The DSC Academy may have been quiet in external terms, but our trainees are working hard, and learning fast – you’ll see more of what they have been up to on DSC shortly.
Alongside the on-the-job learning and training opportunities that DSC is providing, there are regular ‘challenges’ too – Here’s the first to see the light of day on DSC.
The Challenge? To research a picture story on Porsche historic tribute liveries – We think they’ve done a great job – If you know of any that they’ve missed – drop a line to graham@dailysportscar.com and we’ll get the to add them to a Part 2 Addendum!
With an exceptional catalogue of recognisable liveries, the German manufacturer has been known to bring its signature 1970s, 80’s, and 90’s colours out for special occasions, much to fans’ delight.
There are so many Le Mans-winning liveries to choose from, having won the race 19 times overall, with over 100 class victories. Sebring is an incredibly special track as well, with 19 overall Porsche victories in the Sunshine State, including the 1-2 Porsche Penske Motorsports victory last season. Porsche is also the reigning manufacturer Champion in GTD Pro as well, with AO Racing.
2026 has seen no fewer than three occasions where the factory-entered 963s have worn tribute liveries, part of Porsche’s 75th anniversary of Porsche Motorsport celebrations. Let’s take a look back at the iconic tribute liveries Porsche has run in the past decade, starting with the DHL and Sunoco-inspried schemes that Porsche Penske Motorsport raced at Road America last weekend.
2026 Road America – Porsche Penske Motorsport – Porsche 963
To celebrate Team Penske’s 60th anniversary, Porsche Penske Motorsport ran a pair of liveries paying homage to its partnership at the 2026 Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Road America. Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr finished sixth in the #7 963, which ran in a yellow, red and white scheme.
Original…2006-2008 Porsche RS Spyder
Penske Racing fielded a pair of DHL-sponsored RS Spyder LMP2s in the American Le Mans Series from 2006 to 2008. During this time, Penske won three consecutive teams’ championships and claimed outright victory at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring.
2026 Road America – Porsche Penske Motorsport – Porsche 963
Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor ran at Road America in a dark-blue and yellow livery, with their #6 963 competing for a podium place before a controversial clash between Estre and Cadillac’s Jack Aitken in the closing stages.
2015 Rennsport Reunion – Solaroli – Porsche RS Spyder
Solaroli never raced its Porsche RS Spyder, but one of its cars did make an appearance at the 2015 Rennsport Reunion, in Sunoco colours.
Original…1973 Porsche 917/30
Mark Donuhue and Penske dominated the 1973 Can-Am season, claiming a clean sweep of pole positions and winning six out of eight races on their way to the title with the Sunoco-backed Porsche 917/30. This included a dominant showing at Road America, where the American set the first sub-2:00 lap time in the history of the Wisconsin venue.
2026 Laguna Seca – Porsche Penske Motorsport – Porsche 963
At the 2026 IMSA Sportscar Championship round at Laguna Seca, Porsche Penske Motorsport participated in IMSA’s throwback weekend with an Apple scheme, celebrating both Porsche Motorsport’s 75th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Apple. The team’s two-car effort finished in sixth and seventh respectively.
Original…1980 Porsche 935 K3
Dick Barbour Racing competed with Apple Computers backing in 1980, across both the IMSA GT Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2026 12 Hours of Sebring – Porsche Penske Motorsport – Porsche 963
Porsche Penske Motorsport fielded a Mobil 1 livery on its pair of factory Porsche 963s, as it successfully defended its 12 Hours of Sebring victory from 12 months prior. The scheme celebrated 30 years of the partnership between Porsche and Mobil 1.
Original…1996 Porsche 911 GT1
Porsche commenced its 911 GT1 programme at the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its two works entries finished second and third overall, winning the LMGT1 category, but coming up short against the privateer Joest Racing TWR-Porsche WSC95 prototype.
2020 24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR-19
Porsche GT Team ran in Porsche Salzburg red and white in 2020, on its #91 911 RSR-19 in LMGTE Pro. Gianmaria Bruni qualified on pole position in the first-ever Hyperpole session, with the Italian, Richard Lietz and Frederic Makowiecki going on to finish fifth in class.
2015 24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche Team – Porsche 919 Hybrid
At the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, the factory Porsche Team ran a three-car campaign, with its #17 919 Hybrid of Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard in the colours and number of Porsche’s first Le Mans winner. The #17 finished second, behind the sister #19 Porsche Team, which, driven by Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy, and Nico Hülkenberg, had a fantastically clean race and won overall. This was a great improvement from the 2014 Le Mans campaign, where the 919 finished fourth in class, 31 laps behind the victorious Audi.
Original…1970 Porsche 917K
The 917K’s legacy was well represented by this 2015 Le Mans campaign, as they were both bounce-back years for the Porsche team. In 1970, the manufacturer followed a multi-DNF result with a historic 1-2 finish with the 917K and the Martini International Racing Team Porsche 917L, the first of 19 overall wins for the manufacturer.
2019 Petit Le Mans – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
The #911 driven by Nick Tandy, Frédéric Makowiecki, and Patrick Pilet, and the #912 driven by Earl Bamber, Laurens Vanthoor, and Mathieu Jaminet, finished the 2019 season in style in the all-red Coca-Cola livery.
Original…1980s Porsche 962
Bob Akin’s famous Porsche 962 livery from the 1980’s was best known for its overall victory at Sebring 33 years prior to the tribute livery, in 1986, alongside Hans-Joachim Stuck and Jo Gartner.
2019 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
To celebrate IMSA’s 50th anniversary, Porsche competed in the colours of the winner of the first-ever IMSA race, and legendary Porsche team, Brumos Racing, at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans in 2019. The scheme’s best result came at Sebring, with Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Frederic Makowiecki winning in GTLM.
Original…1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR
Brumos Racing ran its white, red and blue scheme for four decades, until the close of its race programme in 2013. During this time, it won four 24 Hours of Daytona, the first in 1973, and 15 IMSA championships.
2018 Petit Le Mans – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
Porsche brought back its 1998 colours at the 2018 Petit Le Mans, to celebrate 20 years since its 16th overall win at Le Mans, and the 20th anniversary of Petit Le Mans. Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Frederic Makowiecki won the GTLM class in the #911 911 RSR.
Original…1998 Porsche 911 GT1-98
Porsche’s factory GT programme only won one race in 1998, but it was the one that mattered most, as its #26 911 GT1-98 of Allan McNish, Laurent Aiello and Stephane Ortelli headed home a 1-2 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans following a thrilling battle with Toyota.
2018 24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
The #91 Porsche GT Team car ran a tribute livery to the iconic Rothmans Group C Porsche 956 C and 962 C. The #91 911 RSR finished second in class with Richard Lietz, Gianmaria Bruni, and Frédéric Makowiecki at the wheel.
Original…1980s Porsche 956/962
The iconic Rothmans Group C Porsche 956 C and 962 C won a combined four overall victories at La Sarthe through the 1980s. The Rothmans tobacco sponsorship became synonymous with Porsche’s success in sports car racing and rallying.
2018 24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
There have been many stabs at reimagining the infamous Pink Pig livery but there are two that undoubtedly stand out.
The 2018 Porsche GT Team #92 car ran the ‘Pink Pig’ livery for their Le Mans effort with Michael Christensen, Kevin Estre, and Laurens Vanthoor behind the wheel. It must have been a good luck charm, as the #92 came away with the class victory in LMGTE Pro.
2025 Suzuka 1000KM – Phantom Global Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R
Phantom Global Racing entered the #23 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) at the 2025 Suzuka 1000KM, with Klaus Bachler, Dorian Boccolacci and Patric Niederhauser finishing eighth overall.
Original…1971 Porsche 917/20
The iconic porcine livery originated out of a displeased Count Rossi of Martini & Rossi drinks company, who believed the one-off prototype Porsche 917/20 was unworthy of the Martini colours! The Pink Pig livery ran at the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans and, sure enough, became a fan favourite, living on in fans’ minds despite not finishing that year.
2023 24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche Penske Motorsport – Porsche 963
To celebrate Porsche’s 75th anniversary, all three Porsche Penske 963s ran this livery at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car pays tribute to no fewer than seven historic Porsche schemes, six of which have been detailed elsewhere in this piece. In a disappointing outing, the best of them finished 16th overall.
Original…1970 Porsche 917L
Nicknamed ‘Hippy’, Martini International Racing Team finished second overall at the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, with its #3 Porsche 917L of Gerard Larrousse and Willi Kauhsen.
2026 24 Hours of Le Mans – Manthey – Porsche 911 LMGT3 R
At this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, Manthey fielded its two-car LMGT3 effort in a silver scheme, to celebrate 75 years of Porsche Motorsport. It was a difficult 24 hours for the two-time defending winner, with one car delayed early on whilst the other retired from podium contention on Sunday morning due to an accident caused by power steering failure.
2026 European Le Mans – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 LMGT3 R
Porsche Motorsport’s 75th anniversary is also being commemorated by Proton Competition in this year’s European Le Mans Series. After three races, the #75 911 LMGT3 R (992.2) sits second in the LMGT3 teams’ championship, having won the season opener at Barcelona.
