You've Probably Never Heard Of One Of Porsche's Most Iconic Legends

"I'm a huge fan of the Targa - I really enjoyed the long, narrow mountain route. As far as I was concerned, the longer the better. I built up my speed over time, and then I was very fast. But then, all of a sudden, it's over - that was difficult for me."

Steckkoenig was also active at Le Mans from 1976, and his debut saw him finish in seventh in the Porsche 908/03 Turbo with Ernst Kraus. Over his career, he drove cars like the911, 930, 935J, and 928, and raced on tracks such as the Daytona, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, and Kyalami.

However, Steckkoenigs' racing days came to an end after Porsche boss Ferdinand Piech called him back to work in the technical team. "I can buy good racing drivers anywhere, but good technicians are harder to find. You need to focus more on your job," said Piech.

He worked for the automaker for 30 years in the test driving department. His final race was in 1992 at the Nurburgring Oldtimer Grand Prix in Mark Donohue's 917/30. As a car from the museum, it was on old tires that needed replacing before he could race - which is where he leveraged his connections to get the right equipment. Not only did he qualify on the front row, but he brought the car home safely in one piece.

In the summer of 2023, Steckkoenig returned to where it all started, the Solitude racetrack. He sat in a 914/6 bought and restored by Achim Kachele. "This car is really special," he says. "So many good memories." It's a fitting location from which to tell his story, especially when the 914/6 in question has been restored to such an incredible condition. And it's testament to Porsche's history of fostering greatness, not just with the likes of Walter Rohrl, but Guenter Steckkoenig, too.