Porsche 753 engine
The Porsche Type 753 is a naturally aspirated, air‑cooled flat‑eight racing engine built for Formula One. It was Porsche’s first modern eight‑cylinder F1 engine and was created to fit the 1.5‑liter limit adopted for the 1961 season. Development started in 1960 under Hans Hönick and Hans Mezger.
The 753 uses a boxer layout with an aluminum crankcase, eight aluminum cylinder barrels with individual heads, and two overhead camshafts per bank driving two valves per cylinder. The engine has two countershafts above and below the crankshaft to run the camshafts, a dry sump lubrication system, a Bosch dual ignition with four coils and two distributors, and four 38 mm Weber downdraft carburetors. It weighs about 341 lb (155 kg) and displaces 1,494.38 cc (66.0 mm bore, 54.6 mm stroke). It was designed to run reliably up to 10,000 rpm.
Initial power was only about 105 hp (some sources say 120 hp). Engineers improved the design by reducing the valve angle from 90° to 84°, then to 72°, refining the combustion chamber, lightening crankpins, and using titanium connecting rods. Power rose to about 185 hp, but it was still behind the rival Coventry‑Climax and BRM V8s.
The 753 was intended for the new 804 chassis, but the engine made its race debut in the 804 at the Dutch Grand Prix on 20 May 1962, producing about 132 kW (177 hp) at 9,200 rpm. With a six‑speed gearbox and a limited‑slip differential, the car could reach around 270 km/h (about 168 mph).
The 753 achieved Porsche’s only Formula One constructor’s win, at the 1962 French Grand Prix in Rouen‑les‑Essarts, driven by Dan Gurney in the 804. A shorter‑stroke version, the 753/1, was developed later. The 753 also influenced Porsche’s 901 project, which would become the 911’s engine.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:22 (CET).