There are car books about the entire history of the automobile, about a brand, an era, a type of vehicle or a specific vehicle type, but there are also books that deal with just a single car, i.e. a single chassis number. Many years ago, we compiled an overview of such books (which is not complete and has not been followed up consistently).
The book "Die Legende kehrt zurück - Entdeckung und Wiederaufbau des Porsche 911 2.5 S/T von 1971" belongs in this last category, as the focus of the 272-page work is the 911 2.5 S/T with chassis number 911 230 0041, which finished second in the 41st Monte Carlo Rally in 1972 with Gérard Larrousse at the wheel.
Not a works car, but almost
The initiative for the entry in the winter rally in Monaco came from Larrousse, as Porsche had no intention of competing there itself. So Larrousse organized sponsors (SEB and Shell) and had two cars prepared for himself and Björn Waldegaard.
A production car without an engine and gearbox was ordered as a basis; the Porsche test department then completed the car according to Larrousse's wishes and used the 2.5-liter six-cylinder engine announced for 1972.
In the book, the entire construction is extensively documented with original documents, black and white photos and supplementary explanations. The emergency vehicle weighed 1052 kg, without additional equipment it weighed 934.5 kg, so the car was actually underweight according to the regulations. The engine produced around 265 hp.
At the Monte Carlo Rally, which began on January 25, 1972, the two Porsches were then supported by the Porsche service team.
Larrousse almost won the rally, but he had accumulated too many penalty points and ultimately finished second behind the Lancia Fulvia of Sandro Munari.
The entire course of the rally is documented in the book with many notes and pictures.
The rest of the period's racing history is short, two pages are enough in the book to document it: the start at the 1000 km endurance race on the Nürburgring in 1972 and at the "Criterium des Cévennes" in the same year, use as a test car and then sale to a private individual who could hardly have guessed what exactly he had bought.
Around a third of the book is devoted to the historical background of car number 0041 and its type.
The second career of 0041
The entire second part of the book, introduced by a chapter on the current owner Michael Stoschek, is devoted to the modern era from the 1990s onwards. In 1993, the FIA stipulated that competitors in a historic championship had to compete with original vehicles.
In 1993, the ex-Larrousse car came to Dietmar Zinser, a specialist in Porsche spare parts, who was the first to recognize the past of the battered bodywork after many years. Zinser actually wanted to rebuild the car for himself, but the undertaking soon proved to be too big, which is why the 911 was sold to Michael Stoschek in 1998. He sought the support of the factory and rebuilt the car with his team within two years. The factory supported the work with contacts and many documents.
As the car was to be used in the historic rally championship, it had to comply with the current FIA regulations at the time. The photo comparisons showing the 911 S/T of 1972 with the same car 28 years later are therefore interesting.
Stoschek went on to win the 2006 European Historic Rally Championship with the coupé, even resigning from his company (Brose) to concentrate fully on rally driving. He was supported by various co-drivers and mentors, many of whom have their own chapter dedicated to them.
The memories of his team of mechanics, how they accompanied the missions and what had to be done are also particularly interesting.
In 2015, the 911 S/T then returned to the Monte Carlo Rally - the historic edition, of course. A victory was not possible due to tire problems and other events, but the comparison between the original car, taken in 1972, and the restored car in 2015 in the same place is impressive.
Not for everyone
Should Stoschek sell his Porsche 911 S/T one day, this book should be a perfect addition and documentation. But who else would buy the book? With around 2/3 of the pages devoted to Stoschek and the restored car, the book is less interesting for historians than works that are only devoted to the history of vehicles and perhaps also offer a broader overview.
But one should not rush to judgment. In fact, it is highly interesting to learn what it means to drive at the top of historic championships. Unfortunately, the authors Lewandowski and Stoscheck largely dispense with expenditure figures, although it would have been extremely interesting to read how many hours and German marks went into the restoration, how much money and manpower was invested in a racing season and what the preparations for the 2015 Monte Carlo event cost. However, the reader will also realize that the figures were probably large.
The book is lovingly and extensively illustrated, especially as the photos also have captions in English.
The book is certainly not boring, but perhaps a little unusual because it focuses so strongly on the current owner and driver of the historic 911 S/T.
The asking price of EUR 49.90 will probably not make anyone rich, but the buyer will receive an exciting work that shows many aspects of historic racing and documents the history of a certainly interesting racing car.
Bibliographical details
- Title: The Legend Returns: Discovery and Reconstruction of the Porsche 911 2.5 S/T from 1971
- Authors: Jürgen Lewandowski / Michael Stoscheck
- Language: German (additional captions in English)
- Publisher: Delius Klasing
- Edition: 1st edition November 2025
- Format: Hardcover, 24 x 27.2 cm
- Scope: 272 pages, around 250 illustrations
- ISBN: 978-3-667-13078-5
- Price: EUR 49.90
- Buy/order: Online at amazon.de, online at the publisher or in specialist shops
