Photo: Porsche Motorsport | X
You say Porsche, and the first thing that comes to your mind is performance. Porsche is about sports cars, speed, raw driving experience, and everything in between these. But there was a time when Porsche built farm tractors. And such tractors raced at the Rennsport 7 reunion.
It was the 1930s when Dr. Ferdinand Porsche began working on a tractor while also designing the “people’s car.” His first three tractor prototypes were manufactured in 1934. Each of them was powered by a gasoline engine and featured a hydraulic coupling between the engine and the transmission.
Dr. Porsche was still working on the unique air-cooled diesel unit. By 1946, he had a design for a four-wheel-drive tractor ready to become the real thing.
But by the time World War II started, he had to pause the development of the Porsche tractor. Following the aftermath of the war, only companies that had already worked for the agricultural sector were allowed to resume production. Thus, the only method to start the production of the Porsche-Diesel was to license it.
In 1956, Mannesmann AG purchased the license to build the tractors. They produced over 125,000 Porsche tractors in the former Zeppelin factory. Production ceased in 1963. Sixty years later, the tractors from the 1950s and 1960s race at the Rennsport Reunion.
It was the slowest of races, way below the speed that the Rennsport audience is used to seeing. But it was obviously one of the most popular. That is why it made a comeback, in the first place. During the tractor race, the vehicles reach top speeds of 15 mph (25 kph).
A whole bunch of famous pro drivers joined in. Racer, film maker, and driver coach Jeff Zwart was among them, and so were former racing driver Jorg Bermeister and former F1 driver Felipe Nasr.
The race started with the drivers outside the vehicles, running to them, starting their engines, and trying to have a good getaway. Which was pretty difficult, as some rear-ended each other or bumped their massive rear wheels, all wrapped in smoke.
“That was about the most fun you can have at 15 mph,” said Nick Tandy, pro race car driver and professional farmer.
It all happened during the Rennsport Reunion 7, which brought together cars built during the 75 years of Porsche-branded motor racing to Laguna Seca in the US. One of the tractors sported a pink livery as a tribute to the famous Porsche Pink Pig, which raced at the Le Mans in 1971. It was the fastest in the quail session but had to drop out during the race following an accident.
Another of the tractors present at the racetrack towed a trailer with ballast, probably with the purpose of balancing whatever there is to balance in a tractor.
Dr. Porsche was still working on the unique air-cooled diesel unit. By 1946, he had a design for a four-wheel-drive tractor ready to become the real thing.
But by the time World War II started, he had to pause the development of the Porsche tractor. Following the aftermath of the war, only companies that had already worked for the agricultural sector were allowed to resume production. Thus, the only method to start the production of the Porsche-Diesel was to license it.
In 1956, Mannesmann AG purchased the license to build the tractors. They produced over 125,000 Porsche tractors in the former Zeppelin factory. Production ceased in 1963. Sixty years later, the tractors from the 1950s and 1960s race at the Rennsport Reunion.
It was the slowest of races, way below the speed that the Rennsport audience is used to seeing. But it was obviously one of the most popular. That is why it made a comeback, in the first place. During the tractor race, the vehicles reach top speeds of 15 mph (25 kph).
A whole bunch of famous pro drivers joined in. Racer, film maker, and driver coach Jeff Zwart was among them, and so were former racing driver Jorg Bermeister and former F1 driver Felipe Nasr.
The race started with the drivers outside the vehicles, running to them, starting their engines, and trying to have a good getaway. Which was pretty difficult, as some rear-ended each other or bumped their massive rear wheels, all wrapped in smoke.
“That was about the most fun you can have at 15 mph,” said Nick Tandy, pro race car driver and professional farmer.
It all happened during the Rennsport Reunion 7, which brought together cars built during the 75 years of Porsche-branded motor racing to Laguna Seca in the US. One of the tractors sported a pink livery as a tribute to the famous Porsche Pink Pig, which raced at the Le Mans in 1971. It was the fastest in the quail session but had to drop out during the race following an accident.
Another of the tractors present at the racetrack towed a trailer with ballast, probably with the purpose of balancing whatever there is to balance in a tractor.
#RennsportReunion - One of the #RR7 highlights ????????????
— Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) September 30, 2023
Start of the first of two #Porsche tractor races with @FelipeNasr, @mattcampbell22_, @NickTandyR, @pLmotorsport, @JBergmeister and many others pic.twitter.com/nCZQSuoFlJ
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