Porsche 917/10-001 is the prototype “series 10” Can-Am car and was built in December 1970 for Porsche’s own test purposes. In early Jan ’71 the car was aero tested in the Weissach wind-tunnel before embarking on a test and development programme stretching from June ’71 through to October ’72.
Price on application
Are you interested in this car?
Then feel free to send us an email
Or contact us directly via phone:
+49 172 5303555
Do you like this car?
Share with your friends or keep all informations about it:
The only 917 of all variants with chassis number 001 in private ownership
It was tested relentlessly at Weissach and also at Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, chiefly by Willi Kauhsen but also at length by Mark Donohue and at other times by Jo Siffert and chief test driver Herrman Mimler.
10-001’s role in the 917/10 winning the ’72 Can-Am cannot be underestimated. It spent a total of 80 days track testing including a remarkable 23 straight days on the Weissach skid and steering pan, where for the occasion it was fitted with twin-rear wheels which gave it a tyre width far exceeding what the then regulations would alloy. 10-001 was also the car which did all the turbo-charged engine tests and endurance runs.
The internal Porsche records show the following test days attributed to 917/10-001
| Date | Track | Driver | Puprose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 January 1971 | Weissach Windtunnel | – | Aero tests |
| 29 June 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | J. Siffert | 25 laps test |
| 02 July 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 05 July 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 08 July 1971 | Hockenheim, Germany | W. Kauhsen, J. Siffert | Test |
| 09 July 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | Mimler | Test |
| 25 July 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | Mimler | 1st turbo tests |
| 30 July 1971 | Hockenheim, Germany | J. Siffert | Test |
| 06 August 1971 | Hockenheim, Germany | W. Kauhsen, J. Siffert | Test |
| 10 August 1971 | Weissach Windtunnel | W. Kauhsen | Aero tests |
| 23 August 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 02 September 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | Mimler, W. Kauhsen | 2 day test |
| 28 September 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 30 September 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | 2 day test | |
| 12 October 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 4.9 non-turbo test |
| 21 October 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 4.5 turbo test |
| 28 October 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 9 day test |
| 03 Dezember 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 13 Dezember 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 17 Dezember 1971 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 05 January 1972 | Weissach Windtunnel | – | Aero tests |
| 20 January 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 08 February 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 23 February 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | 3 day test |
| 01 March 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | 2 day test |
| 10 March 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 5 day test |
| 18 March 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 3 day test |
| 25 March 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 3 day test |
| 28 March 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 5.0 turbo test |
| 29 March 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | 5.0 turbo test |
| 12 May 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 17 May 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | M. Donohue | Test |
| 02 June 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 05 June 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 08 June 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 22 June 1972 | Weissach Proving Grounds | W. Kauhsen | Test |
| 03 July 1972 | Nürburgring, Germany | W. Kauhsen | 2 day test |
| 03 August 1972 | Weissach Windtunnel | – | Aero tests |
| 01 September 1972 | Weissach Circular Path | W. Kauhsen | 23 day test |
At some point after the 1971 24H of Le Mans the nose of the Pedro Rodriguez/Jackie Oliver Gulf sponsored 917L was fitted to 917/10-001.
Reuniting one of the most iconic racing liveries one can have on a 917 with this unique 917 Spyder Prototype chassis.
During its time as a test car, it had three visits to the windtunnel which produced three different sets of bodywork. The first set ended up being used on Jo Siffert’s STP sponsored ’71 Can-Am contender, 10-002.
The second set became the customer spec bodywork with the round nose and short rear wing overhang. The third set became the factory “shovel nose” spec with the rear wing set further back.
In October 1972 the car was completely rebuilt by the factory racing department and sold to Willi Kauhsen, who had previously crashed and partially burnt-put the car he was then racing in the Interfere, the ex-STP/Siffert ’71 Can-Am car, 10-002.
Some 18 months after it was first built, 10-001 finally made its racing debut at the Hockenheim Interserie, where fitted with a customerspec nose, Kauhsen finished 2nd. 10-001 then made its way to America for the Can-Am now fitted with a factory spec “shovel” nose. Kauhsen retired at Laguna Seca with a blown turbo, but finished 8th at Riverside despite running out of fuel within a couple of laps of the chequered flag.
Kauhsen then took up an invitation by the Fittipaldi brothers to race in the first two rounds of the Coppa Brazil at Interlagos held in December ’72. Kauhsen won the first race, its only ever recorded overall race win, but retired in the second race held a week later.
Willi Kauhsen in 917/10-001
For 1973, Kauhsen bought a brand new car, 10-015 and throughout the year he would race both cars. When he was racing the new car, 10-001 would be rented out to paying drivers.
At Imola in May ’73, Bobby Rinzler borrowed the car for Charlie Kemp to race and it was re-painted in RC Crown Cola livery. After a strong early showing, Kemp retired with mechanical failure.
For its next race in 1973 at Silverstone, 10-001 was back in its usual yellow and red livery and raced by the hired gun-driver Gunther Steckkonig to a 6th place.
Kauhsen then did the Mid-Ohio Can-Am event in August, where he retired, before returning to Europe for the Interserie event at Hockenheim in 10-001 having rented out 10-015 to Wilson Fittipaldi.
On Hockenheim Wilson Fitipaldi though did the early practice sessions in 10-001 as this was his first taste of Porsche turbo power.
In the race itself, Kauhsen finished 4th overall in 10-001 after finishing 6th in heat 1 and winning the second heat.
917/10-001 saw no further action after that until June ’74 where it was entered by Kauhsen for Emerson Fittipaldi to race in the Nurburgring 300 Kms, a round of the Interserie. Emerson took the drive as he saw it as a chance to get some Nurburgring practice in before the German GP which would be held in a couple of months’ time in August.
