PORSCHE – year 1961

Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche KG, Stuttgart, FRG

The only formula car 1 with an air-cooled engine was a Porsche. In Grand Prix racing, he appeared in 1961 year, initially still with a traditional four-cylinder engine. The players of this season were: Amerykanin and Gurney, Joakim Bonnier from Sweden and Hans Hermann from Germany. They took the second to eleventh places.

W 1962 In the year, work on a new flat was completed, eight-cylinder engine with four overhead camshafts. The cylinder capacity was 1,5 liter (0 66 x 54,6 mm). A crankshaft mounted in nine bearings drove four camshafts through drive shafts and bevel gears. Four double Weber type carburetors were used to prepare the mixture. Bosch's battery ignition system had two distributors and four coils. The engine was cooled by an axial fan located above the engine. The engine was placed in front of the rear axle. On its other side was a synchronized six-speed gearbox, constructed by Porsche. The tubular frame was covered with a body made of aluminum sheet, in which the driver was sitting, and not reclined as in competing cars. Both bridges were suspended independently on transverse wishbones in a parallelogram configuration with torsion bars. Disc brakes acted on all wheels. Fifteen inch Dunlop tires were used here. The engine power was 132,5 kW (180 KM). It was no match for other companies' cars, which they achieved then 150-160 kW (204-218 KM). The Porsche, however, had very good driving characteristics, appreciated by the American Dan Gurney. W 1961 in the year he took second place three times – in the French Grand Prix, at the Italian Grand Prix and the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glenn. A year later, he managed to take first place at the French Grand Prix in Rouen, where he overtook Tony Magge (Cooper) i Ginthera (BRM). Porsche has withdrawn from formula racing 1 w 1962 year.