Le Mans Diecast

1970

After a disasterous debut in 1969, the Porsche 917's came back with a vengeance.

The GT cars were in 2.0, 2.5, and unlimited subcategories. Just like today where people whine endlessly about the lack of car diversity, the same problems existed in this "golden age". For example, the GT-unlimited class had only two participants, both corvettes. And all eight cars in the GT 2.5 litre class were Porsche 911S's.

Le Mans - The Movie

Ultra-cool Steve McQueen made his famous semi-reality film about Le Mans at the actual race. They started the project with no script, and didn't really put much of a story to go with their race footage. The film company entered a Porsche 908 in the race just so they could get filming of cars at speed. This car ended up outlasting the works Ferrari and Porsches, and the legend is that they would have been in position to contest for a win if they hadn't had to change film so often.

Steve McQueen himself had taked a famous second at Sebring that year, and was on the entry list partnered with Jackie Stewart. According to his biography on E! television (which is trashy but somewhat trustworthy), he was really into cocaine at the time. He would get high and come back to the chateau where they were staying and hold a gun to his wife's head, asking if she was having an affair. It is more than likely true that he did a few laps in the 917 completely wacked out on blow.

The Gulf Porsche 917K short-tail cars which star in the movie are NOT available in proper diecast form. The Wyer-Gulf team developed their own unique bodywork which had the distinctive "flipper" between the center rear channel. There would need to be a special mould done to correctly model these cars. This would likely be one of Minichamps' infamous "box set" models where a mould cannot make a group of variants.

Le Mans 1970

Place

Car
Sponsor

Car # Class

Model

Ref. #

Image

Sportscars, up to 5000cc engine displacement
1 Porsche 917K 'Porsche Salzburg'
Hans Hermann
Richard Attwood 		23
S 5.0		 Minichamps
Porsche Dealer		 WAP 020 042 97
      Solido
100 Series		 186
IXO
LM1970
Brumm
R218
      Super Champion
 ?
Minichamps
430 706723
      Altaya
 ??  
      Auto Art
 67071
2Porsche 917L
'Martini'
Gérard Larrousse
Willy Kauhsen
3
S 5.0		Minichamps
400 706103
   Altaya
'Le Mans Legends'		30
   Super Champion
?
TestPorsche 917L
'Martini'
Gérard Larrousse
Willy Kauhsen
(Qualifying colors)		3
S 5.0		Minichamps
400 706103
5Ferrari 512S (Coda Lunga)
Hughes de Fierlant
Alistair Walker
12
S 5.0		Altaya
Ferrari Collection #26
DNFPorsche 917L
'Shell'
Vic Elford
Kurt Ahrens
25
S 5.0		Minichamps
400 706125
DNF Porsche 917L 'Shell'
Vic Elford
Kurt Ahrens 		25
S 5.0		 Super Champion
 ?
DNFPorsche 917K
'Gulf'
Jo Siffert
Brian Redman 		20
S 5.0		Brumm
R493
DNFPorsche 917K
'Sandeman'
David Piper
Gijs van Lennep
(2009 Update Model)		18
S 5.0		Brumm
R254
DNF Porsche 917K 'Sandeman'
David Piper
Gijs van Lennep 		18
S 5.0		 Brumm
Retro		 R254
      Super Champion
 ?
Spark
S1968
Prototypes, up to 3000cc engine displacement
N/CPorsche 908/2
Herbert Linge
Jonathan Williams
(Camera car for 'Le Mans' movie; Nearly won)		29
P 3.0		Best
9225
N/CFerrari 312 P
Tony Adamowicz
Chuck Parsons
N.A.R.T.		57
P 3.0		Best
9290
DNFAlfa Romeo T33/3
Andrea de Adamich
Piers Courage 		36
P 3.0		M4
DNFAlfa Romeo T33/3
Nanni Galli
Rolf Stommelen 		35
P 3.0		TrueScale
TSM124310
DNFMatra MS650
Jack Brabham
François Cevert
32
P 3.0		Bizarre
BZ193
DNFMatra MS650
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Patrick Depailler
30
P 3.0		Bizarre
BZ194
DNFAlfa Romeo T33/3
Teodoro Zeccoli
Carlo Facetti 		38
P 3.0		TrueScale
TSM124311
DNFAlfa Romeo T33/3
Toine Hezemans
Masten Gregory 		37
P 3.0		M4
Prototypes, up to 2000cc engine displacement
DNF Chevron B16
Ian Skailes
John Hine 		49
P 2.0		 Bizarre
 BZ312  
DNF Chevron B16
Clive Baker
Digby Martland 		44
P 2.0		 Bizarre
 BZ310  
DNF Ligier JS1 Ford
Guy Ligier
Jean-Claude Andruet 		50
P 2.0		 Spark Model
 S0541  
GT Class - Unlimited engine displacement
90 Chevrolet Corvette
Henri Greder
Jean-Pierre Rouget 		2
GT Unlimited		 Vitesse
Limited Edition		 L086
DNFChevrolet Corvette 'Credit Agricole'
Joseph Bourdon
Jean-Claude Aubriet 		1
GT Unlimited		Vitesse
Limited Edition		L098
GT Class - Up to 2000cc engine displacement
6 Porsche 914-4 'Sonauto'
Guy Chasseuil
Claude Ballot-Léna 		40
GT 2.0		 Detail Cars
 345
      Solido
 36
      Minichamps
Schuco
450 370300

1971

Take a Modified Ferrari 512S, and Modify it further...

