5 Attachment(s)
FS: @2016 Goodings Amelia Island - 1970 Porsche 911 2.3 ST
The Goodings & Company, 2016 Amelia Island Auction, March 11, 2016
1970 Porsche 2.3L 911ST Coupe, Lot 066
VIN: 9110300949
Engine: 6301294
Trans: -
Color: -
Mileage: -
Auction Estimate: US$1,100,000 - $1,400,000
Sold for: NO SALE
Attachment 370696
Attachment 370697
Attachment 370698
Attachment 370699
Attachment 370700
Auction Description:
One of Only Seven Works 911 STs Built in 1970 for Official Rally Use
Comprehensively Documented by Porsche Historian Jürgen Barth
Owned by Porsche Factory Driver Gérard Larrousse
Used by Porsche as Both a Racing and Support Car until 1971
A Highly Sought-After, Rare and Important Variant of the Porsche 911
PROVENANCE
Porsche AG, Stuttgart, Germany
Gérard Larrousse, France (acquired from the above in March 1971)
Louis Meznarie, France (acquired from the above in February 1972)
Philippe Burlet, France (acquired from the above circa 1974)
Willi Holzentahl, Germany
Roy Walzer, Litchfield, Connecticut (acquired from the above circa 1997)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)
RACE HISTORY
Austrian Alps Rally, Austria, May 6-10, 1970, Waldegård/Helmer, (1st Overall)
Acropolis Rally, Greece, May 28-31, 1970, (service car for Barth)
RAC Rally England, United Kingdom, November 14-18, 1970, Larrousse/Woods (6th Overall)
Rallye Monte Carlo, Monaco, January 22-29, 1971, (service car for Barth)
Coupes de Vitesse, Montlhéry, France, March 28, 1971, Gérard Larrousse (2nd Overall)
Criterium du Nivernais, Magny Cours, France, May 2, 1971, Gérard Larrousse (1st Overall)
Grand Prix de Paris, Montlhéry, France, May 23, 1971, Jürgen Barth (1st in Class)
Grand Prix Rouen, Rouen, France, June 22, 1971, Sylvain Garant (2nd Overall)
National Magny-Cours, Magny Cours, France, July 14, 1971, Nello Chelli (1st Overall)
Haut Cantal, France, August, 1971, Gérard Larrousse (1st Overall)
Le Mont-Dore, France, August, 1971, Gérard Larrousse (1st Overall)
Criterium Cevennes, France, August, 1971, Gérard Larrousse (DNF)
Tour de France, France, September 25, 1971, Barth/Dolhem, (DNF)
1000 Km de Paris, Montlhéry, France, October 17, 1971, Sylvain Garant (1st Overall)
300 Km Nürburgring, Nürburgring, Germany, April 3, 1972, Gérard Larrousse (DNF)
EXHIBITED
Monterey Historic Automobile Races, August, 1998, Monterey, California, Jürgen Barth (2nd Overall)
Watkins Glen Enduro, September, 1998, Watkins Glen, New York, Jürgen Barth/Roy Walzer (2nd Overall)
Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August, 2013, Monterey, California, Jürgen Barth
THIS CAR
The Porsche 911, introduced in 1964 with such accoutrements as a competitionspec dry-sump oiling system, four-wheel disc brakes, and class-leading performance, was easily accentuated with Sport Purpose options such as exhaust systems, oil coolers, and roll bars, creating a car that could compete for victory in the races and rallies of the period. Occasionally, Porsche would introduce specific variants of the 911 built at the factory for competition purposes and with specifications that were unavailable through the ordering of Sport Purpose options alone.
In 1970, Porsche released a modified version of its 911 in both rally and road race configurations, internally known at the “ST.” While it is likely that no two cars were alike, the 911 STs generally wore wider fender flares in the back – and sometimes front – and received a slight increase in engine capacity. Additional features of the ST were the selective use of thin-gauge sheet metal, fiberglass hood and engine lids, lack of undercoating and soundproofing, and myriad other changes to create a lightweight and stiff platform for competition.
Raced by the Porsche factory team and privateers alike, the 911 ST was successful in a variety of disciplines and events, with wins in 1970 at the Tour de France Automobile and 36 Hours of Nürburgring, just to name a few. The allure of the ST has never faded, and these cars remain as sought-after now as when they were top-line racing machines. For an early 911 enthusiast, few models are as coveted as the 911 ST.
The 911 ST offered here, chassis 9110300949, has lived life as a Works racing car, a factory support car, and now a collectible. This well-traveled and highly accomplished 911 is documented by a fascinating and comprehensive 54-page report compiled by Jürgen Barth in 2015 which describes, in detail, the adventures this car has taken; the report includes many factory documents pertaining to its travels and preparation. Much of the car’s period history at Porsche was under the care of Barth himself, both as driver and executive in the Sport/Presse department.
According to a factory Kardex, 9110300949, originally powered by engine no. 6301294, was completed on February 3, 1970, and retained by the Porsche Sport/Presse department. An internal factory document from February 16, 1970, outlines the specification to which the ST was prepared, including special gear ratios, a rally exhaust, 40% limited slip differential, and 100-liter fuel tank. This document also shows the 911 was registered with the number S-R 2970, which it would wear during its time with the factory. Another document outlines the 911’s preparation for the 1970 Austrian Alps Rally, where drivers Björn Waldegård and Lars Helmer would take 9110300949 to victory in its first competitive outing.
For the 1970 Acropolis Rally, Jürgen Barth used the ST as a service car, as documented by a copy of the car’s customs declaration. The next outing for the 911, now sporting noticeably flared front wheel arches, was at the RAC Rally England, where Gérard Larrousse and Mike Woods drove it to 6th Overall. Barth used 9110300949 as a service car during the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally, after which it was sold by Porsche to its first private owner, factory driver Gérard Larrousse, as shown by a copy of the original Bill of Sale in Barth’s report. Larrousse, often in collaboration with Louis Meznarie, successfully entered a number of events in 1971 with 9110300949, oftentimes with Barth and others as driver, all of which are carefully chronicled in the report. After a race at Magny Cours in May 1971, 9110300949 was painted in the Shell psychedelic yellow-and-red color scheme used on another 911 ST – thought to be chassis 9110301127 – that Larrousse drove to victory in the 1970 Tour de France Automobile.
For the 1971 running of the Tour de France, Larrousse entered this 911 ST for Barth and co-driver Jose Dolhem, as documented by a copy of the original entry form in the report. Unfortunately, the flywheel shook loose on the engine while racing on the Circuit Montjuic and was unable to be repaired, causing their retirement.
On February 29, 1972, 9110300949 was sold to racing team owner Louis Meznarie. The documentation for this sale also shows in handwritten form the name of the car’s next owner, Philippe Burlet, who is thought to have purchased the 911 circa 1974. A subsequent owner of the 911 ST is believed to be Willi Holzentahl of Germany, who sold it to American Porsche racer and enthusiast Roy Walzer circa 1997.
Walzer delivered the 911 ST to respected Porsche expert Jim Newton at Automobile Associates of Canton in Canton, Connecticut. Newton remembers the 911 ST well, stating that it was a roller with no engine that had damage to the right front of the car. As Walzer wanted to race the car, a restoration was undertaken and the body was restored with fiberglass flares to keep weight to a minimum. A 2.5-liter short-stroke racing engine was sourced from Greg La Cava, and a modern fuel cell and fire system were installed for safety.
In 1998, the 911 ST was reunited with Jürgen Barth for the Monterey Historics, which featured Porsche that year. Barth drove the ST with verve, placing 2nd to a very determined Hurley Haywood in a Brumos 914/6. Barth drove the car for Walzer again in the 2013 edition of the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, placing 8th after an electrical problem forced him to start from the back.
The 911 ST was sold by Walzer to the consignor, who wasted no time in asking Barth to compile the aforementioned report.
Currently showing signs of careful use from years of vintage racing competition, 9110300949 stands as a highly attractive and eminently important factory racing 911. With only seven 911 STs built for factory rally use in 1970, this is an extremely rare and historic Porsche – and one of only a handful of Works STs to have ever been offered at public auction. Having been driven by such luminaries as Jürgen Barth, Gérard Larrousse, and Björn Waldegård, and having been authenticated by Barth himself, this historic machine deserves the consideration of discerning Porsche enthusiasts the world over.
