31.10.2024The “Pig” from Porsche: Eye-catcher at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Thanks to its unconventional pink paintwork with stylized butcher lines, the Porsche 917/20 remains a cult object to this day. The combination of the Porsche 917K and the 917LH was an experiment to produce the optimal racing car for the challenging endurance race at Le Mans. The combination of the two most successful body shapes of their time was intended to optimize aerodynamics and create a perfect symbiosis.

However, the car's exceptionally round and wide body made the sponsors doubt whether the car would deliver the intended performance in the race. As a result, the originally planned Martini design was not allowed to appear on the vehicle.

Therefore, the artist Anatole Lapine quickly designed a replacement design for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was the birth of the "Pink Pig". An almost ironic design that took up the beefy shape of the vehicle divided the Porsche into the various parts of a pig - including the "knee", "back" and "trunk" - and made the 1971 917/20 an unmistakable icon of motorsport.

Behind the wheel of the "pig" with the starting number 23 were the two German racing drivers Reinhold Joest and Willi Kauhsen. In training, the duo showed solid performances and safely drove the 4.9-liter car over the demanding Circuit de la Sarthe. In qualifying, the two Germans secured seventh place and showed that they were serious competitors despite the funny design.

However, the team did not see the checkered flag at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the "Pink Pig" had to be taken out of the race after halfway through in third place due to brake problems. Despite the elimination, the design is still one of the most famous in racing history. The "pig" look made a comeback in 2018 on a Porsche 911 RSR in Le Mans and in 2023 on the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo.

The WERK83 models in scale 1:18 reflect the two originals as best as possible. Particularly striking are the written names of the pig parts on the racing version, which cannot be read on the training version.

Porsche 917/20 Pink Pig #23 24h LeMans 1971 Kauhsen, Joest 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79.95, item-no.: W18032001

Porsche 917/20 Pink Pig #23 1st Practice 24h LeMans 1971 Kauhsen, Joest 1:18, RRP €79.95, item-no.: W18032002

Products

	Porsche 917/20 Pink Pig #23 24h LeMans 1971 Kauhsen, Joest 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €
	Porsche 917/20 Pink Pig #23 1st Practice 24h LeMans 1971 Kauhsen, Joest 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €