Porsche 917 in Gulf Racing Colours

The Porsche 917 was designed and developed to exploit the regulations regarding the construction of 5-litre sports cars. Powered by a Type 91 flat 12 engine which was progressively enlarged from 4.5 to 5.0 litres, the 917 was introduced in 1969 and initially proved unwieldy on the race track but continuous development improved the handling and it went on to dominate sports-car racing in 1970 and 1971.

In 1970 it gave Porsche its first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a feat it would repeat in 1971. It would be chiefly responsible for Porsche winning the International Championship for manfacturers in 1970 and 1971. Porsche went on to develop the 917 for Can-Am racing, culminating in the twin-turbocharged 917/30 which was even more dominant in the role. Porsche drivers would win the Can-Am championship in 1972 and 1973.

For me, this allure of illustrating this magnificent machine is obvious, partly down to its pedigree, partly to to it's recalcitrant nature but mostly for the way it looks.

If you are interested in owning one of these high quality art prints of the Porsche 917 either looking at it in the rear view mirror or, the bird's eye view, take a look at my Dream Garage page.

‍