The Story:
I am the original owner. The car was bought Tourist Delivery in June of 1971. I picked it up at the factory and drove it 9,000 miles touring Europe before shipping it back to California. During the trip I had to take it back to the factory for some repairs. While I was there, I was able to see two 917 race cars in the Customer Service garage. One, I believe, was the 1971 Le Mans winner driven by Marko and Van Lennep.
My car is basically stock. I have made some improvements over the years but it remains pretty much as I bought it. I ordered the car with factory air conditioning, tinted windows and the 80% limited slip differential. I have all of the original paperwork. Upgrades include recover of the Targa top, chain tensioner upgrade, ss brake lines, turbo valve covers, and replacement of the hydro-pneumatic suspension system.
In May of 2008, I was able to go back to Europe where I was able to visit the Le Mans track and museum.