One-off Porsche custom sports car with a typical 1970s wedge designs

Unique ONES - Indeed, the 1970s was known as an era full of colors and creations. For the automotive world at that time it was famous for its wedge-design which was described as the future-represented shapes so that it adorned many cars born in that era. And related to this 1970s car model, at first, We were amazed because We had never known or seen it before. Then We searched the internet and finally found out what model this car was. Have You seen this before? And We bet, you've never seen it before.

This 1975 Zimmer Porsche 910S known as one-and-the-only road-legal super coupe built based on an ex-racing Porsche 910 for Jack Zimmer with the help of Charles Pelly and Dick Troutman? (Picture from: CollierAutoMedia)

This is 1975 Zimmer Porsche 910S, one-and-the-only road-legal super coupe built based on an ex-racing Porsche 910 for Jack Zimmer with the help of Charles Pelly and Dick Troutman. The story begins when Jack Zimmer is an automotive enthusiast who has a dream to build the world's most exotic mid-engined super-coupe based on the high revving Porsche machines.

This race-tired Porsche 910 of 1967, ex-hill climb and endurance racer was used as a donor for the 1975 Zimmer Porsche 910S. (Picture from: CollierAutoMedia)

In short, Jack Zimmer purchased a race-tired Porsche 910 of 1967, ex-hill climb and endurance racer in 1972, with the idea of overhauling and updating it for club racing in the USA. However, a change in the racing rules in 1973 put the 910 in the next higher class making it look very long in tooth, so Zimmer then decided to use it as the base for a street racer. 

The 1975 Zimmer Porsche 910S featured with a typical 1970s wedge designs, maintained with the use of the 914’s mechanisms to lift and lower disappearing headlamps. (Picture from: CollierAutoMedia)

Furthermore the task of redesigning the Jack Zimmer's future dream car was handed over to Charles Pelly, a California's famous School of Industrial Design graduated, and also talented car designer, then proprietor of The Designworks in California. At that time, Zimmer and Pelly started making some initial sketches of what they thought the ultimate Porsche street machine should look like.

In profile the Zimmer Porsche 910S most resembled its Pininfarina inspiration, although with the convenience of side-opening doors. (Picture from: CollierAutoMedia)

Until finally they also had time to make several quarter-scale clay models and half a dozen fist fights which were later they approved as the final form of the car design. After that a full-scale wooden mock-up was delivered to Dick Troutman in Culver City, whose previously had many notable credential works included a four-door Porsche 911, the Peter Brock Hino Samurai and the Lance Reventlow Scarabs.

The 1975 Zimmer Porsche 910S initially powered by a rear mid-mounted Porsche 2.0/2.2 liter boxer 6/8-cyl engine, but was later apparently changed for a larger 6-cyl 2.7-liter engine. (Picture from: UniqueCarsAndParts)

The car designed and built with a sleek aerodynamic aluminium bodywork intended to be a prototype for a road car, and initially powered by a rear mid-mounted Porsche 2.0/2.2 liter boxer 6/8-cyl engine, but was later apparently changed for a larger 6-cyl 2.7-liter engine? It seem, the three of them (Zimmer, Pelly and Troutman) made the body so it can be adopted to any of the 1965 to1968 Porsche factory prototype racers such as the 906, 910 and 907.

The interior of the 1975 Zimmer Porsche 910S is covered in tartan cloth on the seats and doors, the rest in black genuine leather. (Picture from: UniqueCarsAndParts)

It tooks almost three years in building, then the reborn car was completed in 1975, and was very popular with the auto shows (although when it was first exhibited it was still a rolling model). As You can see, the Zimmer Porsche 910S had unrivalling design and engineering by anything on the market, including any Italian supercar exotica then. And unlike many show-but-not-go cars, the 910S was a functional two-seater which claimed with a top speed of 300 kph on the streets.

The suspension components and running gear were all restored or, in most cases, replaced with new parts purchased from the Porsche factory racing division. (Picture from: UniqueCarsAndParts)

So no wonder at the time Zimmer also claimed the 910S rode better than his Porsche Turbo Carrera, was also much quicker and, although indeed, nicely noisier. The whine of its cams at 8,500 rpm screaming just behind your head somehow sounded better (well, at least to the ears of the fortunate few that got to drive one) than the less busy swoosh/whoosh of the Porsche Turbo.

Jack Zimmer (right), Charles Pelly (center) and Dick Troutman (left) posed along with their creation of the Zimmer Porsche 910S. (Picture from: CollierAutoMedia)

The most significant modification was to use a 2.8-litre engine. Zimmer said, "After we had run it with the original rebuilt two-liter we found that the increased weight of converting from a race car to a street machine was just too much for two litres. So we got us a new 2.8 version, rated at more than 205 kW, and the car now performs very smoothly."

In its day the 910S was a stunningly handsome sports car that outpaced all other contemporary efforts to create advanced two-seater designs in America. (Picture from: CollierAutoMedia)

The car was in great demand for various auto shows, but Zimmer decided not too much of a hassle to transport it and protected it from the minor vandalism that is, which is (unfortunately) prevalent at most auto shows. Fortunately, Charles Pelly did show it once in California and it won the 1975 California Design Excellence Award of the Year. After that there was no information regarding its current whereabouts. Anyone knows? *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CHUCKPELLY | UNIQUECARSANDPARTS | COLLIERAUTOMEDIA | 4LEGEND | CLASSICANDRECREATIONSPORTSCARS ]

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