Three legendary numbers that will speak to any motorsport enthusiast: 917. We are talking about the most iconic race car ever created. Back in the 1960s, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was one of the most celebrated events in the world, and Ferrari and Ford dominated it. Porsche, back in the 60s, was nothing but an underdog. And we as humans tend to root for the underdogs. Perhaps that was one of the reasons that the world fell in love with the 917 as soon as it got introduced.

In 1969 Ferdinand Piëch decided it was the time to teach Ferrari and Ford a lesson. Nonetheless, he ended up giving an unforgettable memory to the whole world. Speed, lightness, and luck. The three words that capture the story of the 917. This article will keep you entertained with some facts you probably never heard about the 917 before; from the crazy engine to failures in the beginning to why it became Steve McQueen's favorite race car.

15 Origins Of The 917

crowd in front of a porsche 917
via porsche.com

Porsche's arguably most famous car, the 917, made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 12, 1969. It's difficult to believe that Porsche would commit to manufacturing the 917 if the International Championship of Makes didn't reduce the number of production figures from 50 to 25. Porsche took absolute advantage of this rule and build 25 versions of a whole new car, which had only one goal: win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

14 The New But Familiar Engine

porsche 917 engine
via motor1.com

Hans Mezger designed the iconic 917 under the leadership of Ferdinand Piëch and Helmuth Bott. The power of the 917 came from a new 4.5-liter air-cooled engine designed by Mezger. He combined two Porsche 2.25l flat-six engines used in previous racing cars. The result was a 180° flat-12 cylinder layout engine. Even today, the 917's engine is considered to be the greatest twelve-cylinder ever.

13 Light As A Feather

porsche 917 gulf
via wikipedia.org

No matter how crazy or well-built an engine can be, it's nothing without a body to put it in. Fortunately, the 917 had a splendid one. It weighed only 1764 lbs and its engine components made of titanium, magnesium, and other lightweight alloys had been developed exclusively for one purpose - saving weight. 

12 Weight Saving Measures

porsche 917 engineering diagram
via 365daysofmotoring.com

Mezger took crazy weight-saving measures in order to keep the Porsche compact. First of all, the driving position was so far forward that the driver's feet were basically above the front wheel axle. Not to mention how they used birch wood to make the gear lever knob. Or using the tubular frame for oil piping. So ahead of its time, it's crazy.

11 Big Happy Family

porsche 917 models side by side
via ausmotive.com

There were at least eleven variants of the 917. The original version had a tail with active wing flaps, which made the car look like a rocket. Nonetheless, the rear was said to cause handling problems at high speed. That's why the John Wyer Engineering team after weeks of investigating and experimenting found a shorter tail that gave the 917 better aerodynamics, also known as 917K for Kurzheck (short tail). Other variants of the 917 had even shorter tails, which were thought to be more attractive.

10 Crazy Performance

porsche 917
via monochrome-watches.com

At first, the 917 engine had 520 horsepower and could go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. Its top speed was 250 miles per hour. Not bad for the 70s, right? Well, you still haven't heard the best part. The 917's engine was capable of much more than that. When Porsche used the 917 in Can-Am racing, which didn't have so many regulations, they tuned and turbocharged the engine to produce 1,000 to 1,500 horsepower. Absolutely mad!

9 Rocky Start

porsche 917 crashed
via worthpoint.com

Ferdinand Piëch had one goal: he wanted the 917 to be the best. Everywhere. However, good things take time. The 917 took some time as well before it became an icon. It was tough to find drivers for the 917, as they viewed the car as too dangerous. A driver named John Woolfe lost his life at the 24 Hours of the Le Mans in 1969. That's what inspired Porsche to make the 917 not only unbeatable but safe too.

8 Becoming Race Car King

porsche 917
via motor1.com

Fortunately, Porsche didn't get discouraged by the events in 1969. On the opposite, in 1970 it came back stronger than ever. A red and white 917K driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in Porsche's history. Later on, the 917 triumphed at Daytona, Brands Hatch, Mona Spa, the Nürburgring, Watkins Glen, and the Österreichring in Austria.

7 Ferrari Feud

enzo ferrari with a driver
via pinterest.com

You know the 917 was a phenomenon when Enzo Ferrari decides to sell half of the company to Fiat, only to build 25 cars powered by 5.0-liter V12s to compete with it. In fact, the Ferrari 512 was introduced during that exact time. We love Ferrari, but back in the 70s, it was Porsche's time to shine.

6 The Best Performers

porsche 917
via porsche.com

The colorful liveries representing the different teams are as memorable as the engine of the Porsche 917. The Salzburg Red, which was based on the colors of the Austrian flag, is ranked in the first position as the best performer, the one racing car that won the first overall victory of Le Mans. The second is the one and only, the movie star, the 917 in Gulf livery. At last, number three is ranked the Martini wrap. Although this car was unable to score any wins, it was the first racing car of the 917 production run. A truly unforgettable experience!

5 One Race That Got Away

porsche 917 at sebring
via sportscardigest.com

Back in 1970, Porsche managed to dominate in almost every race possible. There was no stopping for the alien vehicle that felt like it almost came from another planet. However, out of all ten races in the FIA Championship, including some non-championship events, the 917 had won every race except Sebring, which Ferrari had won.

4 The Most Powerful

porsche 917/30
via porsche.de

In 1973 Porsche made the final official variant of the 917, which, to this day, is remembered as one of the most potent sports racing cars ever to exist. The 917/30 had many updates in the bodywork, and also the engine was tuned to give the 917 around 1100 to 1580 horsepower. Let us remind you again that this happened 47 years ago, in case you're confused.

RELATED: 15 Porsches That You’ll Probably Never Afford

3 Breaking The Records

porsche 917
via racingarchives.com

1971 was Porsche's year. No one can convince us otherwise. The 917 broke four separate records that year. The fastest qualifying lap, most rapid in-race rap, highest top speed, and longest distance ever covered. As you see, the Porsche 917 isn't legendary because it won, many cars did that, but it's the way it won.

RELATED: The Wide World Of Porsche 917 Paintwork

2 Movie Star

steve mcqueen in le mans
via telegraph.co.uk

In the '70s, Steve McQueen was one of the most iconic film stars. For Steve, racing was life, anything before or after it was just waiting, according to his own words. It was his love for racing and cars that inspired the creation of the movie Le Mans that's perhaps the most significant racing film ever made. It's a movie filled with the sound of exhausts, jazz, and duels between Ferrari and Porsche. Plus, to think that there were no special effects used - keep in mind, this was the 70s. Everything was created using analog materials. More than any movie, Le Mans captures the beauty that Porsche cars represent in our lives.

RELATED: 15 Classic Cars From Steve McQueen’s Collection We Wished We Could Drive

1 Most Expensive Porsche Ever Sold

porsche 917
via motor1.com

Before becoming the star of Steve McQueen's movie, the Gulf-liveried 917K was used as a test car for Le Mans. After being left in a garage for decades, the same exact car was put up for auction in 2017. The 917 was fully restored by Swiss specialists Graber Sportgarage, and it got sold for $14 million, making it the most expensive Porsche ever sold. Nonetheless, no money captures the passion and power that the 917 has. You cannot put a price on a legend, even if it is an eight-digit number.

NEXT: 15 Of The Most Epic Looking Cars That Won The 24 Hours Of Le Mans