Is there another single sports car design that over its incredibly long lifespan has rung up a better competition record than Porsche's evergreen 911? Introduced in 1964 as a larger, roomier, and more powerful successor to the much-loved 356 series, the 911 was a shock to Porsche's loyal ownership. The sleek new design, with its two-liter overhead-cam boxer six-cylinder engine and higher price, initially proved a difficult sell in the United States, which had become Porsche's most important export market.

The answer was to take the 911 racing to demonstrate its worth. The 911 quickly showed its prowess, easily winning the SCCA's National D Production Championship in 1966. That win was so effortless that SCCA officialdom moved the car up a class to C the following season in order to level the playing field. In 1967, though, 911s swept their class at the Daytona American Road Race of Champions for another national title. Porsche had made its point, and sales of the 911 immed