If you glance through any
sportscar motor racing book of the late 1960's and 70's you can not
help but notice along side the many special sports racing cars of
the era the phenomenal amount of racing Porsche 911's privately
campaigned. The durability of these tenacious little sports cars
really needs no introduction, as they are surely the most famous of
all the factory homolagated racers . In recent years the value of
these cars has risen dramatically, spawning a whole host of replicas
and recreation. However, when a genuine car such as this is
rediscovered it grabs the attention of Porche afficionardos every
where, especially when it is presented from the stable of the racing
driver who owned it. Coys are delighted to offer this 1969 2.0 litre
911S directly from Italian racing driver senor Mario Ilotte himself,
it is at this point he takes up the story himself, the story of
'CIQUITA',
"Ciquita is not a girl ...she is a racing Porsche who I fell in
love with in 1971. I was at the Nurburgring to race in the 1000 KM
in a Porsche 910, I arrived at the circuit from Frankfurt airport
where I rented a BMW 2000 to use in practice. Starting very
cautiously and putting in the laps I couldn't believe what was
unfolding before me, bends, curves, hills long straights making up
the full 21 kilometres I began to wonder whether it was possible to
race this track in a sportscar.
Driving at the Nurburgring is no joke and not for the
faintheartedÉany slight error has danger written all over it. Whilst
driving relatively steadily trying hard to memorize the track I was
passed by a Yellow Shell Porsche GT with the name 'Ciquita' written
on the boot lid, fantastically shod with huge rubber boots, which
were very unusual for the period, riding extremely low to the ground
with amazing stability and with titanium exhausts producing a
magnificent metallic noise!!
Back in the pits I handed over the BMW to my team-mate, grabbed a
drink and went straight in search of 'Ciquita'. She was in the hands
of two other men, those of Taionen and Frolich. 'Ciquita' was
delivered by the race team for Group 4 competition. For 1971
competition Porsches were running the 911 on 9"x 15" wheels at the
rear and 7" or 8" on the fronts. They hadn't had the time to have
them built by their normal supplier Fuchs and had therefore opted
for Minilites on the rear and the standard 7" at the front - this
combined with the new spoiler package gave the car an absolutely
exotic appearance.
Other new developments compared to the GT4 of the previous year
were the bonnet, doors, bumpers and spoilers in glass fibre and the
windows in Plexiglass. Up front was mounted an enormous 100 litre
fuel tank and the engine capacity was increased to 2380cc with a
power output of 240cw and a weight of 900kgÉall of which made this
fantastic racer a real supercar.
I had raced in the late 60's with the GT Porsche 2 litre but
'Ciquita' was 10 times sexier and it was love at first sight !
That same evening after the practice session I went over to
'Ciquita's' garage to speak to Frolich who allowed me to get inside
'Ciquita' and he informed me that after this race that she would be
for sale. Her price was 9000 000 lire or £3000 sterling which in
those days was double the price of a road going 911S! The car's
owner at the time was the German millionaire Mr Bauaus.
During the race I finally found my rhythm and the track had
become more familiar, I was going welI when I reached a descent and
the gearbox broke and decided to stay in third gear. I made it back
to the pits where I was consoled by seeing 'Ciquita' arrive in the
top ten!
I bought 'Ciquita'!!!!
She went like fury, the roadholding compared to my previous
year's car was extraordinary, flat through the bends with no lifting
of the front wheels... superb braking due to the oversize wheels I
was already dreaming about my first race. Immediately I got the car
home my mother instantly recognised the beauty and potential of my
new love - resplendent in the early morning light!. My mother had
always had an immense passion for fine racing cars having driven a
Bugatti with my father, she had accompanied him to his race meeting
at Brooklands in the 30's. She had also co-piloted her
brother-in-law in the first Mille Miglia in a Diatto and again in
the Mille Miglia in '56 in a Maserati A6GCS - good qualifications
indeed for giving the thumbs-up to my new race toy!!!!
