Porsche 911 S/T
A 911 S/T rotting away in a barn
The Porsche 911 S/T, which won the GT class at the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans, was left to decay in a barn in San Francisco.
The Porsche 911 2.5 S/T, which won the GT class at the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans, was discovered in a barn near San Francisco, USA, in near-junk condition.
This mystery will likely remain a mystery forever. The condition of the once glorious racing car can only be described as “catastrophic.” Many components were rusted, warped, and had been poorly repainted. After its glorious victories, this 911 S/T may have had a turbulent time.
The last known race appearance was at Riverdale in May 1975, with then-owner Don Lindley at the wheel. After that, the car passed through two more owners before the trail of this rare 911 S/T finally died out.
That all changed in 2008, when the first clues emerged that the race car might be resting in a barn. In 2013, a Swiss collector flew to California, determined to bring the 911 S/T out of the shadows and begin the restoration work to restore it to its former glory. Due to its poor condition, the specialists at Porsche Classic in Stuttgart stepped in.
A thorough restoration from the ground up
The damage was so severe that specialists at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur carried out a restoration from the ground up.
Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur began by completely dismantling the remains of the 911 S/T and stripping it of all paint. This legendary racing car had to be completely restored from the ground up. After realigning the body on a straightening jig, the meticulous replacement of missing parts began. Using the original sheet metal gauges and technical drawings, all missing parts were remanufactured. The bodywork alone required more than 1,000 hours of work.
To preserve this work for the long term, the exposed body was given a cathodic dip paint treatment, the same cutting-edge anti-corrosion technology used on modern mass-produced cars, and after two and a half years of restoration work, it was finally delivered to its owner in 2016.
The body color is the original “Light Yellow (Code 117)” from 44 years ago. Every detail remains in perfect factory condition, just as it was when it rolled off the production line in 1972. After delivery, sponsor decals from that time were added, and the car is given the starting number 41, the same as when it won Le Mans in 1972.
Another 911 S/T desired by the owner
The owner of a 1972 911 S/T commissioned Sonderbarsch to create a current model that reproduces the original color scheme.
This time, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s customization program, Sonderwunsch (Special Request), has recreated a perfectly restored 1972 911 S/T as a current 911 S/T.
Responding to the request of an original 911 S/T owner, Sonderbarsch has created a perfect replica of the 1972 Le Mans GT class-winning car, most notably in the same light yellow exterior paint, a color that had been dropped from Porsche’s color palette for decades.
The body is hand-painted. Painting the many carbon fiber parts used on the current 911 S/T posed a particular challenge, as the light color tones meant poor hiding power. However, the specialists at Sonderversch were able to overcome these challenges with all their skill.
The technical specifications remain unchanged, with a 4.0-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder naturally aspirated engine producing a maximum output of 525 PS. The finished vehicle features dark silver lightweight forged magnesium wheels, black brake calipers, and a black interior that beautifully complements the yellow color.
