Derek Bell celebrates his 80th birthday

Four times a Le Mans winner for Porsche, Derek Bell has celebrated his 80th birthday

A successful Porsche driver for 35 years, Derek Bell’s association with the marque needs little introduction. Bell scored numerous high-profile victories driving the Porsche 956/962 with teammates Stefan Bellof, Jacky Ickx and Hans-joachim Stuck, and won the World Endurance Championship title in 1985 and 1986. As Bell reaches his 80th birthday Porsche has been celebrating his fascinating career.

Born on 31 October 1941 in Middlesex, Derek Bell rose to prominence in the 1960s racing single seaters before graduating to endurance competition at Le Mans in 1970. He started at Le Mans no fewer than 26 times, taking victory on five occasions, four times in a Porsche (1981, 1982, 1986 and 1987), and his final 24 Hours at Circuit de la Sarthe was in 1996.

In 2017 Porsche GB released the 991 Carrera 4 GTS British Legends Edition celebrating British racing success at Le Mans. Of the three limited-edition special models created, Bell’s iteration celebrated his 1982 victory in the debut season of the 956 – resplendent in Sapphire blue metallic to depict the iconic ‘Rothmans’ blue, white, red and gold livery used in period.