(Bruce Thomas)
Jonathon Williams blasts through the French countryside on the way to 9th place in Steve McQueen’s Porsche 908 camera car during Le Mans 1970…
Porsche 908/02 ‘022’ was completed on 10 January 1969, making its race debut as a factory car at Daytona in 1969. It was rebuilt as a Spyder before acquisition by Solar Productions for use as a camera car in the iconic, endurance classic movie.
McQueen raced the car during 1970; at Riverside and at Phoenix winning the race and then famously finishing second at the Sebring 12 Hour, McQueen co-drove for Peter Revson in a plaster-cast with a recovering broken ankle, injured in a motorbike accident.
A short account of the Sebring race is contained in this article about McQueen i wrote a while back;
https://primotipo.com/2014/05/30/72/
The 908 was to be driven by McQueen at Le Mans but the risk was too great; the films management, backers and insurers vetoed his participation.
The important drive was offered to ex-works Ferrari driver, Jonathon Williams and Herbert Linge, a factory Porsche driver. Despite constant, long pitstops to change cameras and an accident, the ever reliable 908 finished in 9th place on laps completed, albeit technically unclassified.
Click on this link to a fascinating article in which gives Williams gives his firsthand account of his experiences in the making of ‘Le Mans’; http://www.motorsportsmarketingresources.com/short-stories/jonathan-williams/le-mans-1970.html
Williams/Linge Porsche 908 camera car, Le Mans 1970. (unattributed)
Photo Credit…Bruce Thomas
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