One thing that I learned in showing a car at The Amelia is that it always helps to bring the right car in the first place. This holds true for vintage racing events as well, and the Pick of the Day is a Porsche that you could easily bring to a concours or practically any vintage-racing event in the U.S.
This is due to this car’s history. While some might scoff at the idea of history making a difference at shows or races, I’d say that it most certainly does, and a car with a tremendous story can end up winning concours as well as being welcomed at vintage and history racing events.
The Pick of the Day is a 1965 Porsche 911 race car that does both, and does so with ease.
An early 911 is a great car, and cars such as this 1965 model are pretty rare in themselves. But at the end of the day, many wind up being just a typical short-wheelbase 911 coupe.
This is where the story makes all the difference. This Porsche 911, chassis number 301709, being advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Stratford, Connecticut, has been a racecar for its entire existence.
According to the Porsche Kardex accompanying the car, it was completed at the Zuffenhausen factory in May 1965, then sold to Dr. Harold Williamson by Brumos Porsche in Jacksonville, Florida.
Williamson raced the car in regional events across the Southeast before being approached by George Drolsom, a Porsche factory representative, who was impressed with Williamson’s skill on track. Drolsom, also a talented driver, persuaded Williamson to race the Porsche in the 24 Hours of Daytona in the then-new two-liter touring class. Williamson agreed, and he and Drolsom got to work preparing the car.
The Porsche engine was heavily tuned, including a performance exhaust, and a competition-ratio gearbox was added. The results were more than the two-man team would ever have expected and impossible today with a converted road car.
Williamson and Drolsom finished first in the two-liter class at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, and an amazing 10th overall against steep competition from various factory-backed entries.
The Porsche racing duo did not stop there. At the SCCA 12 Hours of Daytona later that year, they finished third in the Touring Class, followed by a 2nd in class at the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona and a 3rd in class at the 1969 12 Hours of Sebring.
The car was then sold to a mechanic and racing driver named Dave White, who had admired 301709’s accomplishments.
What is rare for an old racing car is that the entire list of owners of 301709 is documented. Even more interesting is that somehow over the years, they each decided to leave the Porsche alone and not modify it from the way it was set up in the 1960s.
This historically significant Porsche 911 racecar still has its period-correct look and numbers-matching drivetrain. It even has its original race seats, roll cage, center-fill gas tank and fender flares.
The asking price for this 911 may seem high at $550,000, but finding a 1960s-era Porsche 911 race car with competition history as good as this one would not be an easy thing to do.
I hope the car’s next owner of this car proudly shows it at concours events, such as The Amelia and Porsche Parade, as well as taking it to The Rolex Reunion. This a car that everyone, but especially Porsche fans, would love to see up close.
It represents an important part of Porsche 911 racing legacy and is something to have out there for the world to see.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Everybody’s got an “item” a wee bit strong