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Porsche 908 – the endurance specialist

1968 Porsche 908 KH (chassis #010) 3-litre
1968 Porsche 908 KH (chassis #010) 3-litre

Introduced in 1968, the Porsche 908 was one of the longest running prototypes in the company’s history, as it was still doing duty twenty years later in 1988. The 908 took on many different forms, Long Tail (LH), Short Tail (KH), 908/02 Spyder, Flounder and 908/03 and Turbo, and it was successful in all of these body forms. Essentially, the 908 was Porsche’s endurance specialist of the day – until that is, the arrival of the Porsche 917 the following year.

1968 Porsche 908 KH (chassis #010) 3-litre
1968 Porsche 908 KH (chassis #010) 3-litre

Replacing the 8-cylinder Porsche 907, the 908 took advantage of the new 3-litre capacity limit for Group 6 Prototype Sports Cars in 1968. Where the 907 had been fitted with a 2.2-litre 8-cylinder engine, the 908 was simply given larger barrels to increase its capacity right up to the 3-litre limit for sports cars. In 1969, Porsche so nearly clinched the coveted crown when the #64 Porsche 908 LH came within 120 metres of clinching its first overall victory in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, losing out to Jacky Ickx in that legendary final lap drama.

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