In 1970 the relationship with the Jolly Club soured somewhat. Also, the Lancia HF had not been as competitive as the Porsche 911s which had headed the standings in practically every European and World Rally event at that time. Porsche had taken three consecutive Monte Carlo Rally wins in 1968, 1969 and 1970, with Vic Elford and Björn Waldegaard behind the wheel.
The Porsche 911 was the car of the momento, REPESA was booming and the Repsol brand had been a sales leader over rival brands for quite some time. It seemed like the right moment for the Escudería Repsol to make an about–turn and make a legitimate push in the 1970 season.
In 1970, REPESA President, Luis Valero Bermejo, lobbied Eladio Doncel to present him with a budget that would allow for a strong Escudería that season. He also proposed for Doncel to become Director of the Escudería.
Along with the support of Andres Gimenez Calderon, who was also a key man in the 1970 Escudería Repsol programme, the project for 1970 focused mainly on the Spanish Rally Championship and road racing events. The budget presented to REPESA for their subsequent approval was some 8,500,00 pesetas.
In that era, the cost of the Porche 911–S off the production line was around 500,000 pesetas. Besides the purchase, modifications had to be made to adapt the vehicle for rallies –including changes of suspension, double ignition for the engine, a special 100 litre fuel tank, new seatbelts and protections. These requirements would cost more than the price of the car itself, reaching around 550,000 pesetas.
