Porsche, the most crowned manufacturer in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours with an incredible 16 victories to its name, owes much of its success to an unsung hero within its ranks – and it’s not one of its drivers.
Norbert Singer was an unassuming young engineer fresh out of university when he joined the iconic sportscar marque back in 1970, but the legacy that he would leave behind him when he retired more than three decades later is one of unparalleled achievement. The German’s story has now finally been told in
24:16, a lavishly-illustrated autobiography edited by respected motor racing journalist Michael Cotton.
“The book is a history of the development of Porsche’s racing department at Weissack over the last 35 years,” the author told
Crash.net. “It’s all seen through the eyes of Norbert Singer, who in the space of 29 years had something to do with all 16 Le Mans winning Porsches.
“What he accomplished is beyond estimation – a remarkable record when you consider companies such as Nissan and Toyota spent millions of pounds and never managed to win the race once. That really puts Porsche’s achievements into perspective.”
Singer’s career with Porsche began with aerodynamic development of the 917, and the young engineering graduate was charged with the task of finding a better way of cooling the car’s gearbox underneath its long tail, as it was prone to overheating. It was a challenge not without its pitfalls, though, as Cotton explains.
“He wasn’t allowed to use a pump as that might slow the car down, nor must anything have been done that might spoil the aerodynamics,” he added. “From then on, though, a 917 never retired due to a gearbox failure – the mission was accomplished.”
With crushing performances in the French classic in both 1971 and 1972, already Singer’s reputation was beginning to precede him, and it was boosted yet further by his involvement with the Porsche 917 in which Mark Donohue clinched the 1973 Can-Am honours. That would not stand as the German’s greatest achievement, however.
