The Ultimate RSR

This 1973 Martini-Porsche RSR Coupe, a 3-litre ex-works model known within the factory team as 'R7,' holds a special place in racing history. It achieved a remarkable fourth-place finish in the grueling Le Mans 24-Hour race that year, narrowly beaten by three open-cockpit sports-prototype cars that resembled thinly-disguised Formula 1 machines.

Behind the wheel of this victorious RSR was a skilled and experienced duo: the compact and cigar-chomping Swiss driver, Herbie Muller, and his friendly Dutch teammate, Gijs van Lennep, a former outright Le Mans winner. Their Martini-Porsche RSR, featuring a closed cockpit and a road-useable appearance, was only outpaced by three dedicated sports-prototype racing cars equipped with 12-cylinder 3-litre engines. These formidable competitors included the winning Matra-Simca MS670B driven by French stars Henri Pescarolo and Gerard Larrousse, a factory team Ferrari 312PB in second place, and another Matra-Simca in third.

The Porsche RSR Coupes of that season left an indelible mark on the racing world. Rather than investing heavily in creating a brand-new sports-prototype design for 1972-73, Porsche chose to focus on enhancing the well-established success of their tuned and developed versions of the revered production 911 Coupe.

A new European Grand Touring Championship breathed new life into the competition 911s, dominating race grids with this model. Porsche introduced the new 911 'Carrera' model in the autumn of 1972, increasing the engine capacity from 2.4 litres to 2.7 litres. To achieve homologation for this new variant, Porsche produced a limited run of 500 lightweight-bodied 911s. Three versions were offered: the RS (RennSport), RST (touring), and the ultimate racing RSR, of which 'R7' is one of only four surviving works team cars. The RSR weighed about 60 kilograms less than the RST, making it the full competition model.

However, the new Carrera couldn't be homologated into the international GT racing category until April 1, 1973. Two early RSRs were shipped to America for the Daytona 24-Hour race on February 4 and competed in the Prototype (sports) category, which had more lenient regulations. These RSRs featured full 3-litre engines delivering around 300 horsepower. The Brumos team's privately-entered RSR, co-driven by Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood, secured a resounding victory in the Daytona 24-Hour race, finishing a staggering 22 laps ahead of the second-placed Ferrari 365GTB/C. This victory propelled Porsche to an early lead in the 1973 World Championship for Makes.

While the 3-litre Coupes couldn't match the lighter Formula 1-derived sports-prototypes from Matra, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Gulf-Mirage in the Prototype class, Porsche's reputation for combining speed with reliability remained intact. Notable improvements, such as the addition of Porsche 917-type disc brakes and a full-width aerodynamic spoiler known as the 'Mary Stuart' wing (a nod to Mary Queen of Scots' starched ruff), made the Martini-Porsche RSRs incredibly fast, agile, and stable through various corners.

As the mid-season approached, the Martini-Porsche RSR was considered a strong contender for victory at the Le Mans 24-Hours, given the reliability issues of the faster but less robust sports-prototype designs. Porsche, however, maintained a pragmatic perspective, and 'R7's' impressive fourth-place finish, outperformed only by the 12-cylinder open-cockpit specialist cars, was a remarkable achievement.

Today, 'R7' stands as one of the best-preserved and remarkably original cars from the group of eight originally assigned to the Martini Racing team, with only four (chassis 'R5,' 'R6,' 'R7,' and 'R8') ever adorned with the iconic Martini Racing livery of dark-blue and red stripes on a German-silver background. Following its success at Le Mans, 'R7' participated in the last two rounds of the 1973 World Championship of Makes, finishing ninth at the Osterreichring 1,000 Kilometre race and then seventh at the Watkins Glen 6-Hours in the USA, equipped with a long tail in place of the 'Mary Stuart' wing. It was entered by Brumos Porsche-Audi Corp and driven by Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood.

This magnificent 1973 3-litre Martini Racing Works Team Porsche Carrera RSR 'R7' Endurance Racing Coupé will star as part of Bonhams Goodwood Revival Auction on 9th September 2023. It’s estimated value is between £3.75m – £5.75m. Photos © Bonhams