What is the greatest in competition drive by a flat four cylinder air cooled Porsche?

[neilbardsley]

What is the most competitive result in a race by a flat four air cooled Porsche?

Before I state the most obvious choices how about the Porsche Elva? Which won a 500 mile race outright on almost it's first outing.

https://automedia.revsinstitute.org/the ... rsche-saga

The Revs Institute have one and here is a video on how they keep them moving

https://youtu.be/RBJwxkjMFnQ?si=Gti11ZhzV_iMThLl

To me the brakes looked pretty good before he started!

One being race by Danish 4 Cam guru Peter Iversen

https://youtu.be/b3_kjgPVhmA?si=AmjgxAa_OpJmZkY5





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[neilbardsley]

Probably the most obvious answer are one of Porsche's early wins in the Targa Florio : 1959/60/63.

Unfortunately, the 1963 winner, I believe was fitted with an 8 cylinder, engine before the race so not flat 4. Although it did only win by 11 seconds

https://www.stuttcars.com/porsche-718-gtr-coupe/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxbOSyD ... onrccenter

Therefore I think the winning 718 is a leading candidate and here is an great video of Derek Bell driving a winning car on the course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y25dYX ... trolicious

[Hugo 356]

.
Whilst not an overall win, 550-04 & Hans Herrmann 3rd overall, 1st in class on the '54 Carrera is worthy of consideration for greatest

Circa due mille miglia, Mexican roads, '54 tires, 2nd year of the 4-cam, no co-driver, 19 1/2 hrs at 98mph (vs 11 hrs at 57mph, 14 laps '59 Targa or 11 1/2 hrs at 73mph '54 Mille winning Lancia)




For most competitive it's hard to argue against Dan Gurney missing out on the 1961 French Grand Prix by less than a length having exchanged the lead 10 times during the final 11 laps

[neilbardsley]

Thank you. I was thinking more about Dan's victory with the 8 cylinder engine.

Next for consideration. The subject of a poster I've been searching for.

Leige Rome Leige. Once again Porsche excellences where handling, power/weight and reliability matters

Helmut Polensky and Walter Schluter on the way to outright victory in the event also known as the Marathon de la Route in their 1.5 litre Porsche 356…

An early important win for the marque in this Gmund built Coupe, a bit lighter than the Stuttgart cars. Porsche were 1st, 3rd, 4th, 9th and 10th taking the Team Prize as a result.

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[jwhillracer]

Sobieslaw Zasada won the European Rally Championship in 1967 in a Porsche 912. That was quite an achievement, considering the competition back then.

JW

[neilbardsley]

Thank you. I must confess it wasn't even on my radar as I thought someone had put a flat 6 in it!

https://magazine.derivaz-ives.com/an-un ... asada/amp/

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[neilbardsley]

Not the winning car but a period Swedish rally 912

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[neilbardsley]

Next is a very interesting car with a somewhat unknown history

https://radical-mag.com/en/2024/02/12/p ... rth-gtl-2/


1962 7th place. A 1.6l only beaten by 3-4l Ferrari and Jaguar's. Le Mans isn't really the course for low power car hence Porsche's win did arrive until it developed a flat 12.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_24 ... of_Le_Mans

I have a poster of Edgar and this car on my wall. I must admit if I won the lottery I would try to buy one of the 20.

https://museum.revsinstitute.org/the-co ... rrera-gtl/

https://youtu.be/vZt0zi-Uht4?si=7T2wjKQ62e0uJ1c-



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[neilbardsley]

Another driver worth a mention is King Carrera. Bruce Jennings and Heniz Bade.

In 1959, driving his Carrera GT, he won the first race of the season at Danville. At Cumberland next, despite starting thirty-fourth on the grid due to the silly “draw it out of a hat” qualifying system, Bruce gamely powered through the entire field, catching pole-sitter Harry Blanchard, who was driving another Carrera, on the last lap of the race. Hounded by Bruce Jennings, Blanchard eventually lost his brakes and spun. Bruce always felt it was the finest drive of his career. Who would argue?

https://automedia-revsinstitute-org.cdn ... -speedster

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[neilbardsley]

Great website showing some early races flyers and results from the US

https://www.cliffreuter.com/etceteriniS ... 59.htm#sto

Was there a European equivalent to the SCCA?

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[neilbardsley]

Two more suggestions

1956 Targa Florio : A solo drive of 7:54.52 for victory by Umberto Magliol. He was clearly a special driver who mastered road races as he won the last Carrera Panamericana for Ferrari in 154.


Next a 1-2-3 for Porsche in F2 for the 718/2 at the Aintree 200. Stirling Moss won in a private entry for Rob Walker.

Stirling must of liked the engine as I believe he bought a 718/1 and raced it as his retirement car?

[neilbardsley]

Some great footage of the 59 and 56 Targa. I read somewhere the organisers made Porsche, Huschke von Hanstein paint no 84 in white the day before the race. He did it by hand with a brush.

"Porsche’s approach to racing in the mid-1950s was disarmingly informal, thought Huschke, but this was ridiculous. With brushes and paint pot he and Maglioli gave their silver Spyder a crude coat of German racing white and added an Italian-flag design on its hood in recognition of the nationality of the tall, deceptively easy-going driver, who had just turned 28 on June 5th."

https://youtu.be/IjFNCVDLBa4?si=i120ln9kuthOoF1a

https://youtu.be/oE3ym95ABt8?si=xS3nMqZ4tDnAStXx


https://automedia.revsinstitute.org/por ... pha-spyder


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[neilbardsley]

Next 1940s hero

Peter Muller

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/new ... le-special

Not strictly a Porsche but a competitive car raced in the late 1940s. Then used to set distance and speed records in the early 1950s

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[neilbardsley]

Next up Walter Glocker who seemed to lead in car design and Porsche followed.

1952 racing coupe

https://www.conceptcarz.com/profile/17, ... dster.aspx

Looks a lot like the American Roadster

Next a car developed for the 1954 Mille Miglia but wasn't completed in time. It competed at Leige-Rime-Leige but had engine problems

https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo21/lo ... 500-coupe/

I guess the story is that Porsche was a young company with had to focus on selling cars. While both Peter and Walter ran successful car dealership so had month to spend. Therefore, they could ask people to help build interesting cars.

The best exhibition of early cars from this period is the Prototype Museum in Hamburg. Hopefully, I will get to go again soon.

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