CHICHESTER.- A 1970 Porsche 908/03 – factory converted to turbocharging in 1974 – with World Championship for Makes racing provenance will be offered at Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale, estimated at £2,200,000-2,500,000.

One of the most renowned of all World Championship endurance racing Porsche sport-prototypes, this 908/03 began life as one of the legendary Gulf-JW Automotive racing team's quasi-works entries for the 1970 Targa Florio and Nürburgring 1,000Km races, co-driven respectively by Richard Attwood/Björn Waldegård and Pedro Rodriguez/Leo Kinnunen.

Chassis '11' finished 5th in the great Sicilian Targa Florio, and qualified 2nd fastest on the German Nürburgring circuit. Later sold and converted by Porsche into a 908/03 Turbo for the 1975 Martini Racing programme, chassis '11' then finished 3rd at Mugello, Italy, co-driven by Gijs van Lennep/Herbert Müller, and once again raced in the Nürburgring 1,000kms (co-driven by Kinnunen/Müller), before winning the Mainz-Finthen InterSerie race. It was later raced by Jürgen Neuhaus, Jürgen Barth, Axel Plankenhorn and Dr. Sigi Brun.

Fitted with a 660bhp twin-turbo 2146cc flat-6 cylinder engine, the car most recently finished 2nd at Ricard-Castellet in 2013, and is eligible for the Le Mans Classique, Proto Seventies and Pre-1980 endurance series events. It is offered ‘on the button’ – ready to impress!

James Knight, Bonhams International Group Motoring Director, said: “This Porsche 908/03 turbo has outstanding provenance, having been entered in nearly 30 races in-period, including the Le Mans 24-Hours, the Targa Florio, and the Monza and Nürburgring 1,000Kms. It’s now offered by Bonhams, in running order, with an estimate of £2,200,000-2,500,000.”

The super-light, super-compact 908/03 was absolutely the minimum car for the maximum engine (and driver), initially in 1970 with 3-litre flat-8-cylinder power for the twisty Targa Florio and Nürburgring courses – then for 1975 re-engined with the 2.1-litre turbocharged flat-6 to excel on circuits of all kinds, worldwide. This example’s entry for public auction provides a rare and important opportunity.

The Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale takes place on 12 September at Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, West Sussex.