1975 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RSR

For Sale

31 Mar

£ 995,000

Genuine, original ‘Christine Laure’ 3.0 RSR with significant period Tour de France history. Eminently eligible for Tour Auto, Le Mans Classic and more.

Overview

Original 3.0 RSR built in period from a factory-supplied chassis by renowned French garagiste and Porsche specialist Louis Meznarie
Participated in the 1975, 1976 and 1978 Tour de France Automobile
Further extensive and successful period race history in French rallies, including multiple victories
Driven by the likes of Thierry Sabine, Bruno Saby, Jacques Henry, Francis Roussely and Philippe Malbran
Offered in spectacular condition, newly painted, complete with hand-finished ‘Christine Laure’ livery from its participation in the 1975 Tour de France Automobile
Accompanied by an authentication report by British marque expert, Andy Prill
Accompanied by FIA Historic Technical Passport, valid until 2033
Class winner on the 2023 Tour Auto and a class podium finisher in the Le Mans Classic Series CER1 grid
Maintained by Porsche experts Historika Klassik Porsche with all invoices on file
Comprehensively rebuilt over the 2025/26 winter, including a gearbox refresh
Fitted with a period-correct, air-cooled, naturally-aspirated, 3.0 flat-six Type 911/75 engine, producing in excess of 300bhp
Eligible for many of the world’s greatest historic races and rallies, including: Le Mans Classic Heritage (with potential Le Mans Classic Legends eligibility also), Modena Cento Ore, Tour Auto, Peter Auto’s CER1, HSR in the US, Daytona and Sebring retrospectives, and much more…