Original…1951 Porsche 356 SL
Porsche made its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in 1951, entering a pair of 356 SLs which sported the national racing silver of Germany. One car failed to start following an accident in practice, whilst the other scored the first of Porsche’s record 112 class victories at the race, triumphing by four laps in the 1.1-litre category.
2025 Suzuka 1000KM – Origine Motorsport – Porsche 911 GT3 R
Origine Motorsport finished fifth overall at last year’s Suzuka 1000KM, with its #6 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Bastian Buus, Laurin Heinrich and Alessio Picariello. The scheme was also voted as DSC’s Livery of the Year for 2025!
Original…1981 Porsche 935/K3
Italiya-Kremer Racing’s Porsche 935/K3 won the 1981 Suzuka 1000KM, following a comeback drive from Bob Wollek and Henri Pescarolo. It was the first time a foreign team and drivers won the Suzuka 1000KM.
2025 Suzuka 1000KM – Absolute Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R
Kévin Estre, Patrick Pilet and Laurens Vanthoor finished second overall at the 2025 Suzuka 1000KM, driving Absolute Racing’s yellow NewMan #7 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
Original…1984/1985 Porsche 956B
Joest Racing earned two consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans victories in 1984 and 1985, with its NewMan-backed #7 956B, chassis #117. The car was driven by Henri Pescarolo and Klaus Ludwig in 1984, with Ludwig joined by Paolo Barilla and ‘John Winter’ the following year.
2024 FIA WEC – Proton Competition — Porsche 963
The #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963 ran a Dauer 962 1994 Le Mans livery for the 2024 WEC season, with FATurbo Express branding on the sides. The signature red, white, and black colourway car had a hard year in WEC with a season-best finish of P5 at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
AO Racing also ran with a similar livery at the 2023 Rennsport Reunion on a Porsche 911 RSR.
Original…1990-94 Porsche 962 and Dauer Porsche
The FAT livery graced a number of Porsche 962s in the early 1990s and went on to the very end of the Group C lifecycle as a Dauer-modified Porsche 962 brought home an overall win for the Le Mans Porsche Team with the #36 car driven by Yannick Dalmas, Hurley Haywood, and Mauro Baldi, as well as a third-place overall result for the #35, piloted by Hans-Joachim Stuck, Danny Sullivan, and Thierry Boutsen. The unique car never returned to racing due to the ACO changing regulations to disallow the loophole it was created to exploit.
2023 24 Hours of Daytona – AO Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R
Before introducing the world to Rexy, AO Racing fielded this livery on its Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. The car finished 14th in GTD.
Original…1983 Porsche 935
Bob Wollek, Claude Ballot-Lena, Preston Henn, and A.J. Foyt won the 1983 24 Hours of Daytona, in the #6 Henn’s Swap Shop Racing Porsche 935.
2022 24 Hours of Spa – GPX Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R
GPX Martini Racing fielded the #221 Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2) in a Martini livery in the Pro class at the 2022 24 Hours of Spa. The car retired, somewhat ironically, after 221 laps.
Original…1971 Porsche 917LH
Vic Elford and Gerard Larousse raced the #21 Martini International Racing Team Porsche 917LH at the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car qualified on the front row but retired overnight due to an engine failure.
2020 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup – GPX Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R
GPX Racing competed in the Gulf colours and numbers of John Wyer Automotive during the 2020 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, with a pair of Pro class Porsche 911 GT3 Rs (991.2). The team finished as runner-up in the teams’ championship.
Original…1970 Porsche 908/03
John Wyer Automotive Engineering finished 1-2 at the 1970 Targa Florio, with a pair of Porsche 908/03s. Jo Siffert and Brian Redman drove the winning car.
2008 American Le Mans Series – Dyson Racing – Porsche RS Spyder
Dyson Racing Team ran its #16 Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 in the team’s old GTP livery at the 2008 American Le Mans Series round at Lime Rock Park. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith qualified in the Top 10, but retired following an accident.
Original…1985 Porsche 962
Dyson Racing utilised this livery in the 1985 and 1986 IMSA GT Championship seasons, when it competed with a GTP-spec Porsche 962. During this time, it scored six race victories, with its first coming at Lime Rock Park in 1985 with Drake Olson behind the wheel.
2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge – Kyalami 9 Hours – Team Perfect Circle – Porsche 911 GT3R
With the IGTC visiting South Africa there was real appetite for local entries and local stories – local businessman Andre Bezuidenhuit provided both!
His entry with Team Perfect Circle reignited a childhood passion lit first by attending Kyalami back in 1969, then aged 8 years old with his father for the then Rand Daily Mail 9 Hours.
Original…1969 Porsche 917
Back in 1969, the near all-while Porsche 917 of Team Perfect Circle took the race win with Dickie Attwood and David Piper; it started a lifelong passion for motorsport and for Porsche.
