1976 Porsche 936/76 Win

Lore & Background

Porsche's 936 was developed in only nine months. Its 2.1-litre turbocharged flat-6 engine produced 520 bhp and could reach 320 km/h. The winning car was driven by Jacky Ickx and Gijs van Lennep, who built an inexorable lead even after a 30-minute stop to repair a cracked exhaust on Sunday morning. Second was the Mirage of François Migault and Jean-Louis Lafosse, and third was Alain de Cadenet's privateer Lola T380.

In Their Own Story

The morning mist clung to the Mulsanne Straight as the #1 Porsche 936/76 roared past the start-finish line. Inside the cockpit, Reinhold Joest gripped the wheel, his eyes scanning the tarmac for any sign of danger. The air-cooled engines of old were a distant memory; this was a new era of water-cooled fury. As Hurley Haywood took over during the night shift, the car seemed to dance through the darkness, its turbocharged breath echoing against the grandstands. It wasn't just about speed anymore; it was about survival in a 24-hour gauntlet where one mistake could erase years of preparation.

Reader's Guide

The 1976 race saw the introduction of the ACO's new GTP class, won by Henri Pescarolo and Jean-Pierre Beltoise in an Inaltéra. The Group 5 class was won by the works Porsche 935 of Rolf Stommelen and Manfred Schurti. Group 4 was won by André Gahinet's privateer Porsche 911. The race also saw the death of André Haller when his Datsun 260Z crashed at the Mulsanne Kink.

Did You Know?

• This was the first Le Mans with no Ferrari entrants since 1947.
• Over a dozen turbocharged entries arrived, led by the Renault Alpine A442.
• The ACO introduced a new Le Mans-Daytona Trophy linking the 24-hour races.
• The winning Porsche 936 was driven by Jacky Ickx and Gijs van Lennep, both previous race-winners.