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Porsche’s Rally Cars

There was a period of time when Porsche rally cars were a force to be reckoned with.

These days are now just a memory as Porsche has chosen to focus on road racing where

they have had spectacular results. As we are in the time of year of the Dakar Rally and

the Monte Carlo Rally, which for a time were dominated by Porsche, I thought that it

would be interesting to look at Porsche’s rally cars.

A Porsche 356B at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1959 [1]

An early Porsche 356 Carrera at the Rallye Des Alps [1]

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The Porsche 356 is a nice car but it was not a rally winner for Porsche. In the late 1950s

and early 1960s these cars were competing against strong BMC rally teams with their

Austin Healeys, Erik Carlsson with his Saab, and various drivers with the Mercedes-Benz

cars. And the Mini was to become a serious rally car.

Klauss’ Carrera 2 in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally [2]

When the Porsche 911 came out the performance of Porsche cars in rallying greatly

improved. They also got Vic Elford to drive for them and there wasn’t anything that

“Quick Vic” could not drive very well. Later Bjorn Waldegaard joined the team.

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Peter Falk and Herbert Linge at the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally [3]

Vic Elford winning the 1968 Monte Carlo Rally in this Porsche 911T [5]

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Porsche’s great results at the Monte Carlo rally continued in 1969, this time Bjorn

Waldegaard took the honors.

Bjorn Waldegaard Winning the 1969 Monte Carlo Rally [1]

John Buffum got the rally world’s attention in 1969 by finishing 12th

Overall at the

Monte Carlo Rally in a privateer entry Porsche 911. His co-driver Steve Behr was a

Porsche car salesman who had never been in a rally before! Buffum’s finish was the best

by an American up to that time.

Steve Behr and John Buffum at the 1969 Monte Carlo Rally [4]

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Porsche won the Monte Carlo Rally for the third time in a row in 1970 with Waldegaard

in this slightly damaged Porsche.

Waldegaard won the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally again in this 911ST [3]

Waldegaard’s was 4th

in the East African Safari Rally in this 1978 Porsche 911SC[6]

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A Porsche 911 SC/RS built for Group B Competition [6]

Co-Drivers will notice that this Porsche is fitted with Halda’s digital odometer[6]

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Porsche continued to actively rally into the 1980s and won the Dakar Rally several times.

These days Porsche’s rallying is done by privateers, like Glen Clarke in the Ottawa area

and Scott Giannou of Newfoundland in tarmac events like Targa Newfoundland. The

glory days of Porsche rallying are gone, but not forgotten.

References

1. “The Ultimate History of Porsche” by Stuart Gallagher with Helen Smith, 2003,

Paragon Publishing.

2. “Motor Racing, The Drivers and Their Machines” by G. Guzzardi and E. Rizzo,

1999, White Star Publishers.

3. “Porsche Sixty Years” by Randy Leffingwell, 2008, Motorbooks

4. “In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion, The Story of John Buffum” by Tom

Grimshaw, 1994, Tabby House.

5. “Great Marques: Porsche” by Chris Harvey, 1980, Octopus Books Limited.

6. “Porsche Legends” by Randy Leffingwell, 2002, Motorbooks.