The arrival of the Porsche 911 on the international racing scene in the late 1960s was somewhat of a revolution for privateer racing. With the 911R, and subsequently the 911 S/T, Porsche delivered a versatile, accessible and competitive platform for both road and race events. In 1973, the ultimate version of the 911 competition model, the Carrera RSR 2.8, scored an outstanding outright debut victory at the Daytona 24 Hours, further cementing Porsche’s stronghold in the GT racing world. Development of the car continued during the 1973 season, which resulted in the all-conquering 911 Carrera RSR 3.0. One of the last true multi-purpose GT racers, it excelled both on the track and on rally stages. As such, the hugely versatile 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 is today a welcome entrant in a wide variety of events including Le Mans Classic, Modena Cento Ore, Tour Auto and the HSR Sebring and Daytona Classics.
Mildly modified examples of the 911 did win the Rallye Monte-Carlo between 1968 and 1970 and small batches of increasingly more modified 911s were made available to customers during this period, but these were predominantly intended for rallying as circuit racing at the time was dominated by purpose-built competition cars. Up until the 1970s, Porsche was mainly pre-occupied with winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright for the first time, an effort which drained most of the company’s motorsport resources. This was not without success as the 917 would score back-to-back victories in 1970 and 1971, and win the prestigious Can-Am series in 1972 in turbo-charged, spyder configuration. While the 911 ST was introduced in 1970, this was, for the vast majority of the cars, a customer program, with factory chassis delivered and a plethora of “S/T” parts available for separate purchase through Porsche distributors.
For 1972, a significant regulation change rendered the 917 obsolete for long distance sports car races. With the long coveted victory at La Sarthe achieved, the newly appointed chairman of the Porsche board, Ernst Fuhrmann, looked at a more cost effective way to generate publicity through racing. A 25-year Porsche veteran at that time, Fuhrmann had famously fathered the Type 547, or Carrera four-cylinder engine. For the German manufacturer's new motorsport program, he turned to the 911 road car, which would be eligible for the Group 4 GT category in all major events. As the 911 would remain in production for at least the remainder of the decade, bolstering its reputation with success on tracks around the world seemed like an idea that was not without merit.
Put in charge of the program was a young engineer named Norbert Singer, who had many talents but particularly excelled at favourably interpreting the regulations. He convinced the board that in order for the new competition car to be as successful as possible, it should be based on a stripped down version of the production car. For this new, hardcore version of the 911 the Carrera name was revived as it was referred to as the Carrera RS (for RennSport). Powered by a 2.7-litre version of the 911's six-cylinder engine, it tipped the scales at 995 kg. To meet the homologation requirements, at least 500 examples had to be built within a year. Porsche sales executives feared there would be a very small market for the 911 Carrera RS but the first batch of 500 cars sold out within weeks after the launch.
At Porsche Motorsport in Weissach development continued on what would become the 911 Carrera RSR. The new car featured enlarged wheel arches to house wider wheels and tyres and a 2.8-litre version of the flatsix, while retaining the iconic 'Ducktail' rear wing of the road car. Although not homologated yet because of a technicality, Porsche sent two RSRs to Daytona for Brumos and Penske. The Brumos car outlasted the prototypes and decimated the GT competition to score an outright victory on the model's debut. From March 1st, the RSR was fully Group 4 homologated and raced with great success by numerous customer teams all around the world.
With backing from Martini, Porsche also fielded the RSR in select events, predominantly to develop the much improved evolution scheduled to debut during the 1974 season. Known as the 911 Carrera RSR 3.0, it was an altogether more extreme competition car. In addition to the further enlarged and reinforced 330 bhp engine, it featured a front-mounted oil cooler, even broader fibreglass arches to clear Porsche 917 derived wheels and tyres, a full width rear wing, and weighed just 900 kg. In order for the upgraded RSR to retain its homologation, Porsche produced a small run of the road-going 911 Carrera RS 3.0.
The 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 proved to be the weapon of choice in 1974, with the Group 4 or IMSA GTO category usually turning into a heated battle between Porsche customer cars. The Porsche factory team used the 1974 season to focus on the development of the next generation of turbocharged 911-derived racers, which would result in the 934 and 935 used during the second half of the decade. Production of the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSR ended early in 1975.
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0s would be raced in a wide variety of race and road events for many years to come as many customers preferred their beautiful handling and predictable power delivery over the subsequent turbocharged 911s created by Porsche Motorsport.
