26.08.2025Porsche 908/03: Groundbreaking successes in two classics

For around three-quarters of a century, the Targa Florio, one of the world's most important motorsport events, was held on the Italian island of Sicily. Until the late 1970s, the daredevil race took place on public roads through the island's mountains and villages. First held in 1906 under the leadership of founder Vicenzo Florio, parts of the Targa Florio covered the entire island. Even the "Piccolo" circuit, used from the 1950s onwards, was 72 kilometers long and included, depending on how you count, around 900 corners.

The Targa Florio was not just an important individual sporting event. Between 1955 and 1973, it was also part of the then Sports Car World Championship – the forerunner of today's FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

In 1971, Porsche dominated the Sports Car World Championship. With the powerful 917K and the agile 908/03, the Zuffenhausen-based company won seven of the eleven World Championship races and comfortably secured the Manufacturers' World Championship title. The 908/03's two performances at two classic races were particularly impressive. At the Targa Florio in Sicily, Vic Elford and Gérard Larrousse secured second place behind Alfa Romeo, while a few weeks later they achieved a one-two finish at the 1,000-kilometer race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Both victories involved cars sporting the later legendary Martini Racing livery.

The racing cars subsequently changed drastically, but retained remnants from the 908/03 era. From 1972, the FIA regulations limited the displacement of the prototypes to three liters, which meant that the powerful Porsche 917s with their 5.0-liter engines were no longer eligible to compete in the World Championship. Porsche temporarily withdrew as a factory team and concentrated on the lighter 908/03 and the development of new prototypes. This transition laid the foundation for Porsche's later successes with smaller, more maneuverable race cars modeled on the 908/03, which had been successful in 1971.

The two aforementioned race tracks have also made it into the modern era. The 1,000-kilometer race in the Eifel region is now a classic car event. In Sicily, a rally is held as a tribute to the Targa Florio, with stages running along parts of the former race track. Numerous roadside signs also remind island tourists of the significant terrain they are currently driving on. Porsche's model name "Targa," which is still used today, is also not accidental.

The two Porsche 908/03s from 1971 were released in scale 1:18 by the ck-modelcars label WERK83. The duo, featuring the iconic Martini design, reflects the originals as closely as possible and is easily distinguishable by the differently designed orange arrows. Furthermore, the cockpit and engine compartment have been faithfully reproduced in great detail.

Porsche 908/03 #3 Winner 1000km Nürburgring 1971 Elford, Larrousse 1:18, RRP €79.95, item-no.: W18031001

Porsche 908/03 #8 Martini Racing Targa Florio 1971 Larrousse, Elford 1:18, RRP €79.95, item-no.: W18031002

produits

	Porsche 908/03 #3 gagnant 1000km Nürburgring 1971 Elford, Larrousse 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €
	Porsche 908/03 #8 Martini Racing Targa Florio 1971 Larrousse, Elford 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €