. Prior to the 908, the Porsche victories had been in their class rather than overall wins, due to their small engines when compared with their competition.

The 908 was identical to the 907 both in long and short tail form, except for the engine. The eight-cylinder, three-liter 908 was Porsche's first attempt to win The World Manufacturers' Championship. In 1967, Hans Mezger, an employee of Porsche and an individual who would later design the 917 Type 912 12-cylinder, began the design and production of their power-plant that would finally equal the competition and make it a contender for the overall victory. The three-liter engine was a modified version of the four-cam six-cylinder engine that had been used in the Type 901 flat-six used in the 911. With dry-sump lubrication, titanium rods and bolts, aluminum heads and cylinders, and sodium-filled valves, the engine was technologically advanced, lightweight, and rugged. The bore was enlarged to 84 mm and fitted to the 907's six-speed transaxle. However, from 1969, a new five-speed gearbox was used.

The 908/3 engine produced 350 horsepower which was low when compared with the other manufacturer's engines. The reason the 908 was competitive was that it was light and its power-to-weight ratio was better than most.

The racing history for the 908 began at the 1968 Nueburging 1000km. The short-tail coupe driven by Vic Elford and Jo Siffert won the event. Another race in Austria had Stiffert finishing first and Kurt Aherns finishing second. By now, the shortcomings of the 908 were evident. It suffered from crankshaft-induced torsion vibrations causing many of the engine components to fail, including the alternator. There were aerodynamic instabilities, wheel bearing failures, gearbox failures, and frame breakage. These issues were addressed in time by changing the firing order of the engine, adding fins and fifteen-inch wheels, and using a new Type 916 transaxle.

The 908 was entered in the 1968 Le Mans 24 Hours where it finished third behind the second place 907.

For the 1969 season and with a year worth of 908 growing pains realized, it was ready for victory. Unfortunately, the 908 was unable to capture the checkered flag at Daytona or Sebring. The 917 debuted at the Geneva Auto Show and the 908 was becoming old news. The mechanical shortcomings in the 908 were once again addressed and the remainder of the season was positive. A win at Targa Florio along with many other victories earned Porsche its initial FIA World Manufacturers Crown.

The 908 had an illustrious career both on the race track and as a movie star. Porsche 908#022 was used in Steve McQueen's film about LeMans. The movie was to be a documentary of the 24-hour race. In preparation for the movie and for LeMans, Steve raced the 908 during the 1970 season. The vehicle was DNF'ed at Riverside International Raceway due to a gearbox failure. A first-place finish was achieved at the Phoenix International Raceway. At the Sebring International 12 Hour Endurance Race, another amazing race, it was Ferrari with Mario Andretti behind the wheel who would emerge victorious by a mere 22 seconds. The 908 placed second overall and first in the Sports Prototype class. 908.022 was entered in LeMans but Steve McQueen was unable to race. The film's backers did not want to take the chance of having their movie star injured or worse. So Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams drove 908.022 to a ninth-place finish. The pit stops for 908.022 were longer than most due to the additional duties involved such as changing the camera film. McQueen's LeMans paid homage to the greatest endurance race in the world, the greatest cars of the time, and the greatest drivers. It is an excellent souvenir, documentary, and memento.

The entire racing career for the 908 included eleven championship victories over a span of four years. One of the closest and most memorable LeMans race was in 1969 where the 908 finished in second place. The 917 had been retired after hour 22 due to clutch failure. The race came down to a Ford GT 40 and the Porsche 908. The John Wyer's Ford GT 40 finished less than 70 yards in front of the 908. The LeMans race would ultimately become the one that would forever elude the 908.

The 908 is one of many great Porsches from the 1960's. The 904, 906, and 917 often overshadow the 908's success. The mechanical difficulties that plagued the 908 kept it from achieving some important victories but its accomplishments are undeniable and legendary.

by Dan Vaughan