This 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 was built on a factory-supplied motorsport shell by French garagiste and Porsche specialist Louis Meznarie. Meznarie served as an official Porsche engine preparer just outside of Paris, and was responsible for some hugely successful 911-derived competition cars raced by Porsche factory drivers such as Gérard Larrousse and Jürgen Barth. In 1972, a Meznarie-entered 911 scored a class victory at Le Mans in the hands of Barth, Sylvain Garant and Mike Kyser. His success with the 911 platform put his modest but mighty garage in Porsche Motorsport’s “good books”, allowing him to secure an RSR specification shell directly from Weissach.
Chassis 006 0015 was therefore delivered to Meznarie in 1974 and built to full 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 specification for the 1975 Tour de France Automobile. Painted blue and sponsored by popular French fashion brand Christine Laure, Meznarie entered his new RSR 3.0 with start number 195 for Jacques Henry and his navigator Maurice Gélin. This was no amateur effort, as the pairing had just become back-to-back French Rally Champions with an Alpine A110, and would go on to win the Tour de France in 1976 in another RSR. Sadly their effort in 1975 was cut short early due to accident damage.
Meznarie duly repaired the car and sold it on to Francis Roussely who campaigned it in numerous road rallies during the 1976 season. Born in Nancy in 1937, Roussely was a successful amateur rally driver, who was very competitive in the French championship during the 1970s. The RSR was re-painted yellow for its new owner but retained Christine Laure and Meznarie stickers, indicating the continued involvement with the car of the French Porsche specialist. With Roussely at the helm, chassis 006 0015 was driven to outright victories in the Ronde de La Luronne and Rallye des Vallées, and to a second place finish in the prestigious Rallye de Lorraine, Roussely’s local event.
Roussely then entered the Porsche in the Rallye International Le Touquet for Thierry Sabine, who would become world famous a year later for creating the Paris-Dakar rally. Sharing with co-driver Dominique Surre, they added another win to the car's tally on this tarmac event. For the 1976 Tour de France Automobile, Roussely was to share the RSR with Sabine himself. Running from Nancy to Nice that year, the event had 119 entries for its 35th edition. Sabine and Roussely had a strong run and ended the week 14th overall and seventh in class. The car next took part in the Giro d’Italia, Roussely partnering this time with Herbert Striebig and finishing 3rd in class. 006 0015 was then entered in the Critérium International de Saint-Armand-les-Eaux, and was to be driven by another French rally legend, Bruno Saby, future French Rally Champion in a Renault 5 Turbo and multiple WRC winner with Peugeot and Lancia. Sharing with "Tilber", Saby duly won the two-day event overall.
After the hugely successful 1976 season, chassis 006 0015 was sold to compatriot Philippe Malbran. He first raced the car in the Critérium International de Touraine around Tours. Sharing with Guy Benatier, he finished fourth overall and first in class during this one-day event. Malbran's only other known outing with the RSR in 1977 was at the Course de Côte de Charnizay. The Porsche was back to its winning ways at the 1978 Rallye International du Touquet where Olivier Woelffle served as the co-driver. Sharing with Alain Brunel, Malbran then entered the car for its third Tour de France, in 1978. Sadly, the charge ended on the third of six days, while in contention for a class podium.
Ahead of the 1979 season, Jean-Pierre Lechelle became the car's next custodian. The only event on record he competed in with the ex-Meznarie Porsche is the Rally d’Automne La Rochelle in November of that year. Sharing with a Mademoiselle Michel, he grabbed an impressive podium finish in the now five-year old car. It would be the final outing for chassis 006 0015 after a successful competition career. For well over a decade, the car was retained by Lechelle, painted white with red and blue Porsche Motorsport stripes. In 1993, it passed to Rudy Torello of Paris, France.
In 2016, chassis 006 0015 was sold to Swiss enthusiast Dominique Vananty. At this time, the car was submitted to a full restoration in Italy and put back to its resplendent Christine Laure 1975 Tour de France livery. The RSR was ready in time for the start of the 2019 historic racing season, and raced in Peter Auto’s Classic Endurance Racing 1 series by Vananty including at Spa Classic, Monza and the Hungaroring.
Between December of 2019 and March of 2020, the car was loaned for display at the Exhibition of HSH Prince of Monaco's Car Collection. Shortly thereafter, 006 0015 was acquired by our vendor, who immediately entrusted it to British specialists Historika Klassik Porsche for preparation. Since then, it has continued to be raced successfully in CER1 but also, fittingly, has been a regular in the Tour Auto. In the current ownership, the RSR scored a GT1 class podium in the Classic Endurance Racing 1 race during the 2020 Monza Historic and also finished fourth overall and first in class in the 2023 Tour Auto. In November of 2020, chassis 006 0015 was also shown during the Rennsport Collective event at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire.
