1970 Porsche 917/10 prototype chassis #917/10-001 as offered for sale on 8 February 2017
Mention the name Porsche and motor racing, and minds immediately focus in on one of the famous race cars to pass out through the gates of the Stuttgart manufacturer. Depending on your age or favoured period in racing, the number of ‘best’ racers will be many and varied. However, the Porsche 917 will rank at the top of the list of most Porschephiles, and for good reason, as it was the 917 that gave the company its first overall victory at Le Mans.
Roger Penske poses with the 917/10 Spyder in Weissach 1971
Apart from dominating the World Sportscar Championship, the 917 was also mightily successful in the Interserie and before long, it was being tested and prepared for battle in the Can-Am series in the USA. Known as the 917/10, the cars that raced in the Can-Am series, all had Spyder (open) bodies and were turbocharged. The Can-Am racer that is perhaps best known is the #6 Penske Sunoco Porsche 917/30 driven by Mark Donohue, which in 1973 crushed all before it, scoring six victories out of eight races that season.
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