15.02.2024The actually first but rather unknown Porsche victory in Le Mans

Almost 20 years before the first overall victory in 1970, Porsche dared to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time and won. Although it was only the class victory in the 1.1-liter class, which was considered very competitive at the time, it was still Porsche's first victory at Le Mans. The year is 1951, Porsche is a small car manufacturer and the first German car manufacturer to compete at Le Mans after the end of the Second World War. The car is a Porsche 356 SL (SL stands for super light), which is characterized by its aluminum body and wheel covers. The tank was enlarged to 78 liters to ensure as few refueling stops as possible during the 24 hours. The “aluminum can”, as the racing mechanics lovingly named the 356 SL, was driven from Zuffenhausen to Le Mans on its own axis, completed the 24-hour race there and then drove back on its own axis. In the race, the racing car with 46 hp ultimately covers a distance of 2,841 km with an average speed of 118.36 kph and a top speed of 160 kph, thereby setting a class record. As was usual at the time, there were only two drivers behind the wheel of the victorious 356 SL. These are the French Porsche importer Auguste Veuillet and his compatriot Edmond Mouche. The start of a second vehicle was also planned, which would be shared by the German Rudolph Sauerwein and the Frenchman Robert Brunet. However, the vehicle with starting number 47 was unable to start due to Brunet's training accident. Both vehicles from the Werk 83 label are available in scale 1:18 at ck-modelcars. The detailed models have steerable front wheels and true-to-original cockpit replicas. WERK83 makes the story behind Porsche's first victory tangible.

The 356 SL was also used outside of Le Mans. And here too, the label WERK83 has the right models for collectors. This refers to the Porsche 356 SL with which the two Argentinians Guillermo Suhr Contreras and Oscar Alfonso competed in the Carrera Panamericana in 1953. The Carrera Panamericana is a car race that takes place across Mexico on public roads. Just like the Targa Florio or the Mille Miglia, the race was part of the sports car world championship. A year after Contreras and Alfonso's participation, the Carrera Panamericana was held for the last time in 1954 and was subsequently discontinued due to too many deaths during the race. In addition to the 356 SL in racing car look with sponsor stickers that was used in 1953, WERK83 also launched a plain body version, for those who like it more discreet. Both models have steerable front wheels and are manufactured in the high quality known from the label.

With the models from this blog post, WERK83 sheds light on two different sides of the history of the 356 SL. Both stories are the beginnings of Porsche's great motorsport history, which continues to this day.

Porsche 356 SL #153 Carrera Panamericana 1953 Contreras, Alfonso 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79,95, item-no.: W18009004

Porsche 356 SL Plain Body Version 1951 silber 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79,95, item-no.: W18009005

Porsche 356 SL #46 Class Winner 24h Le Mans 1951 Veuillet, Mouche 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79,95, item-no.: W18009001

Porsche 356 SL #47 24h Le Mans 1951 Sauerwein, Brunet 1:18 WERK83, RRP €79,95, item-no.: W18009002

プロダクト

	Porsche 356 SL #153 Carrera Panamericana 1953 Contreras, Alfonso 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €
	Porsche 356 SL Plain Body Version 1951 銀 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €
	Porsche 356 SL #46 クラス 勝者 24h LeMans 1951 Veuillet, Mouche 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €
	ポルシェ 356 SL #47 24時間 ルマン 1951年 ザウアーヴァイン ブルネット 1:18 WERK83	71,96 €