Page 7 - Against All The Others

024 David Bull
©2024 David Bull Publishing ©2024 David Bull Publishing ©2024 David Bull Publishing
CHAPTER 1
Racing for Recognition
The task for sports racing cars is simple. We must produce a competitive car in the shortest possible time with the smallest weight and volume which meets the rules and delivers optimal performance and roadholding, without regard to cost or comfort. —HELMUTH BOTT
If Porsche’s racing philosophy can be reduced to a few words, none could be better chosen than these from Helmuth Bott, who, in his 15 years at Porsche, had become an indispensable asset within the company’s hierarchy. From his humble start in 1952 as a factory assistant, Bott rapidly emerged as a bright light among the young engineers that Ferry Porsche had gathered together at the small works in Zuffenhausen, and he was deeply involved in the transformation
of Porsche from a small, family-owned firm into one of the world’s most celebrated marques. Bott’s earliest responsibilities included training apprentices and writing repair manuals, and his quiet but effective attention to the tasks earned him a job fabricating test stands to find a transmission strong enough to tame the 356 engine’s torque. By 1951, Porsche’s Typ 527 engine developed 60hp and 75 lb-ft torque but still relied on the VW transmission designed for 25hp and 44 lb-ft of torque. His quick grasp of suspensions and vehicle handling propelled him into the vehicle testing department in 1955 as chief test engineer. His ensuing expertise in chassis development made Bott a natural ally to Ferdinand Piëch, who arrived in 1963 with clear—even grandiose—ambitions. Though greater problems awaited Bott with the arrival of the prototype Typ 901s, he had come to understand his own job and Piëch, so thoroughly that the two men overturned established tradition and practice in their mutual quest for perfection—without regard to cost in Piëch’s case, and in Bott’s, a willingness
to bump into the limits.
OPPOSITE: Ferry Porsche was not always serious or dour in front of a camera. By this time, his company had manufactured more than 100,000 cars, making it—and him—a success by any accounting. [COURTESY PORSCHE CORPORATE ARCHIV]
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