1966 Porsche 910

From inception in 1948, Porsche continues to signify excellence in all aspects of the design and engineering of its automobiles. Racing success was immediate with early victories scored in circuit races, hill climbs and rallies across Europe, including an electrifying class win at the 1951 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. While Porsche's Type 356, 356 Speedster, 550 Spyder, Carrera GT and their derivatives were indeed very successful on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the quest for overall victory at Le Mans drove Ferdinand Piëch and his experimental department, led by Hanz Mezger, to design and develop ever-more specialized Porsche models ranging from the 904/Carrera GTS-likely the company's last true road/track car-to the 906/Carrera 6 by 1965. European Berg (mountain) hill climbs were a particularly prestigious and hotly contested arena for many marques during the 1950s and 1960s, including Porsche. The highly experimental and all-out ethos of these popular events inspired Piech and his engineers to develop a ferocious, lighter-weight offshoot of the 906, dubbed the Ollon-Villars Spyder, named after the formidable Swiss hill climb event of the era. Further intensive development of this record-setting car, numbered 906-010, soon begat its 910 successor, with its model designation believed a simple three-digit contraction of the Ollon-Villars car's chassis number. Combining the best and latest thinking in hill climb, Formula 1 Grand Prix and sports racing car design, the 910 can be considered the ultimate expression of the 906 with its much-stiffer tube frame and aggressively lowered weight. Thoroughly redesigned suspension components, exotic lightweight materials and revised geometry took full advantage of wide F1-style, 13-inch diameter, quick-change, center-lock wheels yielding reduced unsprung weight with maximum road contact. Initially, Porsche's Type 901 2.0L flat-6 racing engine delivered power, with fuel injection soon used for some 220 HP, or roughly 111 HP per liter. A 5-speed synchromesh rear transaxle housing a limited-slip differential was used. Porsche's more complex 2.0L (Type 771) flat-8 racing engine mill was later added to some examples of the 910. True to plan, the 910 was highly victorious from the start, used exclusively during 1966 for the European Hill Climbing Championship. Deployed for endurance races and rallies with 6- and 8-cylinder engines in 1967, the 910 was directly competitive to, and more successful than, Ferrari's V-6 Dino 206 P and a startling opponent to Ford's larger and much more powerful 7.0L GT40. Porsche 910 wins for 1967 included the 1967 Targa Florio and a stunning 1-2-3 podium sweep (all 6-cylinder entries) for Porsche's first overall win at the Nürburgring 1000. While the 910's racing career with the factory was quite short, it was a big contributor to the many successes of 1967-the best in Porsche history to that time. Just 12 Porsche 910s were produced with the short tail body style, with all examples campaigned exclusively by Porsche's works Porsche System Engineering team for 1966-67. This 1966 Porsche 910, Chassis 910-001, is one of those 12 in the short tail body style. Subsequently, the factory 8-cylinder cars were refitted with the potent and reliable, 6-cylinder, 901-derived mill before being sold on to private teams for a second life in front-line competition, which for some 910s continued well into the 1970s. All survivors carry fascinating history, including use in period by many of the era's finest and fastest drivers. Porsche 910-001 carries especially compelling provenance as the first of the series produced. Since it was initially a hill climb racer, 910-001 was officially registered in Germany, an important consideration for today's collectors and vintage racers. At a press presentation at Hockenheim, 910-001 was photographed with top Porsche officials including Dr. Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand Piech and Hans Mezger