Survivor

Porsche had a dominant year 1970 in endurance racing and arrived as a strong favorite to get its first outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Their main opposition was Ferrari, now armed with the 512S model. A battle royal was unfolding as nine Porsche 917 and eleven Ferrari 512S from works-supported teams and privateers were entered.

In a race of attrition, due mostly to heavy rain in the night, where only seven cars were classified as finishers, it was won by Hans Herrmann and Dick Attwood, driving a Porsche 917K fielded by Salzburg Porsche. For Hans Herrmann, veteran of 13 Le Mans participations, it was a particularly sweet victory, having famously lost by the narrowest margin the previous year.

This was the year that Hollywood came to Le Mans. The race indeed provided the background for the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans. Much of the racing footage was taken from on board a competing car, as the #29 Porsche 908/02, driven by Jonathan Williams, had been fitted with movie cameras (picture below).