Unveiled at the 1963 International Motor Show Germany in Frankfurt, the 911 considerably borrowed from the concept of the 356, itself inherited from the Volkswagen Beetle. The initial mechanical base remained the same: a cantilevered engine (behind the rear wheel axle) cooled by a turbine placed between two rows of cylinders. The bodywork was also an adaptation of the 356, but did designer Erwin Komenda and Ferry Porsche's son Butzi imagine the 911's aesthetic would become the hallmark of the German manufacturer for decades to come?

Had the shape of the 911 been different, the history of sports cars and motorsport would most likely not be the same. With the notable exceptions of the 924 and the 928, the front end of the 911 has become a signature carried through the expansion of the Porsche line, from the Cayenne and Macan SUVs to the Panamera and Taycan sedans by way of the Boxster and Cayman coupés.

From the 911 to the 935

In its nearly six decade existence, the 911 has been widely recognized as one of the most versatile racing cars ever seen in motorsport, capable of dominating at Monte Carlo, Paris-Dakar and circuits all over the world. Naturally, Le Mans holds a special place in its history.

Two and a half years after its presentation and release on the market, the Porsche 911 made its first appearance in the 24 Hours, finishing 14th overall and earning – like the 356 for its rookie race in 1951 – a class win, thanks to Jean Kerguen and Jacques "Franc" Dewes. In 1969, the 911 made it into the overall top 10 with 10th place for Jean-Pierre Gaban and Yves Deprez. The 911 secured a class victory at every running of the 24 Hours between 1966 to 1971.

Throughout the 1970s, the 911 was used as the starting point for several noteworthy evolutions. Second in 1974, the Carrera RSR Turbo served as a test subject for the development of turbocharged engine technology, which first made its mark in 1976 in the 936 prototype. That same year, the creation of the Group 5 class, known as “silhouette” because it was based on a production car, led to the birth of the 935, which clinched the overall win in 1979.

1998-2013 | A one-two for the 50th anniversary

At the end of the Group C prototype era in the mid-1990s, Porsche returned to its roots with the official entry of a 911. Called the GT1, the car wrote one of the most famous chapters in Porsche's history at the race in 1998 with the win for Laurent Aiello/Allan McNish/Stéphane Ortelli ahead of teammates Uwe Alzen/Jörg Müller/Bob Wollek. What a way to celebrate the marque's 50th anniversary!

Fifteen years later, in 2013, the 911 also celebrated its 50th anniversary with gusto thanks to double wins in the LMGTE classes for Romain Dumas/Marc Lieb/Richard Lietz (LMGTE Pro, 15th overall) and Christophe Bourret/Raymond Narac/Jean-Karl Vernay (LMGTE Am, 25th overall). These two historic wins helped Porsche reach the milestone of 100 first place finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (all classes considered)!

From 2013 to 2022, the 911 claimed four more victories in LMGTE, noting that in 2018 the respective winners in LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am – Michael Christensen/Kévin Estre/Laurens Vanthoor and Julien Andlauer/Matt Campbell/Christian Ried – also feted Porsche's 70th anniversary.

In 2022, Gianmaria Bruni/Richard Lietz/Frédéric Makowiecki's won the LMGTE Pro class. What is in store next year for the centenary running of the 24 Hours as well as Porsche's 75th and the 911's 60th anniversaries? 

One of the most anticipated chequered flags in motorsport will be waved on Sunday 11 June. Let's leave the final word to German driver Jörg Bergmeister who, in 17 participations from 2002 to 2019, has only ever raced a Porsche 911 at the 24 Hours (two class wins): "I did my first race with the 911 in 1994 and have always loved racing it since then, so I could not be happier. I think that in general the 911 is the perfect sports car, and to be able to race it here at Le Mans is just amazing. Now, the latest generation – a mid-engine car with good downforce – is very enjoyable. Through the years, the mechanical grip improved, aerodynamically the grip improved, the tyres improved a lot – it’s a global thing – the car was more reliable. I think that, in general, it is a lot better car than it used to be in the past." 

PHOTOS (Copyright - ACO Archives): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. From top to bottom: the Porsche 911 has made it into the top 5 for six decades running: the last class win in LMGTE Pro in 2022, the first top 10 finish in 1969, the second place Carrera version in 1974, the 911 GT1 overall winner in 1998 and the LMGTE Pro victory in 2018 in celebration of the marque's 70th anniversary.