Porsche celebrates its iconic 917 with striking concept car!

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Porsche celebrates this year the 50th anniversary of its legendary 917 which was unveiled exactly five decades ago at the Geneva motor show.

To commemorate it's car's half-century, the Stuttgart manufacturer commissioned a small team of engineers to design a one-off modern '917' concept car

Porsche has yet to disclose any details linked to the striking machine, donned in the famous red and white Austrian colors of its 1970 Le Mans-winning 917K machine driven by Hans Hermann and Richard Atwood.

It will be a banner year for Porsche 917 fans as the marque will also hold a special exhibition this year from May 14 to September 15 in which the legendary racer's history will be chronicled.

Center stage at the Porsche Museum will be the 917-001, the first original 917 chassis that rolled out of the manufacturer's factory, painstakingly restored to period specs by an impassioned team of Porsche engineers.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.