Porsche 917

Just a few months after the first sketches are created, the first Porsche 917 with chassis number 001 is produced. Two days later, it is unveiled to the press as a new Group 4 sports car at the Geneva Motor Show. The 25 models required for type approval are finished in April. The first 917 does not enter any races, but is instead used as a test and presentation car in various colours. After the first Porsche overall victory at Le Mans by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood, the model is converted to look like the successful hatch-back version. As part of the conversion, the original 917 is fitted out with a revamped rear frame, a new front and rear body, and a modified exhaust system – the exhaust pipes of which are all directed to the rear. Decked out in the Porsche Salzburg colours, it travels to the Porsche Press Office, then on to a number of exhibitions, and later to the museum. To mark “50 Years of the Porsche 917”, the museum decides to restore the car to its original condition as it appeared in Geneva in 1969. Cutting-edge 3D technology makes it possible to retain a great deal of the original material. The car is finished in March 2019 – and just like 50 years ago, it is not destined to be raced, but to go on display. It will make its first appearance at the Retro Classics in Stuttgart.