1973 Porsche 911RS (Fully documented Monte Carlo and Tour de France rally history) Numbers Matching

Monte Carlo Rally 1973 911 RS VIN 9113600526 will be at Porsche Rennsport Reunion V.

Porsche delivered this 1973 911RS M472 Touring model to its longtime Paris distributor SonAuto in February 1973. SonAuto had a supremely important relationship with Porsche, not only as French distributor but also as Porsche’s official entrant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other French races from the early 1950s through the 1970s. This car, VIN 9113600526 left Zuffenhausen painted Ivory (off white) with seat inserts in “Pepita”, or hounds tooth, upholstery.

Its first owner, Jean-Philippe Grand, was the Porsche dealer in Cannes, but it seems he only used “W” registration on the car, as a dealer demonstrator. It appears Grand did little to distinguish himself or the car – beyond showing it and taking good care of it. Then he sold the car the day after Christmas, 1973, to José Grindou. It was Grindou who began to make history with the car.

By 1975, Grindou had modified the car to compete in some local rallies. Fortunately, this was the start of a period of many years which are well documented with exceptional period photographs and corresponding rally entry-lists.

Rallye Monte Carlo

Starting in 1977, Grindou, obviously feeling more confident in his skills and those of his co-driver, Julien Gacquière, entered the Rallye Monte Carlo. As car number 197, his 31st place overall finish (out of 198 starters) is recorded in the Monte Carlo Rally “bible,” the two volume set by Maurice Louche, Le RALLYE MONTE-CARLO au XXe Siècle.

But Grindou’s efforts in the Monte don’t end there. He returned in 1978 (ironically with a co-driver named Alain Ferrari) and they finished 29th overall with 216 starting the event. Apparently the Ferrari partnership in Grindou’s Porsche was a good thing. In 1979, they ran again, finishing 19th overall out of 154 who started.

In May 1979, Grindou sold the car to Franck Galci who held onto it only until Anthony Fourmachat made him the offer he could not refuse in October of 1979. That price is not part of the car’s known history, but that offer benefited Grindou as well, because it appears Fourmachat allowed Grindou to continue competing in the car. Curiously, co-driver Ferrari departed for the 1980 Monte Carlo running. Competing with Colette Galli, Grindou finished 59th out of 233 starters.

Fourmachat and a co-driver Thierry Crignou, then entered the car in the Monte in 1980 and they finished 72nd out of 237 starters. Months after that, Fourmachat sold the car to Michel Triabassi in August 1980, who entered it and ran in the 1980 Tour de France Automobile where, according to Maurice Louche’s new book, 1899-1986 L’Épopée du Tour de France Automobile, driving this car (mislabelled in the book as a 911SC,) he and co-driver George Decour finished 26th overall out of a starting field of 114.

These are not just weekend drives in the French countryside. The Rallye Monte Carlo begins from starting points as far away from Monaco as Almeria, Spain; Glasgow, Scotland; Oslo, Norway; and Varsovie, Poland. Cars that start from sites closer geographically, perform nearly an entire lap of their own country on the way to Monaco. The routes constitute 30 to 40 stages and typically total 1,500 to 2,000 miles over public roads in late January through Europe. The Tour de France Auto, run later in the calendar year, combines “transit stages, over public roads at impossibly high average speeds in between timed races on seven or eight race courses. Total distance on the lap of France can reach 3,000 miles with no repairs allowed.

Well-Earned Retirement

After this grueling performance, the car seemed to retire from competition and slowly passed it through several hands. It always remained in France. Fortunately, each transfer is well documented with dates, owners’ names, and registration numbers. .

This important competition 911 RS, #0526 was rediscovered in France in 2014 under the ownership of Pascal Andres, and the car appears to have been in his family since 1991. Andres concluded that #0526 deserved a complete repaint. Those who did the work found #0526 to be in excellent, rust-free condition and–most importantly–beneath all the layers of paint it retained its original rear fenders from 1973.

It’s impossible to stress too much the significance and importance of these fenders. Chassis #0526, as one of the early production numbers, left the Porsche factory with the thinner gauge steel that was specific to the 1973 911RS. It is very hard to find a 911RS with original sheet metal or with documented significant race history. The combination of the two together is extremely uncommon. It is a testament to several drivers’ high level of skills. Two independent experts have confirmed to us that the roof and doors also are of the thinner gauge steel. They (and we) believe the doors are original as fitted to the car at its manufacture in February 1973 at the Zuffenhausen.

Interestingly, #0526 still has the accelerator pedal extension that José Grindou installed in 1977. The dashboard still has its Halda Speedpilot average speed calculator and Halda Twin Pilot stopwatches. It is original details such as these that validate the car’s history and its value, and these are highly desired among experienced 911RS collectors.

Unusual Originality

Incredibly, for a car that competed so many times, the original engine, #6630500, bearing the near-mythical 911RS number “500” still is in the car. What’s more, it still has all the specific Type 911/83 parts. The genuine aluminum VIN plate still is on the car and the dashboard production number 1034444–the number most important to verify the assembly history of any Porsche automobile–is the correct one matching the VIN # 9113600526. This car is 100% genuine.

This RS, #0526, is fully documented with the entire ownership history known from day one. There are many historical documents including tax receipts, invoices, and other papers with the car. Important photographic documentation captures much of the history of events in which #0526 competed in its glory days.

It surprises us how many RS M472 Touring models have appeared for sale over the past several years. However, chassis 0526 is one of only a small handful that represents a solid investment in today’s market. Cars like this support the iconic status of the 1973 RS models, with this significant competition history as a car originally developed for comfortable performance on the street. This is, as we have mentioned, an early thin steel car with its matching-numbers engine.

Its history participating in the Monte Carlo Rally during the 1970s and the 1980 Tour de France Automobile make it eligible and a sure entry into the modern-day retrospective racing events around the world.

Imagine driving today’s Monte Carlo Historique in a car that not only started but also finished four years in a row. Imagine arriving at the staring line of the current Tour de France Auto in a car that started – and finished – in the original version of the contest.

This RS is the ticket of admission for many of the greatest historic automobile events taking place anywhere in the world.