The Last Remaining Porsche 908/03 Turbo is Heading to Auction
Images: Bonhams
The only Porsche 908/03 Turbo remaining in the world is about to head to auction at Bonhams’ upcoming Goodwood Revival Sale.
The 908/03, ‘Chassis 011’, was driven by the likes of Richard Attwood, Pedro Rodriguez and Björn Waldegård, amongst others, in period, tackling races like the Targa Florio and 1000 Kilometers of Nürburgring.
It was first run fresh from the factory, with its original 3-litre flat-8 air-cooled motor, by the Gulf/JW Automotive team in the 1970 World Championship of Makes-qualifying Targa Florio. Richard Attwood and Björn Waldegård were given driving duties and they finished on the lead lap in fifth place.
Next up would be the 1970 ADAC 1000 Kilometers of Nürburgring, where the car would be driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen. They qualified second, but made an off-road excursion during the race and failed to finish.
When FIA World Championship of Makes regulations changed for the 1972 season, Porsche reconfigured its 908/03s with turbocharged 2142cc c-cylinder engines. This would see the cars racing through to the mid ’70s.
At this time many of the early 908/03 chassis were striped and stored – and that’s what happened with ‘011’.
In 1974 the chassis, which was destined to be scrapped, was sold to Dr Dannesberger of Germany and converted to a 908/03 Turbo by Porsche’s Customer Racing/Repair Department in Zuffenhausen.
In the hands of the Dannesberger Martini Team, the car was set to racing again in 1975 – and it was a busy year! It picked up 3rd overall in the Mugello 1000 Kilometers with Gijs van Lennep and Herbert Muller driving and third place finishes in the 1000 Kilometers of Nürburgring and Nürburgring InterSerie driven by Leo Kinnunen and Herbert Muller.
Herbert Muller would also win the Mainz-Finten InterSerie, take second in the Zandvoort InterSerie and claim third in the Kassel-Calden InterSerie in the car.
‘011’ was sold to Dr Sigi Brun, who re-assembled it into its present configuration. He commissioned John Paul Jr. to race it in the 1982 Norisring race in the American IMSA, where they finished 6th overall.
Jurgen Barth finished 8th at Hockenheim early in August that year, and the car returned at the end of the month with Axel Plankenhorn qualifying 6th but suffering turbocharger problems and not finishing.
Brun Racing took the car back to Hockenheim the following year, where Sigi himself claimed a 6th place finish. Axel Plankenhorn would get a second chance with the car in July, finishing 6th at the Norisring in the car’s final frontline racing appearance.
It passed through Jean-Marc Luco’s hands before arriving at its current owner and has most recently competed in the Dix-Mille Tours at Ricard-Castellet in 2013, where it finished second.
This stunning example of sportscar racing purity is in magnificent race-ready condition. It’s is sold with its original body and is complete with FIA Historic Technical Passport. A machine like this would be most welcome at any historic event around the world.
An incredibly storied and significant example of one of Porsche’s most important prototype race cars, ‘011’ is a magnificent machine that we hope to see head back out onto the track soon. It will head to auction at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival Sale on the 12th of September and is expected to fetch £2.2 million – 2.5 million.
For more information head to Bonhams’ website here.
Images via Bonhams
