![]() In 1972, the new 3-litre maximum permitted engine capacity rule came into force, which saw the French Matra’s rise to the occasion, winning three years in succession, much to the delight of the local spectators. But the potential, or anticipated contest between these two, was always a possibility. The opening couple of years saw the mighty Porsche 917 going head-to-head with the potent Ferrari 512 S and 512 M, but if truth be told, the Ferraris lacked the development time and commitment by the factory to be a serious, regular contender. Le Mans: The Official History 1970–79 by Quentin Spurring © Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale Porsche’s haul of five wins in ten years was quite remarkable for a manufacturer who, a decade earlier, had not scored a single overall victory at Le Mans. The Gulf-Mirage scored one victory (1975), with Porsche romping home first on no less than five occasions (1970, 1971, 1976, 1977 & 1979). This ten-year period commenced with Porsche’s first victory in the French race (1970), and included the rise of turbo power, victories by Matra (1972, 1973 & 1974) and Renault (1978), and culminated with the first victory by a privateer Porsche team (1979). The decade from 1970 to 1979, certainly saw some of the most memorable race cars in recent times take to the track. This edition of Quentin Spurring’s fabulous series covers the 1970s in his well-known and valuable decade-by-decade history of the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. ![]()
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