The end of the 1960s was a time of success for the Porsche company, whose production and racing cars evolved at an exponential rate. The 911 attracted attention thanks to the German car manufacturer’s new flat 6-cylinder engine, while in the world of competition the firm debuted the flat 8-cylinder engine and the powerful 12-cylinder engine of the legendary 917 model.
The 1969 Porsche 908/02 Langheck Flunder Spyder, a true racing star of the time, will go on sale on April 27 through the auction house Broad Arrow Auctions and could fetch an amount of no less than 5 millions of euros.
During its career in the world of competition, the 908/02 Spyder achieved more than 50 important victories and more than 100 podiums between 1969 and 1972. All this made it one of the most successful racing cars in Porsche history. .
The 1969 FIA technical regulations did not specify any minimum weight, so the coupe’s steel chassis was replaced with an aluminum one. That, plus a plastic body that weighed less than 14 kilos, combined with titanium axles and a lightweight five-speed gearbox, made the Porsche 908/02 Spyder weigh less than 600 kg.
This version was subjected to the company’s wind tunnel in Stuttgart, where it received aerodynamic improvements and was reborn as a racing car with smoother and flatter lines, as well as more attractive. Interestingly, the new version was also used to evaluate the first tests of ABS, a braking technology that was not adopted for racing but eventually became universal.
The unit with chassis number 908/02-005 was commanded by such relevant pilots as Vic Elford, Richard Attwood and Gérard Larrousse. One of their most notable achievements was in the 1970 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the pair Helmut Marko and Rudi Lins finished third in the overall classification. This result helped Porsche take the entire podium, as the Martini Racing team, also from the German brand, took the first two places with a much more powerful Porsche 917.
Other competitions in which the model that will be auctioned participated were the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1,000 km of the Nürburgring and the BOAC 1,000 km (from Brands Hatch). But the historical records do not end here, as the car also co-starred in the action film “Le Mans” (1971), with Steve McQueen as the leading actor, consolidating its fame both in sports and on the big screen.
Taking into account the track record reviewed, it is even better to understand why the estimated bid for this car can reach the surprising figure of 5 million euros. You can enjoy an extraordinary Porsche example similar to the one that will go up for auction in the video that accompanies this article.
