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There were enough hints of the competition potential of the Porsche 911. Vic Elford had proven it by winning the 1968 Rallye de Monte Carlo in a Porsche 911T.
Vic Elford, supported by David Stone, 1968 Rallye Monte-Carlo.
More and more privateer racers were choosing the 911 as their weapon of choice for racing and Porsche was taking notice. They started developing more sporting versions such as the 911 RS, and were met with more successes.
For 1973, they decided to use the knowledge acquired building their race cars and apply it to the 911.
Swiss race driver Herbert Müller, teamed up with Gijs van Lennep, won the 1973 Targa Florio driving a Porsche 911 Carrera RSR.
The result was the 911 Carrera RSR, which was met with great success in its first year.
1973 24 Hours of Daytona-winning Brumos Porsche 911 Carrera RSR of Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood.
The RSR came in 4th overall at the 24 heures du Mans, and was 1st overall in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Daytona!
The huge success of the Carrera RSR pointed the way for Porsche, and lead to the development of the RSR Turbo, the 934, and the 935, all in turn successful racers.
History is made, most often, when the status quo is upset and turned on its ear.
The path that history takes is often formed from passion, anger, determination, and luck.
Ford was looking to stroke its international profile through racing, their “Total Performance” initiative. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday …
They approached the biggest player in international racing Ferrari with a purchase proposal, having heard though the grapevine that there might be an opportunity.
Ford’s offers were rebuked in a Ferrari nationalistic master-plan for Italian funding.
In the scorn of rejection, Ford vowed to win against Ferrari, at any cost.
Pen&ink and markers on watercolour paper
© Paul Chenard
The purse was opened wide, very wide indeed, but it did finally happen in the sweetest way possible … a 1-2-3 sweep of the 1966 24 heures du Mans with the Ford GT40s … better than a Hitchcock thriller, to the utter stunned silence of the crowd.
History was re-written …
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