The story goes that the names of cuts of meat were written in German across it in a similar fashion to a butcher's carcass diagram, earning it the nickname "Der Truffeljäger von Zuffenhausen" (The Truffelhunter of Zuffenhausen) or just plain "Pink Pig". Apparently it was done as a laugh when the body came back after its aerodynamic work had been done (ie. with the short tail - but 5 inches wider and generally much bulkier than its sleeker cousins.
Here is a shot (copied from Porsche 917, The winning Formula by Peter Morgan) from the Le Mans race of 1971.
Essentially when Martini (sponsors) saw the paintwork, they refused to be associated with it. When the factory brought it to Le Mans, the privateers were upset that a more advanced 917 was being run. The needn't have worried as the short tail DNF.
The white #22 Martini-entered 917K (chassis number 053 -see pic above -- to the right of the pig) of Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep, equipped with a magnesium frame, set an overall distance record that still stands today. On the Circuit de la Sarthe, they set a distance record of 5335.313 km (3,107.7 miles) at an average speed of 220.2 km/h (137.6 mph).
video courtesy of gestalten.tv
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