In preparation for another season of racing, the Christine Laure Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 has been extensively serviced by Historika Klassik Porsche over the 2025/2026 winter. The car was stripped and the iconic 1975 Tour de France livery was carefully re-applied by hand. The gearbox was also refreshed, and brand-new seats and belts fitted. Bench-tested at 306 bhp at 8,000 rpm, the Type 911/75 flat six engine still has over 30 hours of life remaining since its last rebuild ahead of the 2025 Tour Auto, the only event it has contested since. With a HTP valid through to 2033, chassis 006 0015 is ready for many more close battles on the rally stage or on the race track. The RSR was also recently inspected by marque expert Andy Prill whose full report is available to interested parties.
Porsche’s now iconic 3.0 RSR remains one of the marque’s most versatile and rewarding competition cars. Eligible for the Tour Auto, Modena Cento Ore, HSR Daytona and Sebring retrospectives, and of course Peter Auto’s CER1, this RSR 3.0 is surely among the most compelling.
Buyers should note that chassis 006 0015 is also one of very few cars that could potentially be used in both Le Mans Classic events, using the 1975 spec it is in today for Grid 5 of the Heritage version or the 1976 configuration for Grid 6 of the Le Mans Classic Legend scheduled for this 2026.
Technical Passport:
Issuer: FIA
HTP Number: GB13723
Date of Expiry: December 2033
Crack Testing:
Not applicable
Engine Life:
Last rebuild was performed by Historika in 2024. Since then, the engine has completed an estimated 8 hours of usage, equivalent to 1 Tour Auto. Historika recommend rebuild intervals of 40 hours
Gearbox:
Refreshed by Historika in February 2026, including new gears, synchros and gaskets. Historika recommend rebuild intervals of 10 hours
Fuel Cell Certification:
Not applicable, as it is fitted with a steel fuel tank
Seat:
Expiry date: 2031
Seatbelts:
Expiry date: 2031
Fire Extinguisher:
Expiry date: February 2027
Handheld extinguisher just serviced for a further 2 years
Category
Group 4/GT
Chassis
Steel monocoque
Engine
2,994cc, 12-valve, Porsche 911/75 B6 naturally aspirated flat-6, producing 306 bhp @ 8,000 RPM
Gearbox
Porsche 915, five-speed manual synchromesh transmission
Front suspension
McPherson struts with lower A frame, torsion bar and coil spring, telescopic dampers, adjustable top suspension leg mount, threaded screw on shock absorber, adjustable anti-roll bar
Rear suspension
Trailing arms, adjustable telescopic dampers, adjustable trailing arm screws, threaded screws on torsion bar, adjustable anti-roll bar
Brakes
Ventilated steel discs with hydraulic actuation
Weight
983kg dry weight
Tyres
Pirelli Cinturato P7
Le Mans Classic Heritage
Le Mans Classic Heritage alternates each year with Le Mans Classic Legend, and caters for cars that competed in the famous 24 Hours between 1923 and 1975. This Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 would be eligible for Plateau 5, for cars which competed at Le Mans between 1967 and 1975 and would be highly competitive among the GT class. The first edition is set to take place in 2027.
Le Mans Classic Legend
Newly announced, Le Mans Classic Legend alternates each year with the aforementioned Le Mans Classic Heritage and caters for cars that competed in the famous 24 Hours between 1976 and 2020. If adjusted to 1976 specification, this Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 is eligible for Plateau 6 for cars which competed at Le Mans between 1976 and 1981. The first edition of Le Mans Classic Legend is set to take place in July 2026.
Peter Auto - Classic Endurance Racing 1
For Le Mans Prototypes and GT cars, which competed in major endurance championships between 1966 and 1971 (1975 for GTs), Peter Auto’s CER1 holds a full annual calendar of events in Europe and the Middle East. These events take place at some iconic circuits, including Spa, Imola and Paul Ricard.
Tour Auto
The annual Tour Auto is one of the most prestigious rallies in Europe. It is held over five days, with the rally starting in Paris and travelling the length and breadth of France. The Tour Auto caters for models which competed in the Tour de France between 1951 and 1986 and the next running of the famous rally is set to take place between 3rd-9th May, 2026.
Modena Cento Ore
Held in Italy, the annual Modena Cento Ore is one of Europe’s most popular rallies. Held over a week in October, with the rally travelling from Modena to Rome and is for cars constructed between 1919 and 1981, which hold a valid FIA HTP. The next running of the Modena Cento Ore is set to take place between October 6th and 11th, 2026.
HSR Group 8 - Including Daytona and Sebring Classics
For Post-Historic FIA Grp 4/5/6 and IMSA GTs, HSR’s Group 8 holds a number of events in the United States. Among these events are two of the premier historic endurance races, HSR Classic Daytona in November and HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour in December.
Monterey Motorsports Reunion - Peter Gregg Trophy
This annual event takes place during the iconic Monterey car week at the world-renowned Laguna Seca circuit. This event holds a variety of races, including the Peter Gregg Trophy for cars which competed in IMSA and other endurance series between 1973 and 1981. The next event takes place in August 2026.
This car is accompanied by a useful spares package, including:
- Full set of wheels with tyres x 1
- Additional wheels x 2
- Full set of suspension springs x 1
- Brake pads x 8
- Oil pipe x 1
- Sets of helper springs x 2
- Number plate x 1
Car Location: this car is located at our Petersfield showrooms in Hampshire, United Kingdom where viewings are welcome by appointment.
Taxes: Car is sold UK taxes paid