Norbert Singer's "Mongrel"
OR
The Porsche 911S/T that became the Carrera Prototype (continued)

In February, 2006 I wrote a feature article on the 1972 Porsche 911S/T, that became the RS 2.7 "Prototype", chassis number 911 360 0001.

Since writing that piece, more information has surfaced, leading me to the conclusion that this car was probably used by the factory "Works" team to finish third overall in the 1973 Targa Florio, the very last of the immortal true road races run, around the island of Sicily.

If you look at that feature from 2006 (see our "Archives" section), you will see that at one point, I quoted the superb "Carrera RS" book by George Konradsheim, in which he wrote:

"This first prototype was originally intended to be a 911S 2.7 and was based on a bodyshell from the 1972 model year. That is why the oil tank cover was in the right rear fender and the direction indicator lights were chrome plated." (Author’s italics.) One can presume that they were discussing this car. "Between April 1972 and the start of series production in October, eight further prototypes were built. They were used for tests, practice, internal presentations, and licensing procedures. Later, Porsche made these vehicles available as company cars to its factory drivers." (Author’s italics.) You may remember also that Porsche started their RS numbering section at 911 360 0011, leaving ten numbers available to use for re-numbering old 911S/S/Ts as Carrera "Prototypes".

At the time that I wrote the previous feature, I had imagined that these "eight further prototypes" were chassis numbers 911 360 0003 to 0010 inclusive. I was wrong; The first eight RS’s, from 0011 to 0018, were these "eight further prototypes" and turn out to have been built on 1972 bodyshells, as that was what the factory were "using up", and Porsche have never wasted anything! 0019 and 0020 were the first two RSRs, which leads me on to the fact that any cars numbered 911 360 0003 to 0010 have never, to my knowledge, shown up.

So we have the 911S/T of Zasada re-numbered to 911 360 0001 and another S/T (911 230 0841, a factory test car marked in Porsche’s records as "scrapped"), apparently re-numbered as 911 360 0002. This, I am sure, is the prototype RSR, run by the Strahle Race Team at the Osterreichring in July 1972, not 911 360 0001 as I had thought it just might be.

So the factory had two RSR "Prototypes" available to them during 1972/3 that have received scant consideration before. I had always thought it extremely unlikely that they would have sat in factory storage, never being used. Then a friend recommended me to look at a thread on the internet about the RSRs that the factory team used in the 1973 Targa Florio and there, it seems, these two cars were used.

In Norbert Singer’s new book, "24:16", he says that the factory took five cars to the Targa, including the factory’s "Mule", which Singer refers to as "E42". (Apparently, he never knew the car’s chassis number.)

We know that, by May 1973 when the Targa Florio was held, the factory had built some eight RSRs and their histories are precised below:

Chassis No: 911 360 0001
911S 2.5 M491.

Used as a rally car by Sobieslav Zasada. Crashed. Re-numbered from a 911S 2.5S/T 911 230 0769. This became the first RS 2.7 Carrera prototype.

1973: Used to homologate the RS into Group 4.(RSR specification).
Probably (based upon photographic evidence):
13/5: Targa Florio: Kinnunen/Haldi, #9; 3rd.

Chassis No: 911 360 0002
Originally a 911S/T 2.5 M491. 911 230 0841 – Noted as "Scrapped" 25/08/72.

1973:
13/5: Targa Florio, Sicily: #107, practice vehicle. 3-liter engine installed. Steckonnig/Pucci; 6th OA.

Chassis No: 911 360 0019 R1
Engine No: 663 003.
Type:911/72. 2806 cc. 300 BHP/8000 rpm. High butterfly injection.
Prod. no:103 1089.
Gearbox type: 915.
Chassis Length: 4147 mm.
Built: 10/72.

1972: Nov. Paul Ricard tests with van Lennep/Muller.

Engineers: Singer/Flegl/Donohue.

These tests resulted in revised rear suspension mountings, plus 18 mm lowered front struts. Car lapped in 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Chassis No: 911 360 0020 R2
Engine Type: 911/74. 2993cc. 315 BHP/8000 rpm. High butterfly injection.
Prod. no: 103 1090.
Gearbox: 663 004.
Built: 11/72.
Color: Grand Prix White with Red "Carrera" graphics and wheel centers.

