1972 Porsche 911 ST Pilots: S. Garant, J. Barth, M. Keyser Team: Louis Meznarie Race: 13th overall (1st in GTS 3.0) at Le Mans in 1972 Spark - S0940 (resin)
Published 01/24/20
Introduced in 1970, the 911 ST was the racing variant of the 911S, and was supposed to be a rally car. The 911 ST had a short run, only from 1970 to 1971, and Porsche only made about 36 units. Powered by a 2496 cm³ flat-6, with SOHC, 12 valves and Bosch fuel injection, it delivered 266 hp. To deliver the horses to the ground the 911 ST counted on a 5-speed manual gearbox (Typ 915). The body consisted of steel, aluminum and fiberglass panels, over a unitary steel chassis. Though visually very similar to the 911S, the 911 ST was different not just because of the more powerful engine. It was also 90 kg lighter, weighing only 960 kg. Interestingly, the cars for the works team supposedly only weighed 789 kg!
Michael Keyser bought a brand new 911 ST (chassis #911-230-0538) in early 1972. His Toad Hall Racing team debuted the car in the Sebring 12 Hours of 1972. Partnered with Jürgen Barth, they DNF due to mechanical problems. However, during practice, the car also worked as a camera car (like my GT40). Keyser used it to shoot footage for his “Speed Merchants” (3m12s video), a film about the 1972 World Sportscar Championship. He then shipped the car to Europe, where it raced at the Targa Florio and Nürburgring in May. Just a few weeks later he was at La Sarthe. Now in the Louis Meznarie team, his teammates were once again Barth and Frenchman Sylvain Garant. The trio did great: 13th overall and first place in the GTS 3.0 class. As a side note, during practice before the race, the car was once again a camera car for “Speed Merchants”.
The car raced many times after that, but it’s most famous result was at Le Mans. It still exists to this day, though neglected, it was in bad shape. Fortunately, in 2016 it was meticulously restored to its Le Mans’ looks. This ST #41 is a model that is hard to come by, and this is the only one I ever saw up for grabs. And locally, so it didn’t take me long to decide. A class winner and movie car, exceptionally recreated in scale? Take my money! Spark did a terrific job on the model, and even without the history its looks alone are enough.