PORSCHE 917

The Porsche 917 is one of the most legendary race cars in motorsport history, born out of a bold push by Porsche in the late 1960s to conquer endurance racing. In 1969, Porsche developed the 917 in response to new FIA regulations allowing 5.0-liter prototypes if at least 25 examples were built, enabling them to exploit a loophole meant for older GT cars. The 917 was a radical departure from Porsche's earlier, smaller-displacement racers, featuring a flat-12 engine and an incredibly lightweight chassis. However, its early outings, including the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, revealed serious aerodynamic instability that made it fast but dangerous to drive.

To solve these issues, Porsche enlisted help from British engineer John Wyer and his Gulf Oil-sponsored JW Automotive team. Wyer and his team reworked the 917’s body into the now-famous 917K ("Kurzheck" or "short-tail"), drastically improving its stability at high speeds. It was this collaboration that led to the car's iconic blue and orange Gulf livery, which would go on to become one of the most recognizable color schemes in racing history. The reworked 917K debuted in 1970, and with its improved handling and reliability, it quickly demonstrated its dominance.

The Porsche 917K achieved legendary status with its back-to-back Le Mans victories in 1970 and 1971. In 1970, Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood gave Porsche its first-ever overall win at Le Mans, driving a 917K entered by Porsche Salzburg. In 1971, a Gulf-liveried 917K driven by Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep won again, setting a distance record that stood for nearly 40 years. These victories cemented the Porsche 917's reputation as a breakthrough in racing technology and design, and the Gulf-liveried versions remain icons of both engineering excellence and motorsport style.