cars news 10: Rare 1971 Porsche 911 2.5 S/T Race Car Restored for Classic Car Fair

A rare racing variant of the Porsche 911 with a motorsports pedigree has been restored to commemorate the opening of the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany. The car won its class at Le Mans in 1972 before making its way to a collector in the U.S., where Porsche Classic found it a few years back.

The car is one of just 24 Porsche 911 2.5 S/T racing specials developed for the group 3 production-based GT class and group 4 modified GT class. The 2.5 S/T was a works-modified evolution of the 2.4 S, and competed in events like the Targa Florio, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and pro-level rally racing. The 911 2.5 S/T is a direct predecessor to the iconic 2.8 RSR, whose designation stands for RennSport Rennwagen (racing sport racing car). This particular example was ordered by U.S. driver Michael Keyser in November 1971, and raced in the 1972 12 Hours of Sebring and 6 Hours of Daytona, as well as abroad in the Targa Florio and Nürburgring 1,000-km race. The car’s crowning achievement came at Le Mans that year, when it was piloted by Keyser, Jürgen Barth, and Sylvain Garant to a victory in the GT cars up to 3.0 liters class at Le Mans. The 911 2.5 S/T finished 13^th overall that year.

Restoring this 911 was a challenge, according to Porsche. The car was converted to a later G-series model and had received shoddy repair work following an accident. The roof was deformed beyond repair, perhaps as a result of children playing on top of the car. The restoration team crafted a new roof among other parts – some by hand. The team then matched the yellow exterior color to the original paint code. The 1971 Porsche 911 2.5 S/T will be on display at the Techno Classica classic car fair through April 10.

Check out photos of the immaculately restored 911, along with historical images of the car, below.

Source: Porsche