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Allan
Hamilton's
Porsche
911 T/R
General Data
Make Porsche
Model 911 T/R
Date of Manufacture 1968
Number Made 4
Number Existing Unknown
Engine
Engine Type Carrera 6 Type 901/22
Number of Cylinders 6
Cubic Capacity 1991cc
Horsepower 210bhp
Aspiration Twin Weber 46 IDA3C
Gearbox
Number of Gears 5
Transmission Type Porsche 901
Wheels and Suspension
Suspension Type
Front McPherson Strut
Rear Wishbone
Brake Type
Front Disc
Rear Disc
Wheel Type Fuch's
Wheel Diameter15"
Rim Width Front 6"
Rim Width Rear 7"
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The 911 R was one of the
first purpose built 911 lightweight race cars. They had Perspex windows,
alloy body panels and numerous other light weight fittings throughout
the car. It was powered by a twin plug type 901 6 cylinder engine.
The same engine that was used in the 906 Carrera sports car. At 8000RPM
it produced over 210 BHP from 1991CC.
In 1968 Alan Hamilton (son of Porsche Australia
Distributor Norm Hamilton) wanted to race a 911 R in the Australian
Touring Car Championship (ATCC) but found he was unable to as the
rules at the time did not allow light weight panels. So Alan did
the next best thing and wrote to Porsche requesting a 911 R with
a steel body and glass windows.
In June that year he received his bright signal orange 911 just
in time to contest the ATCC at Warick Farm Raceway. (1968 was the
last year that the ATCC was still decided on by one race.) The race
was won by Ian 'Pete' Geoghegan in his immortal '67 Mustang. Alan
came third that year and had just missed out on second place when
during the last lap a rear tyre blew and allowed Darrel King to
get by him, Alan crossed the line running on the rim to retain third
place.
In '69 the Porsche lacked the brutal power
of the big banger V8's that included 'Pete' Geoghegans '67 Mustang,
Allan Moffat's '69 Trans-Am Mustang, Norm Beechy's HK Monaro and
Bob Jane's '67 Shelby Trans-Am Mustang. But what it lacked in power
it made up in reliability and consistency. Its race record for the
'69 ATCC was as follows:
3rd at Calder
2nd at Bathurst
2nd at Mallala
2nd at Surfers Paradise
2nd at Symmons Plains
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After the Surfers Paradise
round, the final at Symons Plains was a real nail biter with the orange
Porsche a mere three points behind series leader Pete Geoghegan, who
had 23 points.
Pete's Mustang was a non-starter and
if Alan could win the race he would be the new Touring Car Champion.
At the end of the race it was Norm Beechy nursing home the wounded
Monaro to win by a body length over Alan in the 911.
Alan retired the 911 at the end of the '69
season but he kept the car for a couple more years. After he sold
it, it went through a couple more owners until the car wound up
in the USA. There it occasionally competed in a few select historic
races. David Bowden bought the car from there and shipped it back
to Australia where it has undergone a minor restoration back to
1969 specifications. Luckily the car was still 95% original with
all the individual parts that make it such a special car all intact.
It enjoys its new pampered life with the occasional spirited drive
to keep it in good running order. Nothing quite sounds like the
twin plug flat 6 being run around the surrounding back roads, something
that I'm sure many of our neighbours can attest to!!! :-)
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