Which Porsche model won Le Mans overall in both 1970 and 1971?

The Porsche 917K won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in both 1970 and 1971.

The 917K was the short-tail, “Kurzheck” version of Porsche’s 917 sports prototype. Its compact rear bodywork improved stability compared with the early long-tail cars, making it better suited to the fast but demanding Circuit de la Sarthe. The car used a rear-mounted flat-12 engine that grew to approximately 5.0 litres.

In 1970, Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood drove the red-and-white Salzburg Porsche 917K to Porsche’s first overall Le Mans victory. A year later, Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep won in another 917K, setting a distance record that stood for decades.

The common mistake is choosing the Porsche 956 or 962C, both later Le Mans icons. The 956 dominated after the Group C regulations arrived, while the 936 won in other years. The 917K specifically defines Porsche’s breakthrough victories in 1970 and 1971.