This Porsche 906 is a '60s prototype racer turned grocery-getter
To all appearances, a Porsche 906 is an exotic sports prototype like any other of its vintage. Svelte, curvaceous, lightly crude when you look at the details. Big bulbous lights flow with the bodywork, a bubble cockpit emerges from the centre. The cabin section slopes into the engine compartment in which six throttle bodies can be seen coming up for air. It’s quite unlike anything you might have found in a Porsche dealership at the time in that it was fit for its one and only purpose – racing.
Why we’re stating the philosophically obvious of the 906 will become clear in due course. For now, let us introduce you to 906 chassis number 1 (of two painted green) – not only the first sold in the UK but the first built.
After being imported to the UK by Frazer Nash in January 1966, owner and prevalent Porsche client Mike de Udy campaigned the early “Gullwing” extensively, with car and driver finding success and turmoil in equal measure. First-in-class and first overall at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Castle Combe respectively plays an accident on its first competition excursion – that year’s Targa Florio – gearbox failure at Spa and crashes at the Nürbugring and Zeltweg. It’s a semi-remarkable debutant competition history not unlike any other.
Fast forward to 2005 when the car was brought back to the UK after some time in the states, most recently a 15-year stint abandoned in its race trailer. It was then restored (with original damaged chassis and other components kept) and brought back into the public eye for the following year’s Le Mans Classic. The Harrison collection acquired it in 2009 where it would remain well-kept until the current owner procured it.
By now you’ve likely perused the gallery of the car at 76MM and noted something odd – number plates. Indeed LJJ16 was the registration given to this car upon its arrival in the UK in 1966 when first registered – no less – a road car. Of course de Udy’s primary interest in it was racing but legally speaking, it was and is, fully road homologated. This is where we get to our conversation with the gentleman charged with its care at the Members’ Meeting and the revelation that rather than heading bills at historic race meetings the world over, this car is a Sunday runaround – more social domestic and pleasure than Masters Historic…
“I use it as a road car… I have it in France. I take it out to the shops to pick up a baguette, I take it to a friend’s of an afternoon. You turn up and they look, and you’re in a prototype!” he exclaims.
Living the dream then, as far as we’re concerned. Does it ever see track work?
“I drove it to Mettet in Belgium for a track day. No mechanics, no trailer, just tools in a bag and racing. Drive it there, go out on track, drive home. I want to drive to Le Mans Classic in the Summer and hope to do Tour Auto.”
Did you think about driving it to Goodwood?
“It’s this car’s first time to Goodwood. It would be amazing but It is perhaps the wrong time of year...”
Absolute hero he may be but he isn’t foolish for omitting the tour from France into the icy gusts of mid-March Britain. Backwards as it is, it's refreshing to know that this car – a fully-fledged sports prototype all the same – is back on the road.
We’re reminded of the semi-famous story of the youngsters at Lamborghini in the late ’60s wanting to make something as exotic as contemporary racers, for the road. Indeed that’s what we got with the Miura. Perhaps at least in the case of Carrera 6 chassis 906101, they were beaten to it, though not by something in any way exclusively made for road use. Maybe it’s more the 1960s equivalent of a 911 GT1 Straßenversion? Even more exotic than your run of the mill raging bull, if so…
Photography by Tom Shaxson
Porsche
906
76MM
2018
