For all of the Group B greatness of the 959, the case for the 917 being the best race car ever built by Porsche is stronger. Rushed out of testing and onto the track for the 1969 racing season, bad luck and inexperienced drivers prevented the 917K Short-Tail from dethroning the Ford GT40 at Le Mans, but 1970 and 1971 saw outright wins for the car at La Sarthe, all of which was just the beginning of the car's story.

Can Am wins would follow for the monstrously fast flat-12-powered 240-mph beast, which could also hit 60 mph in 2.3 seconds. So good was the 917 that it remained competitive in top-tier racing until 1981, a genuinely remarkable feat. The classic Gulf-liveried 917k you see here is being sold by Canepa in the US, and is chassis number 004/017. It was once owned by Alan Hamilton, official importer of Porsches in Australia, but has since made its way stateside. It was fully restored in 2008 with the help of Porsche historian Kerry Morse. There is no word on price, but it is safe to assume it isn't a bargain.