Porsche 911 R

The Porsche 911 R

The original Porsche 911 R is one of the rarest and, at the same time, most influential early 911 variants. It arose from Porsche’s plan to homologate the 911 for Group 2 touring car racing in the 1960s. By this point, Porsche had already demonstrated just how competitive the 911 was in GT racing and wanted to use it to replace the lighter prototypes, such as the 906, in customer racing. To this end, in 1967 they developed an extremely lightweight and uncompromising version of the 911, designed specifically for competition. The core principle was consistent lightweight construction. Whilst standard 911 S models still weighed well over a tonne, the 911 R tipped the scales at around 800 kilograms. This was made possible by body panels made of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, thinner windows, a drastically reduced interior fit-out and the omission of all standard insulation and comfort features. This made the R a genuine works experiment that went to great lengths and later became the blueprint for further lightweight 911 racing and road versions. For the powertrain, Porsche did not use standard production technology, but a genuine racing engine. The 911 R series was fitted with the two-litre six-cylinder boxer engine, designated 901 22. This engine utilised the so-called ‘square’ cylinder head design from the Porsche 906 and produced 210 PS at 8,000 revolutions. This made the 911 R spectacularly powerful for the late 1960s. Coupled with a closely spaced five-speed gearbox, the car reached a top speed of around 260 kilometres per hour, depending on the gear ratio – a figure that put it on a par with significantly more powerful sports cars.

Another impressive aspect is the very small production run. The four prototypes built were supplemented by just 20 production cars, bringing the total to 24 vehicles. A larger homologation series had originally been planned, but a change in the regulations kept the project on a small scale. The new regulations excluded the 911 and 912 from Group 2 and reclassified them into Group 3 of the GT series. As a result, the 911 R lost its original homologation role, and Porsche subsequently focused on other variants. This tiny production run explains why the 911 R is now regarded as a sacred object amongst collectors. Despite its short official career, the 911 R featured in major competitions and demonstrated its qualities, particularly in terms of weight, reliability and high revving ability. It was precisely this combination that shaped Porsche’s future direction. The experience gained with the R led to the development of the later GT-oriented 911 ranges, first via the 911 ST and subsequently via the Carrera RS. The 911 R can therefore be regarded as the origin of a philosophy that lives on to this day in Porsche’s lightweight and particularly dynamic 911 models. Today, the original 911 R is one of the most sought-after 911s of all time, owing to its low production numbers, pure motorsport technology and historical significance in the development of the Porsche 911. It epitomises an era in which Porsche approached motor racing with a focus on minimal weight and maximum efficiency, and a moment when the 911 found its definitive identity as a versatile, competitive sports car.

About the vehicle on offer here

Chassis 014R is number 14 of the 20 production cars built and was first delivered on 9 May 1968 to its first French owner, Michel Bayol. According to the Porsche Certificate, the car was painted in Light Ivory ex-works. Just one month later, the first owner sold the 911 to Nicolas Bonfort, who was also from Marseille. He first registered the car on 1 July 1968. A further month later, he sold it to Francesco de Leonibus from Turin, Italy, who in turn sold the car to the Spanish racing driver Estanislao Reverter in October 1968. Whilst in his possession, the 911 R was repainted orange to feature the livery of the ‘Escuderia Orense’ racing team, to which it belonged. The car has retained this livery to this day. In the early years of its existence, it was entered in the following races.

In 1972, this 911 R was sold by Alex Soler-Roig to Carlo Noce from Italy. Just under a decade later, it was sold to Jean Claude Kauffman. He, in turn, sold the car on 14 January 1983 to the French racing driver Guy Chasseuil, who owned it for a remarkable four decades. In 1990, the car was restored and has since covered just 3,910 kilometres. In 2017, the idea of selling the Porsche was first mooted, which is why a French registration, a FIVA ID card, an FIA Historic Technical Passport and a Porsche certificate were issued. The vehicle’s history was derived from a valuation report drawn up on 1 October 2018 and the accompanying documentation. In the years that followed, the car remained with a collector based in Monaco, from whom we finally acquired 014R in 2025 and have held it in our own collection ever since. Today, it is one of only 24 911 Rs ever built to be offered for sale, presenting collectors with an extremely rare opportunity.

Our sales team will be happy to answer any detailed enquiries you may have at any time. Please note that viewings of the vehicle are generally only possible by prior appointment.