One to Buy: ex-Sonauto / Francis Roussely 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 Carrera RS
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Porsche’s thinking behind the 911 Carrera RS which it launched in late 1972 was to pave the way for the most extreme Group 4 competition car possible (the Carrera RSR). Having largely focused its efforts on Sports Prototype racing cars during the years prior, the RSR’s arrival would mark a new era for Porsche where production-based models would take priority in motor sport.
To homologate the RSR into Group 4, 500 copies of the RS would first need to be built within a twelve month timeframe. Although Porsche’s bean counters thought that number of cars would be very difficult to sell, as it transpired, over 1500 were ultimately sold.
A happy by-product of this unexpected commercial success was that the RS became eligible for the more production-based Group 3 category which required a run of at least 1000 cars inside the allotted time period.
As a consequence, RS owners were able to run their cars in circuit races, rallies and hillclimbs where the hot new 911 frequently proved itself a formidable competitor, especially when configured in M471 Lightweight guise.
One M471-optioned 2.7 Carrera RS to have demonstrated the model’s wide-ranging ability was chassis 9113601083 which will be going under the hammer at Broad Arrow Auctions’ Villa d’Este auction on May 17th.
Configured in Light Yellow with Black leatherette upholstery and optioned with a super desirable limited-slip differential, chassis 9113601083 was completed in April 1973 and dispatched to one of the most widely respected racing outfits in Europe at the time: Porsche’s French distributor, Sonauto in Paris.
During its time with Sonauto, chassis 9113601083 was piloted by Jean-Francois Grobot at the Belleau Hillclimb and then driven to victory by Francis Roussely at the Rallye du Touquet.
In September 1973, newly crowned Group 3 French Rally Champion Roussely acquired the car with the intention to contest that month’s Tour de France. Now registered 6200 RA 54 and resplendent in Sonauto’s BP yellow and green livery, Roussely (co-driven by Grobot) was unfortunately disqualified on the fourth day for missing a timing checkpoint.
Roussely continued 9113601083’s winning ways into early 1974 with overall victory at the Ronde Federale de l'Aisne and first in class at the Ronde de Touraine. March ‘74 then saw the car pass to Jean-Louis Philippe who went on to campaign it for the next couple of seasons.
Having remained in France with a succession of owners until 2012, the RS headed to the UK in 2012. Between 2013 and 2016, much work was carried out by Maxted-Page to include a full glass-out repaint to the car’s Sonauto and BP-sponsored 1973 Tour de France livery.
In 2018, the car was acquired by the consignor and relocated to Italy where it was granted identity cards from the ASI and FIVA and also fitted with a correct type 911/83 2.7 Carrera RS engine (serial number 6630513 originally fitted to chassis number 9113600520).
