AutoArt 1:18 1970 Porsche 917K #23- H. Herrmann/R. Attwood- LeMans Winner

As the first Porsche to win LeMans overall, Porsche 917K #23 is arguably the most historically significant of all the racing Porsches.

In 1968, the FIA altered the engine capacity ceiling for the Manufacturer’s World Championship to 5 liters. Porsche responded to this rule change with the most successful post-war German racing car up to that time……. the 917.

Shown to the public for the first time in 1969 at the Geneva Auto Show, it was to win almost every race in which it was entered. Among these cars was the 917K driven by Hans Herrmann and Dick Attwood to the first overall win at the 24 heurs du LeMans in June of 1970. Thanks to the 917s, Porsche won the 1970 Manufacturer’s World Championship.

The 917 had a air-cooled, twelve-cylinder, 4494 cc, normally aspirated, dual overhead cam “boxer” engine rated at 560 hp attached to a 5-speed transmission. The engine was eventually up-rated to 4998 cc and 630 hp @ 8300 rpm (three years later, the twin turbocharged 917/30KL of Mark Donohue was able to produce a driver-controlled 1500 hp for short bursts). The FIA ban on driver-adjustable aerodynamic devices prevented the use of the rear winglet as originally planned and short and long tail sections were developed for “tuning” the car to specific race courses. In the 917K, the “K” stands for kurtz (short). The car was extremely light weight at about 800kg, but there was some grumbling by the drivers that its crashworthiness (and the driver’s safety) took a back seat to the goal of reducing weight. Anyone watching Steve McQueen’s crash scene in “LeMans” (especially in slow motion) will have a real appreciation of how flimsy the fiberglass panels attached to the thin-wall tubing structure really is!

AutoArt has done a very nice job of producing this car. The car is incredibly “tidy”! The rear section lifts to reveal the engine, transmission and rear suspension. A panel in the nose lifts to expose the fluid reservoirs for the clutch and brake pedals. The doors open to expose a neat cockpit. The paint, graphics and build quality reflect the high standard that I’ve come to expect from AutoArt. That said, there isn’t a great amount of detail compared to even later AutoArt cars that have been released. But this was very consistent with the quality level expected at this price point when the AA 917 series was initially released. But sitting on the shelf without a lot of close examination, the #23 presents itself very well and I’m proud to own it. Thanks, AutoArt!

Thanks to Revell-Germany AG for supplying the historical data used in this review.

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