VIN: the works Porsche 911 2.0 R chassis 001R
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HISTORY OF CHASSIS 001R
Chassis 001R was the first production-spec. 911 R. 20 such cars were built in total in addition to the four original prototypes (R1 through R4).
001R was retained for use by the works Porsche team. Famously, it was the car Porsche used to set a series of new World Speed Records at Monza in conjunction with BP Switzerland and Firestone.
The idea for the record attempt had come from recently appointed Porsche racing manager, Rico Steinemann. The records in question (15,000km, 10,000 miles, 20,000km, 72 hours and 96 hours) had belonged to Porsche back in the 1950s, but since then Ford and Toyota had set new benchmarks.
Even though its track surface was not ideal, Monza was chosen for the record attempt as the other European option, Montlhery, was not considered fast enough.
BP Switzerland bankrolled the attempt as they wanted to demonstrate the performance of a new engine oil. The team would comprise four Swiss drivers (Steinemann and Dieter Spoerry plus Jo Siffert and Charles Vogele) who would use Vogele’s Porsche 906 for the attempt. Each driver would do a one-and-a-half hour stint behind the wheel followed by four-and-a-half hours rest.
The rules stated that all spare parts used in the record attempt had to be carried in the car. All that was allowed in the pit were spare wheels, jacks, spark plugs, fuel and oil.
The record attempt began at midday on Monday October 29th. However, after two shock absorber failures and the front left spring strut pivot point on the tube frame being torn out (all caused by the poor condition of the Monza banking), it was soon abandoned.
As the regulations permitted the resumption of the record attempt within 48 hours, Porsche quickly arranged to send two 911 Rs to Monza.
Because there was not enough time to organise the customs formalities for a quota of spares for the record attempt, chassis 002R (the second of the 20 production cars) was immediately sent to Monza under its own power. It would then be dismantled to serve as a parts mule.
In the meantime, chassis 001R (which would serve as the actual record car) was prepared with two fifth gears in one ‘box (instead of a conventional fourth and fifth); it was thought a single fifth gear would be unable to bear the full load during the record attempt. The engine in 001R had already done 100 hours flat out on test bench.
Meanwhile, 002R was heading rapidly to Monza. However, at the German-Swiss border, the Swiss authorities refused to let the car into the country on noise grounds. As a result, the driver was forced to take a furious all-night detour around Switzerland via Lyon, Grenoble and Turin.
Having been informed of the situation, Peter Falk and engine expert Paul Hensler set off in 001R and took the more direct route through Austria and over the Brenner Pass. They arrived on the morning of Tuesday 30th, by which time 002R had already been dismantled.
The record attempt was resumed at 8pm later that day in cold and rainy conditions. An early problem with iced up carburettors was resolved by the BP crew with an injection additive.
Wednesday was dry and the second night passed without incident. Pit stops took little more than a minute.
Thursday was another wet one and after the crew ran out of rain tyres, the Firestone experts hand-cut rain grooves into the remaining dry tyres.
At 8pm on Saturday 4th November, despite miserable weather, often appalling visibility and a couple of stops for damper changes, the crew had completed four days of running. Porsche claimed the five World Speed Records targeted and also set 14 international class records at an average speed of 209kmh.
A few days after the gruelling event, BP Switzerland displayed 001R at the inaugural Zurich Racing Car Show.
Porsche retained chassis 001R until the late 1960s, at which point it was sold to the French distributor, Sonauto.
In turn, Sonauto sold the car on to Dominique Thiry who used 001R for a number of events during 1970.
Thiry retained 001R until the late 1970s, after which it went through the hands of another couple of French owners before headting to the USA in the mid 1980s.
Notable History
Porsche System Engineering
31/10-04/11/1967 IND Monza Speed Records (R. Steinemann / Dieter Spoerry / J. Siffert / C. Vogele)
5 World Records and 14 International Records
11/1967 Zurich Racing Car Show
Later sold to Dominique Thiry
Registered 3287 QJ 67
Used in the 1970 Rallye Mont-Blanc, Wissembourg Hillclimb and Tour de France
1979 sold
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Porsche - https://www.porsche.com