1972:
3/11: Tour de Corse: Larrousse/Delferrier; Reg No: LEO-ZA-69, #2; DNF.

Car used for testing racing developments.

Winter, 1972/3: Paul Ricard: Used for testing with Muller, van Lennep, Larrousse, Donohue. 2:08.4 with large spoiler. 2:10 without.

This RSR is now in the Porsche museum.

Chassis No: 911 360 0307 R3
Engine No: 663 000. 2993cc. 330 BHP/8000 rpm. Slide injection.
Type: 911/75.
Prod. No: 103 3677.
Gearbox No: 793 1013.
Color: Ossi-blue with red lettering.
Built: 12/72.

This was the Penske-entered car at the Daytona 24-hours 1973 that, driven by Mark Donohue/George Follmer, damaged a piston and retired. Race no: 6.

Sold to Al Holbert who used it to take 2nd place in the1973 Trans-Am Championship. Car carried race no: 14.

Chassis No: 911 360 0328 R4
Prod. No: 103 3678.
Engine type: 911/72.
Gearbox No: 7931014.
Built: 1/73.
Color: Grand Prix White with Green Carrera graphics and wheel centers.

This is the car sent by the Factory to the 1973 Daytona 24 hours (collected from New York docks on 19th January 1973) where, in Brumos colors and driven by Peter Gregg/Hurley Haywood, it won outright. Race no: 59. The car was then returned to the Factory on 11th February. (There is a published photograph of the car in Brumos colors with Ferry Porsche, Rico Steinemann and Klaus Reichert.) Further developed as a Martini-sponsored "long-tail" Group 5 car. Helmuth Bott reported it was ‘verschrotten’ (broken up). Probably dismantled for inspection.

Chassis No: 911 360 0576 R5
Prod. No: 103 4464.
Gearbox type: 915/50.
Number: 783 0531.
Built: 2/73.

Chassis No: 911 360 0588 R6
Prod. No: 103 4517.
Gearbox No: 783 0596.
Engine No: 663 0000. (3 liters.)
Built: 2/73.
Martini-sponsored car.

Targa winner – now with Peter Kitchak.

Chassis No: 911 360 0686 R7
Prod. No: 103 4689.
Gearbox no: 783 0668.
Built: 2/73.
Martini-sponsored car.

Chassis No: 911 360 0974
Built 5/73.

All the above appear to have been built on 1973 bodyshells, as witnessed by the lack of a flap for oil filling in the right rear quarter panel. 0307 was sold to Al Holbert after the Daytona 24 Hours and the actual winner of that race, 0328, was returned to the factory, where it was "verschrotten" (broken up, scrapped) according to factory records. 0974 is noted as having been built in May, the month of the Targa Florio, so I think it is unlikely that it went to Sicily. We are left with just 0019, 0020, 0576, 0588 (the factory acknowledged winner), and 0686, which may have gone to the Targa Florio.

It is recorded that two cars were badly crashed in practice, though one was apparently repaired in time to start the race (see "24:16" – Singer). Singer also reported that the factory "Mule-E42" was pressed into use.

You can see, by studying photographs that both race #9 (driven by Kinnunen and Claude Haldi and which finished third) and race #107 (driven by Gunther Steckonnig and Baron Pucci to sixth place), have the tell-tale oil filler door on the right rear quarter panel that marks them out as 1972 build cars. Both cars exhibit chrome framed, opening rear quarter panel windows and 0002 has chromed horn grills, all signs of a 1972 car.

It is possible that RSR #107 is the same car that ran at the Osterreichring in July 1972, re-numbered S/T 911 360 0002. Interesting features are the stripes on the front hood, and the fuel filler hole on the hood. Those rear flares and the Martini stripes on the scuttle are further clues, showing that the hood must have been changed. Furthermore, there are no side Martini stripes present. I wonder just what happened to this car?

So this just leaves #9, the third placed car, as the other 1972 chassised car. This car also had a red roof and green painted underside to the front bumpers. If you take a look at a photo taken from the rear, you can also see that the side extensions to the "Burzel" are simply taped in place, with some very "done in a hurry" side extensions. It is my conjecture (based on all the photographic evidence made available to me), that this car is, very probably, the ex-Zasada 911S/T rally car, re-numbered as 911 360 0001, Singer’s "Mongrel".