That same year 'Ciquita' and I participated in many European
events including Dobrach in Austria where we arrived 2nd and then
Trento Bondone where we burst rubber. At Sestriere we came up
against Haldi and Kramer where we didn't win but put in some very
respectable times. At Olon Villard we arrived 2nd again .
On the 12th September during the Italian G.P at Monza there was
the usual GT race meeting, one of the most important events of the
season - remember the mythical battles between the Ferrari GTO, SWB,
Jaguar, Ford GT 40, and Cobra. Monza was still without it's chicanes
of today and you would take the high speed curves flat-out including
Ascari. I had a relationship with 240kph and managed to qualify 2nd,
missing pole by very little indeed.
We won !!!! We broke the lap record and the following year the
track was altered so the GT lap record still stands with 'Ciquita'
on the old Monza track. In October we arrived 2nd in the GT Class in
the 1,000 km of Austria at the Osterichering which was a big
achievement as it was the last race of the season and the big teams
of Ferrari, Alfa & Porsche were out in full strength. During the
winter months we bought 8" minilites for the front and discovered
some newly developed Pirelli tyres.
We entered the Targa Florio but unfortunately with little succes
and was then contacted by Jean Sage who had a Porsche race team who
asked if we would like to race at the 24 hours of Le Mans together
with another driver Hanriea, a driver with lots of experience and a
bit of money. Friday's practice session went very well and we were
achieving respectable mid-field times. Driving in the middle of the
night at LeMans is an undescribable emotionÉa Ferrari 412P at almost
400kph with the exhausts spitting fire, the lights and the
thunderous noise in the nights creates a hard hitting adrenaline
rush.I learn't the circuit well!
During the actual race we had an unfortunate engine failure and
the event was not a happy one as the problems were irreparable in
the time and we had to retire.
We employed a team from Losanna to rebuild the engine to enable
us to compete in the Coppa Inter Europa. The desicion was taken to
increase capacity to 2,500cc with fuel injection as opposed to
caburators. We first entered, competed and won a couple of
hillclimbs and then begun our final preparations for Monza. During
Friday's practice things went superbly and we were second again. On
Saturday, back on track with a new set-up, studied overnight we put
in some fantastic times and the first 3 laps we had the fastest time
with only one other driver managing eventually to improve on my
time. After a pause I was back on track ready to really let loose
when the engine let loose instead, spilling oil and lots else onto
the track. The team fixed me up with a new engine and we managed to
win a couple more hillclimbs but I was looking forward to the end of
the season.
During the winter I sold the troublesome engine and decided to
transform poor 'Ciquita' into an RS 2.7 litre Group 3 to compete in
the "Giro d'Italia". I then began a new adventure racing a prototype
Abarth ...
The Giro d'Italia was going well, I finished 4th or 5th (I no
longer remember) only to be disqualified for "apparently" completing
an extra lap during the nightÉan error by one of my mechanics or by
the organisers - I will never know!
Following these events another mechanic friend of mine proposed
that I transform 'Ciquita' again, this time into an RSR 3.0 litre
for the '73 / '74 season. I left 'Ciquita' with my mechanic friend
on the condition that at the end of the following season's
competition that she would be mine once more. During this break my
interests changed and I stopped racing to peruse other interests and
I subsequently left 'Ciquita' with my friend.
When she came back into my possession a few years later she had
been reclothed as a 935 and from that moment in 1978 she has been in
my garage awaiting transformation back to her original and most
successful guise and to race competitively once more.Today I am
hoping that she will find a passionate new partner, one who will
appreciate her past and perhaps will allow me another turn behind
her ever youthful wheel. "
Offered with its original German registration documents,
'Ciquita' comes with a number of mechanical components including its
set of original engine crank cases bearing the number 6301528, a
truley remarkable find, and once returned to her former glory
eligible for almost every historic motor racing event. Opportunities
like this rarely present themselves, gentlemen, start your engines !
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