Why is the Porsche 917 so special?
The Porsche 917 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, once in 1970 and again in 1971. It rose to become a legend among legends and remains a firm favourite among motor racing enthusiasts. The race winner built by the German marque is a genuine icon that continues to shine 50 years on. Porsche 917 Introduced in 1969, and went on to win 15 championship races from 1969-1971, including two consecutive 24 Hours of LeMans wins. And interesting feature of this car was a pressurized chassis. If the chassis got a crack, it would lose pressure, and could be immediately identified and solved.Race cars from Porsche have contested Le Mans every year since 1951. Porsche is the only marque to have competed for 65 years without a break. The reward for this incredible stamina is a raft of records, including 16 overall wins and 100 class victories to 2013.Porsche have won the most races as a manufacturer with 19 since their first in 1970. Audi are second with 13 wins and Ferrari are third with 12 victories. Porsche also achieved the most consecutive wins with seven victories in succession from 1981 to 1987.
Why did Porsche leave Le Mans?
Porsche will not be participating in the World Endurance Championship during the 2026 season and consequently, will not race for overall victory at Le Mans. This as part of its ‘comprehensive realignment’, which, as many other words can be read as ‘cost cutting’. Porsche has quit WEC for 2026 and that puts its chances of competing at Le Mans in serious doubt.
Who owns Steve McQueen’s 1969 Porsche 917K race car?
The car will remain in Jerry Seinfeld’s care for the foreseeable future. The iconic 1969 Porsche 917K star car formerly owned by Steve McQueen will remain under the ownership of one Jerry Seinfeld, after the comedian turned down a $25 million bid during Mecum Auctions’s Kissimmee, Florida event on Saturday. Famously owned by Jerry Seinfeld after finding it in the lower parking garage of a California car dealership by longtime friend and fellow Porsche fanatic Spike Feresten, Steve McQueen’s 1969 Porsche 917K (link opens in new tab/window) recently made waves in the automotive world as Mecum Auctions presented it as the .
How much is a 1970 Porsche worth?
Typically, you can expect to pay around $66,000 for a 1970 Porsche 911 T in good condition with average spec. The highest selling price of a 1970 Porsche 911 T at auction over the last three years was $179,464. Typically, you can expect to pay around $1,450,000 for a 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort in good condition with average spec. The highest selling price of a 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort at auction over the last three years was $2,865,000.