It was when I was looking back over such history that inspiration hit me - the last ever 'proper' (as a professional International race) event was in 1973 ... and my Bus is a '73. As many know, there is a close and special relationship between classic Porsche and Volkswagen's, but there is also a very special relationship between the Targa Florio and Porsche.
The Targa Florio was first run in 1906, masterminded by Count Vincenzo Florio to raise the profile of Italy within motor racing circles. It was a massively bold move as 1906 was a year when, after tragedy in the Paris-Madrid 1903 race, motor racing started to move towards purpose built short track racing with the unveiling of the likes of Brooklands and Indianapolis just around the corner.
The Targa Florio was run up around and over the Madoine mountains in Sicily - starting at sea level, rising 3600 feet up narrow twisting roads, before descending back down to the coast. Three laps of the gruelling course presented a 270 mile race!
Initially the race was for 'production' cars, with minimum production and maximum purchase price making up the entry criteria. However over time the race evolved, including the course being amended twice, and resulted in prototypes dominating the incredibly harsh endurance event.
Porsche's dominance of the event began in the '50's, where the 550A Spyder proved to be the perfect weapon to tackle the tough course. Porsche's first victory came in 1956 at the hands of Umberto Maglioni. It was Maglioni himself that had persuaded Dr Porsche to enter the Targa Florio, Porsche agreeing after strong testing at the Nurburgring just 11 days prior to the event!
This was a remarkable victory, beating numerous Italian manufacturers on their own turf. Since its inception the event had been massively dominated by Alfa Romeo, Maserati and latterly Lancia. It gave Porsche a strong position to build from, and one they truly capitalised on. Oddly enough it was Ferrari who took up the challenge from the Italian perspective, and the next 17 years saw the event won by Ferrari or Porsche 16 times!
As Porsche developed its sports and competition cars they were all thrown at the Targa Florio. Derivatives of the 718 won in '59, '60 and '63 before the 904 was introduced (and victorious!) in 1964.
The 906/907/908/910 series provided Porsche with champagne spraying moments consecutively up to 1970, and results show they won for five years on the bounce!
The 908/3 was the last true race car the Porsche entered for the event, competing in the early 70's and providing victory in 1970.
By 1973 death and motor racing were becoming unwanted friends, and it was announced that it would be the last year the Targa Florio would be staged as a championship event. As you can imagine Alfa Romero and Ferrari were desperate to take home the honours, and sign the Targa Florio off with an Italian victory! When Porsche entered 911 RSR's as opposed to one of the eligible prototypes the event seemed to be taking shape as a Festival Italia!!
But by now cars were producing 600bhp, the course was hugely demanding, and as always with endurance events you have back markers to worry about. With everything seeming like an all Italian affair the streets were littered with supporters, street verges were full of parked (abandoned!) cars, and it became virtually impossible to see which way the course turned. Indeed, 1973 sounded closer to a leg of the Tour De France than an motor race with the crowd parting at the last second as the competitors approached.
Ferrari and Alfa traded lap times, and with the crowds cheering them on they disappeared away from the hugely underpowered 911's. But endurance racing can be a little like the hare and tortoise story sometimes, and sure enough the Italians who ran away at the start started to find difficulty. Punctures, engines trouble and gearbox failure saw them drop out one by one and slowly the race came towards Porsche. In the little 911 Muller & Van Lennep's approach had been to "give it hell", but eventually managed to cruise the 911 home for a record breaking 11th manufacturer victory!
R-R Targa/Bus Thread Here
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