Porsche 50 Years of the 917 Exhibition

Porsche's dominance of endurance racing started in earnest in 1969 with the release of the 917. Powered by an indestructible flat-12, the 917 notched its first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 with a sweep of the podium. The 917's influence would continue to be felt decades later, with closed-cockpit prototype sportscars bearing a resemblance to the car. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 917's unveiling at the Geneva Auto Show, Porsche has spent the last year restoring 917-001, the first 917 built, with a team including the some of the original engineers and technicians. Modern technology was used along with the original drawings to analyze and recreate parts where needed and keep those that were still in proper shape. The 917 is to be presented at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, where it will take its place among all the other legendary cars to come from the Porsche factory over the years.