THE 906 LOVE AFFAIR

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The 906 Love Affair

How Vittorio Mascari spent the lion's share of his lifetime clinging on to his dream race car

In 1966 Porsche built this, the 906, to replace the old 904. The car featured type 901 6-cylinder air cooled engine, capable of 210hp and paired with a 5-speed magnesium cased gearbox. The tubular frame and the fibreglass body resulted in only a 620kg curb weight. The 906 made its debut at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hours, scoring a 6th place overall, but crucially winning the 2 litre class. The very same year a 906 won the fearsome Targa Florio, and three modified ‘LH’ cars ended up 4th, 5th and 6th, and 7th overall at Le Mans 24 Hours, behind the GT40 squadron. As far as debut years go, it was a huge success, and the 906 remained competitive until the end of the 60s. Even during the 70s still was still an incredibly fast ride, and the choice of discerning privateers the world over.

In 1971, Vittorio “Mascaleros” Mascari, after years of careful saving, finally broke his piggy bank bought a white/orange livered 906-161 from a Florentine banker. This is not that car, but one which came from the same beating heart, rebuilt by Marciano Prototipi.

Vittorio was born in Sicily and motorsport had always run through his veins. Aged just 17, he was the one showing Juan Manuel Fangio around the Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie few days before the 1953 Targa Florio. He had a heavy right foot: ten years later he found a Flaminia Zagato on a Wednesday in Agrigento, he took seats and unnecessary things off the car the day after and finished the 1963 Targa Florio ahead of purpose built race cars in the same class. After a few more years in Sicily, he moved to Tuscany - a much better place to be if you wanted to attend the many racing events throughout Italy at the time.

He was a weekend racer, working Monday to Friday, and was his own mechanic, with no backups. Crashing the car would mean only one thing - not being able to race for at least several weeks. In the days where privateers usually came from wealthy families, this was a surprisingly rare thing.

One of the first events Vittorio raced this 906 was the Gran Premio della Repubblica in Vallelunga, where he finished 4th, behind Parkes’ Ferrari 512S, Siffert’s 917K and Bonomelli’s faster Porsche 910. It was the first of many races on the continent, until the day came to sell his beloved car to an Italian collector; though he would later drive it again at revival and historical motoring events.

Vittorio was born in Sicily and motorsport had always run through his veins.

Not one who easily gives up, Vittorio kept one of the spare 901 engines and an original magnesium gearbox from back in the day: the heart of his loyal 906 was still there, simply waiting for a new body. At Marciano Prototipi, Vincenzo — and his two sons Achille and Leonardo — rebuilt the 906-161 from scratch around its original Stuttgart-made engine. It took an outstanding 3000 hours work, patience and commitment, but today Vittorio is a happy 84 year-old man, and his 906 continues to sing in the Tuscan hills, screaming well over 7000 rpm.