Porsche 908
The 908 was Porsche's first full three-litre prototype and its most versatile: coupé, Spyder and the immortal 908/3 hillclimber-of-circuits won everything from the Targa Florio to the Nürburgring 1000km while the 917 took Le Mans.
History
Built for 1968's three-litre prototype rules, the 908's air-cooled flat-eight completed Porsche's climb from class contender to outright force: longtail coupés for the fast circuits, the 908/2 Spyder for agility, and 1970's 908/3 — a sub-550 kg featherweight designed explicitly for the Targa Florio and Nürburgring, where the 917 was a liability — engineering specialization the sport had rarely seen.
The results built Porsche's first constructors' championships: the 1969 Makes title (Siffert/Redman's season the spine), Targa Florio wins in 1969–70, Nürburgring 1000km victories across 1968–71, and the agonizing 1969 Le Mans — Herrmann's 908 beaten by metres in the closest finish the race had seen. Privateer 908s scored into the mid-1970s, Joest's turbocharged evolutions extending the type's front-line life absurdly.
Collector status matches the record: 908/3s (13 built) are eight-figure blue chips with Gulf/Martini provenance documented chassis-by-chassis; coupés and Spyders anchor historic prototype grids at Le Mans Classic and Spa, where the flat-eight's howl remains period racing's defining soundtrack.
Palmarès
World Championship of Makes 1969 (and core of 1970–71 titles); Targa Florio winner 1969, 1970; Nürburgring 1000km winner 1968–1971 inclusive; Le Mans 1969 second by ~120 metres (the closest finish then recorded); Spa, Brands and Watkins Glen 1000km wins — plus privateer victories deep into the 1970s.
What to check before you buy
Chassis genealogy through Porsche's records and the marque historians is the transaction: 908 identities (coupé/Spyder/908/3 conversions happened in period) are documented, and Gulf-Wyer/Martini works history multiplies value several-fold. Flat-eight rebuilds run through a handful of specialists at historic-F1 cost levels; verify engine originality versus period-replacement units (common, documented, priced differently). Tub condition (aluminium/spaceframe era repairs), FIA HTP status and Le Mans Classic/Peter Auto eligibility complete the file. At this tier, buy the historian's report before the car.
Did you know
- The 908/3's pedals sit ahead of the front axle — Porsche accepted crash exposure for weight distribution, and drivers accepted Porsche's word it was fine.
- 1969's Le Mans finish — Ickx's GT40 beating Herrmann's 908 by metres after 24 hours — remains the race's tightest classic-era result and Porsche's sweetest near-miss.
- Joest ran turbocharged 908 evolutions into 1980 — a 1968 design still scoring championship points twelve seasons on.
In the marketplace now
View all →No exact Porsche 908 listed right now — here is closely related machinery on the market.
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