Penske took these modifications farther, and changed the shape of the rear section. This must have worked because they were the fastest 512 on the grid. However, there this means that there is no accurate diecast of this car. (Not that the Brumm models are all that collectable).

Scuderia Filipinetti also made extensive modifications and even put a Porsche 917 windshield on their car. They called it the "512F", and this car went on to run some Can-Am races.

...More about the Ferrari 512M

Le Mans 1971

Place

Car
Sponsor

Car # Class

Model

Ref. #

Image

Sportscars, up to 5000cc engine displacement
1Porsche 917K
'Martini'
Helmut Marko
Gjils Van Lennep 		22
S 5.0		Minichamps
400 716122
Solido
('100' series)		198
Brumm
R220
Brumm
(2013 Update)		R220-UPD
Brumm
(2009 Update)		R220-UPD
Ixo
LM1971
Altaya
24 Heures du Mans Collection		37
2Porsche 917L
'Gulf'
Richard Attwood
Herbert Müller 		19
S 5.0		Minichamps
400 716119
Super Champion
(Serie 507)		61
3Ferrari 512 M
Sam Posey
Tony Adamowicz
N.A.R.T.		12
S 5.0		Brumm
(Special)		S043
4Ferrari 512 M
'Sandeman'
Chris Craft
David Weir 		16
S 5.0		Brumm
R230
Solido
100 Series		197
5Ferrari 365 GTB/4
Bob Grossman
Luigi Chinetti Jr.
N.A.R.T.		58
S 5.0		Red Line
RL076
DNFPorsche 917K
Dominique Martin
Gérard Pillon 		57
S 5.0		Brumm
R338
DNFPorsche 917L
'Gulf'
Jo Siffert
Derek Bell 		17
S 5.0		Minichamps
430 716717
DNFFerrari 512 M
Hughes de Fierlandt
Alain de Cadenet 		9
S 5.0		Brumm
(Special)		S044
DNFFerrari 512 M
'Camel Filters'
Corrado Manfredini
Giancarlo Gagliardi 		6
S 5.0		Brumm
(Special)		S045
DNFPorsche 917L
'Gulf'
Pedro Rodriguez
Jackie Oliver 		18
S 5.0		Minichamps
430 716718
DNFFerrari 512 M
'Tergal'
José Juncadella
Nino Vaccarella 		15
S 5.0		Brumm
(Special)		S046
DNFFerrari 512 F7
DNFPorsche 917/20
(The Pink Pig)
Willy Kauhsen
Reinhold Jöst 		23
S 5.0		Minichamps
430 716923
High Speed
HF9229
DNFPorsche 917L
'Martini'
Vic Elford
Gerard Larousse 		21
S 5.0		Minichamps
Porsche Dealer		WAP 020 043 97
Minichamps
430 716791
Super Champion
(Serie 507)		65
DNFFerrari 512 M11
DNFFerrari 512 M
Georg Loos
Franz Pesch 		10
S 5.0		Brumm
(Special)		S047
DNFFerrari 512 S14
DNFLola T705
GT Class - Over 2.0 Liters
6Porsche 911 S63
8Porsche 911 S38
9Porsche 911 S42
10Porsche 911 S26
GT +2.0		Spark
11Porsche 911 S39
12Porsche 911 S44
13Porsche 911 S36
GT +2.0		Spark
S0889
DNFPorsche 911 S35
GT +2.0
DNF Chevrolet Corvette 'Mammouth'
Jean-Claude Aubriet
Jean-Pierre Rouget 		1
GT+2.0		 Vitesse
Limited Edition		 L116
DNF Chevrolet Corvette 'Craven "A"'
Henri Greder
"Marie-Claude Beaumont" 		2
GT+2.0		 Vitesse
Limited Edition		 L122
Prototypes, up to 3000cc engine displacement
N/C Ligier JS3 'BP'
Guy Ligier
Patrick Depailler 		24
P 3.0		 Solido
Retro Le Mans		 7160
DNFPorsche 908/2 Flunder
André Wicky
Max Cohen-Olivar 		29
P 3.0		Best
9581
DNFPorsche 908/2 Flunder
'Novestyle'
Louis Cosson
Helmut Leuze 		30
P 3.0		Best
9150
DNF Porsche 908/2 Flunder 'Auto USDAU'
Hans-Dieter Weigel
Claude Haldi 		60
P 3.0		 Best
 9111
GT Class - 2.0 Litre
DNF Porsche 914/6 GT
Gerd Quist
Dietrich Krumm 		69
GT 2.0		 Minichamps
(Unreleased)		 400 716569  
Prototype - 2.0 Litre
DNF Lola T212 Ford
Guy Edwards
Roger Enever 		50
P 2.0		 Bizarre
(Unreleased)		 BZ050  
Test Days
TestPorsche 917L
'Cibie'
Vic Elford
Gerard Larousse


21
S 5.0		Minichamps
430 716721