SCHUCO ELEKTRO PORSCHE 917 1970 Martini Racing Electric Motor & Engine Sounds

Rare 1:16 scale (28cm long) Schuco model of the 1970 International Championship of Makes winning Porsche 917 in the Martini Racing Team livery - with a battery powered motor driving the rear wheels forwards or reverse, and a second motor that makes an engine sound and can be “rev’d” by pushing down on an accelerator pedal inside the car.

It’s not perfect but does work - although needs some fettling. The silver plastic bodyshell is intact apart form a small corner missing from the end of the driver’s right rear fin. Gull-wing doors open, glazed headlight fairings with chrome lenses, good, clear racing decals and intact glazing. On top at the rear is the cooling fan for the flat 12 engine and at the back are moulded spoiler flaps, spare wheel, engine and exhausts. There are also glazed rear lights.

The orange plastic base is also intact on the outside, although the pin is missing that locates the switch on the passenger door sill. The detailed black plastic rear suspension and engine is the cover for the batter box and simply unclips. The battery box is clean and the contacts are corrosion free. The model uses 2x 1.5v C/LR12/AM2 batteries.

The interior is complete, although the dash top was inserted incorrectly at some point and has bowed. There is a detailed dashboard, a pair of orange race seats and a functional steering wheel that turns the front wheels. On the passenger side is a foot pedal that controls the engine sound generator. Push to rev the engine. There should be a spring that returns the pedal when you press it, but that appears to be missing. The motor that powers the sound generator works and the pedal makes it rev - but the motor mount is broken and needs repairing.

The engine sound generator is a lovely clever piece of engineering by Schuco. The foot pedal is linked to a motor that spins 4 metal washers against a membrane on top of a sound box. The pedal must be connected to a resistor that controls the motor speed. When switched on, it idles at low speed, when the pedal is pushed, it speeds up sounding like the flat 12 engine in the actual car.

The drive motor drives the passenger side rear wheel via a rubber cam that comes into contact with the rear tyre when the car is placed on a surface. The on/off, forwards/reverse switch is on the left rear of the model, just under the bodywork.

Wheels are metal, 5-spoke designs with dual branded Continental/Schuco treaded rubber tyres.

Length: 28cm

Width: 11cm

Height: 7cm

The Porsche 917 is a sports prototype race car developed by German manufacturer Porsche to exploit the regulations regarding the construction of 5-litre sports cars. Powered by a Type 912 flat-12 engine which was progressively enlarged from 4.5 to 5.0 litres, the 917 was introduced in 1969 and initially proved unwieldy on the race track but continuous development improved the handling and it went on to dominate sports-car racing in 1970 and 1971.

In 1970 it gave Porsche its first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a feat it would repeat in 1971. It would be chiefly responsible for Porsche winning the International Championship for Makes in 1970 and 1971. Porsche went on to develop the 917 for Can-Am racing, culminating in the twin-turbocharged 917/30 which was even more dominant in the role. Porsche drivers would win the Can-Am championship in 1972 and 1973. 917 drivers also won the Interserie championship every year from 1969 to 1975.

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