porsche 936

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Porsche 936Published: 8th November 2017 By: Glen SmaleOnline version: https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/porsche-936/

https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/porsche-936/

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There can be few people better qualified to write about a race car than those who drove that car



in competition. When you add into the formula, the fact that the racing driver in questionalso worked in the motorsport department of the manufacturer responsible for building thatcar, then you have about as solid a source of information as you could wish for.

https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/porsche-936/s_contents-p4/

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Jürgen Barth, the son of Porsche racing legend, Edgar Barth, literally grew up around racecars. When Barth Junior started working for Porsche back in 1966, he joined the company ata time when Porsche was rising up rapidly through the ranks of the world of motorsport at adizzying pace. He would have seen first-hand how the 906, the first of the ‘plastic Porsches’,was succeeded by the 910, the 907 and 908, and the 917 in 1969. This must have been aninfectious time for any young man seeking to work his way up through the ranks of a sportscar maker. Later, Jürgen Barth would be responsible for the Porsche customer racingdepartment, a position he held for many years.



In 1971, Jürgen Barth made the first of thirteen appearances at Le Mans, that year in a 911S, but in 1977 he drove a 936 to victory in the French endurance race with Jacky Ickx. Barthwas known as one of those drivers who would bring a car home, no matter what, and thisattitude to driving saw him score many notable successes. With this background, JürgenBarth set about writing the definitive book on the Type 936, a race car not covered much asit didn’t grab the limelight like the 917 before it, nor the 956/962 which followed it.



Porsche built a total of three 936s – with chassis numbers 936001 to 936003 – and theauthors have meticulously traced the history, development and progress of these threeracing cars. The period covered includes the development of the first prototypes to the lastinternational Porsche 936 victory in the hands of Jacky Ickx/Derek Bell, at the 24 Hours ofLe Mans in 1981 (chassis #936003).



This book, which is in German only, is a chunky work giving a great deal of detail about howthe 936 came about, tracing the development of the racer and showing the evolution of itsaerodynamics from an early stage. Useful tables show the test conditions and results ofvarious aerodynamic tests carried out in the wind tunnel, with dated excerpts fromengineer’s working papers. There is also a detailed results section at the rear of the book,given race dates, drivers and results for each chassis.

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The text is well supported with images that show precisely the evolution and development ofthis open sports prototype, as it took shape back at the factory or on the test track. Inaddition, with Barth knowing first-hand the different steps in the 936’s development, he is inthe perfect position to know which images to source, to best illustrate the text.




With Barth’s closeness to both the car’s development and its success on the race track, hehas been able to turn that practical experience into words. Knowing all of the engineers,drivers and other development staff intimately, Jürgen Barth has brought a refreshing andindividual flavour to the book. Combined with the excellent research and writing skills ofBernd Dobronz, the two authors have successfully captured the particular atmosphere ofthis era of racing.




This is an important book on a race car that has been largely overlooked, but whichcontributed two of Porsche’s Le Mans titles to their record-breaking tally of nineteenvictories in the French classic endurance race. Being able to read German would obviouslybe an advantage, but having this well-presented book to hand will serve as a useful recordof this car’s achievements. As a Porschephile, you will want to have this book on yourbookshelf.

Key Information

Title Porsche 936

Authors Jürgen Barth and Bernd Dobronz

Publisher Motorbuch Verlag

Language German

Published March 2015




ISBN 978-3-613-03756-4

Length 368 pages

Images 307 B&W and 189 Colour

Format 230mm x 265mm, Hardcover

Price €98.00

Written by: Glen Smale

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