Vic Elford and Hans Herrmann to start for Porsche MuseumECO Targa Florio from 11 to 14 October 2012
Stuttgart. For the second time, the Porsche Museum is entering five Porsche classics in the new edition of what was formerly Sicily’s tradition-steeped road race. For the ECO Targa Florio, former Porsche factory team driver Vic Elford will be behind the wheel of a Porsche 356 Speedster. In 1968, Elford won the road race together with Italian racing driver Umberto Maglioli in the Porsche 907-8. Along with Elford, sports car racing legend Hans Herrmann will also be piloting a museum vehicle. Herrmann, who secured victory for Stuttgart in 1960 with Joakim Bonnier in the Porsche 718 RS 60 Spyder, will be driving another 356 Speedster on the roads of Sicily. The ECO Targa Florio takes place from October 11 to 14.
One other car from the Porsche Museum’s collection that will be at the start in this anniversary year is a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Popularly known as the “Ducktail” (Entenbürzel), the sports car is celebrating its 40th birthday this year. The sports car manufacturer is also sending two other racing cars to the Mediterranean, a third 356 Speedster and a 911 S Targa from 1969, the year Gerhard Mitter and Udo Schütz clinched an overall victory with the 908/02 Spyder.
Up until the last time the race was staged as a world championship event in 1973, Porsche had secured a total of eleven Targa Florio overall victories, becoming the most successful automobile marque in the history of the Targa Florio. In 1956 Porsche achieved one of its biggest and most important race wins on Sicily. The Italian racing driver Umberto Maglioli was the surprise overall winner at the Targa Florio in a Porsche 550 A Spyder. Still a young company at the time, Porsche assured itself worldwide recognition with this victory because it was the first time a driver in a smaller racing class vehicle of up to 2000cc had succeeded in beating cars with considerably higher cylinder displacement.
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04.10.2012