For the race, the car wore the white, red and blue livery of Redlefsen, Kausen’s main title sponsor for his ’74 Interseries campaign in 10-015.
Emerson qualified on pole position, but in a race held in mixed wet/dry conditions, slipped back to finish 6th.
917/10-001 Period Racing History 1972-1974
| Date | Track | Number | Driver | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 October 1972 | Hockenheim Interserie, Germany | #11 | W. Kauhsen | 2nd |
| 15 October 1972 | Laguna Seca, Can-Am, USA | #18 | W. Kauhsen | DNF (blown turbo) |
| 29 October 1972 | Riverside Can-Am, USA | #18 | W. Kauhsen | 8th (out of fuel) |
| 03 Dezember 1972 | Coppa Brazil, Interlagos | #3 | W. Kauhsen | 1st |
| 10 Dezember 1972 | Coppa Brazil, Interlagos | #3 | W. Kauhsen | DNF |
| 01 May 1973 | Imola Internere, Italy | #23 | C. Kemp | DNF (Rinzler livery) |
| 20 May 1973 | Silverstone Interserie, England | #11 | K. Steckkonig | 6th |
| 24 June 1973 | Norisring Interserie, Germany | #11 | W. Kauhsen | 4th |
| 12 August 1973 | Mid-Ohio Can-Am, USA | #5 | W. Kauhsen | DNF |
| 30 September 1973 | Hockenheim Interserie, Germany | #2 | W. Kauhsen | 4th (1st in heat 2) |
| 17 June 1974 | Nürburgring Interserie, Germany | #1 | E. Fittipaldi | 6th (Redlefsen livery) |
The restoration of 917/10-001
Kauhsen had retired 10-001 from active competition at the end of the 1974 racing season and placed his car in dry storage where it remained untouched until 1997!
It then underwent a two-year lasting complete restoration to be turned back in its iconic yellow and red Bosch livery.
From 2000 onwards Willi Kauhsen demonstrated 10-001 at several classic car and historic events over the next few years with appearances at Goodwood, Nurburgring, Daytona and Brands Hatch as well as spending some time in the Stavelot Museum at Spa.
The car comes with a great collection of personal photos from Kauhsen’s archive that document this part of 10-001’s life.
In 2003 the car was track tested by Motor Sport magazine and was also featured on the front cover.
In 2006 the car was offered for sale at the Monaco Coys auction, where it failed to sell.
Dr. Ulrich Schumacher bought 10-001 in 2008 and over the next four years demonstrated the car at Hockenheim, Goodwood and at the Ennstal Classic in Salzburg where in 2010 it was demonstrated by ex-Ferrari Grand Prix driver Gerhard Berger.
Dr. Ulrich Schumacher sold 10-001 in December of 2012 to its next keeper who was based out of Monaco.
Before undergoing its next restoration the car was shown at the St-Raphael Concourse d’Elegance where it was awarded a trophy for the best race car.
In November of 2014 the car was back together. The Big 1.100Hp engine had been swapped out in favor of a more manageable 600hp flat12 like it had in its early days at the factory.
And by March of 2015 the car was finished in the Gulf livery and fully set up with the help of Jurgen Barth.
In mid 2015 the car was sold to a new caretaker who intended to race the car. The 917 prototype was successfully raced at various events as the Peter Auto racing series or the German Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring.
To celebrate the early days of 001, the car was taken back in 2016 into the experimental livery of 1971/72 where the car was in the Porsche wind tunnel fitted with the nose of the Le Mans winning 917L of Pedro Rodriguez and Jackie Oliver. Personally we love this livery with the special front and rear features!
In the same year the car was auctioned by RM Sothebys at their famous annual Paris sale.
Today the car is presented in a later, but nevertheless famous livery – in the iconic orange Bosch colors. Ready to race, 001 comes with a nice spares package that includes body parts and wheels. As well as a huge history file. With a known history from new, this important Porsche 917/10 prototype would be an ideal weapon with which to contest prestigious vintage endurance racing events.
The car comes with two binders filled with period photography and copies of magazine and newspaper articles from its time as a test car at the factory and later its racing life up to 1974.
A photo report of the restoration taken from the Willi Kauhsen archive.
The ONS Wagenpass.
An 11-page Jurgen Barth expertise report and a current valid FIA Passport.
917/10-001 is without a doubt a very interesting and unique car.
Not only has it unquestionable Porsche Prototype history with its 82 days of testing at the factory proving grounds.
It was the first ever 917 Spyder the got built and played a key role in the development of the Canam series Porsche cars. On top of this it is the only 001 numbered Spyder of all the 917 series that is in private ownership, all others with a 001 frame are in the hands of the Porsche Museum today.
Today the car has been fitted with the 917 nose as it had during a test phase at the factory, this made it possible to incorporate the headlights and so for the first time in its life it has now been issued an FIA passport with which it is now eligible to compete in some of the world’s most prestigious classic car events like Le Mans classic, even a road registration could be possible if one would desire to run it on the street or in events like the Tour Auto.
The 4.5L Turbo Charged 1.100Hp engine was swapped out for a more user friendly 4.9L Flat 12 atmospheric fuel injected engine making the car very easy to drive and a lot less hard to maintain. On top of being a sound investment, one that is very competitively priced compared to the much more expensive 917 coupés, it will be a fierce weapon to enjoy in any classic endurance racing series.
Feel free to make an appointment to go through the complete documentation file and the car is available for inspection prior to purchase on simple request to Jan B. Lühn.
