The Martini Racing Team grew into a major force in international racing, but the rise to racing superpower came from humble beginnings. In the spring of 1968, the German branch of the famous vermouth label placed its trademark on the flank of a Porsche 906 belonging to the German DG team. The team quickly acquired a 910 that had been raced by the Porsche factory the year prior. The cost of sponsoring the DG team for a season? An absurdly small 1,500 German marks -- a small amount even in 1968! Hans-Dieter Dechent and Robert F. Huhn, both of Germany, were entered to drive the Porsche 910 for the Monza 1000km and the Targa Florio races before the 1000km Nurburgring race on May 19, 1968. The very pretty silver Porsche 910, sponsored by Martini and Lufthansa Airlines, was well placed on the grid in 15th position overall. (The competition included the bigger, faster Porsche factory 907 and 908 models and numerous Ford GT40s.) The team, operating on a shoestring, struggled through the season, but the beautiful silver cars were unforgettable!
