In contrast to other era-defining designs such as the Alfa Romeo 8C, Jaguar D-Type or Porsche 956/962, the 917’s racing career in its original coupé form was only fleeting.

It involved less than three seasons and a mere 23 World Championship events.

Remarkably, the car emerged victorious in 15, including wins at both Daytona and Le Mans in 1970 and again in 1971.

Rendered ineligible for international racing in 1972, the 917’s legacy was further secured by two dominant seasons in the unrestricted North American Can-Am Championship, in which the Penske Racing team’s 917/10 and 917/30 Spyders secured consecutive titles in 1972 and 1973, respectively.

Nevertheless, the introduction of new fuel restrictions for 1974 heralded Porsche’s withdrawal from the series, and after barely five seasons of top-flight competition, it appeared that the chapter had closed on arguably the most charismatic—and certainly the most coveted—of all Porsches.

However, some 12 years later, the Porsche 917 wou...