The successful history of Porsche at the Le Mans 24H

June 12, 2024 Tim Havermans Le Mans 24H

In 2023, the Le Mans 24H celebrated its 100th edition. Porsche did not participate in the earlier editions, for the simple reason that it just didn’t exist at that time. The first car with the name Porsche on the bonnet, in Porsche circles better known as Porsche 356 Number 1, was only road-registered on June 8 1948. Money was a big issue for the German car manufacturer, which prevented them to invest too much money in racing. By that time, it were mainly the wealthy Porsche customers that used their cars for racing too. In October 1950, Ferdinand Porsche visited the Paris Motorshow, where the French Porsche importer Auguste Veuillet represented the brand. At that show, Veuillet asked Ferdinand Porsche to consider sending a car for participation in the 1951 Le Mans 24H. With his huge race experience, the old professor realized soon that winning the 1100 class wasn’t impossible.

Edmond Mouche & Auguste Veuillet and the 1st in class Porsche 356 Gmund SL at the 1951 Le Mans 24H

First success : a class victory

So just a few months later, Porsche sent a delegation to the 24-hour race in Le Mans for the first time. With success: the two Frenchmen Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche promptly clinched class victory at the wheel of the Porsche 356 Gmünd SL. Since then, the Porsche brand has been represented on the grid of the world’s greatest endurance race every year. To date, a total of over 800 Porsche racing cars have contested the endurance classic. And all this wasn’t without succes. On the contrary.

1969.. close but no cigar

After its first appearance at Le Mans, and the class victory in 1951, Porsche had to wait a very long time to take the trophy for overall victory home. The 1969 was one of the most exciting in the event’s history. After winning the International Championship for makes that season, Porsche started the race as strong favourite to take its first overall victory. The almighty Porsche 917s dominated the majority of the race, with a leading position for about 90% of the time. But the saying ‘To finish first, you have to finish first’ wasn’t invented for nothing. The leading Porsche 917 with Vic Elford and Richard Attwood at the wheel broke gearbox and disappeared from the race. Jackie Oliver and Jacky Ickx took over the lead in the Ford GT40. The race ended in a 3-hour sprint, with the Ford battling the pursuing Porsche 908 of Hans Herrmann and Gérard Larrousse non-stop. In the end, Ickx and Oliver took the chequered flag just 120 metres ahead of the Porsche after 24 hours of racing. This was, and still is, the closest finish ever in the history of the Le Mans 24H.

The Porsche 917 #23 (Hans Herrmann / Richard Attwood)

1970…the first victory

Porsche did everything to make 1970 the year of the revenge, and take home victory of the Le Mans 24 hour race. For the 1970 season, it was the John Wyer Automotive that ran the Porsche works car. Chief engineer John Horsman had turned the unhandable Porsche 917 into a car with much more downforce. That made the car extremely fast too. No less than 7 Porsche 917s were at the start of the 1970 Le Mans 24 hours. 3 of them in the well known Gulf Livery, 2 of the Porsche Salzburg Team, owned by Ferdinand Piech. After 24 hours of racing, the #23 car took home Porsche’s first overall victory at the Le Mans 24H.

Porsche has by far the most overall victories and class wins, compared to any other car manufacturer. In total 19 overall victories and 110 class wins can be written on Porsche’s account. However, there were some unsuccessful years to. 1959 for example was a complete disaster for Porsche, which entered 3 factory Porsche 718 RSKs, but none of them would make it to the finish. As you can see on the list below, the 1980s were Porsche’s heydays at the Circuit de la Sarthe. In 1981 Porsche started a succes series of 7 consecutive victories at Le Mans, which is unprecedented and unequalled in the decades-long history of the Le Mans 24H. Jackie Ickx won the race 6 times, Tom Christensen did it 9 times. No wonder they are nicknamed Mr. Le Mans. But if there’s one person who really deserves this title, it is Norbert Singer, the Porsche engineer. He was involved in no less than 16 Porsche overal victories. Now we’re speaking about the real Mr. Le Mans, aren’t we?