One to Buy: 23,000km Graphite Grey 1987 Porsche 959 (SOLD)
Even though Porsche had committed a vast sum of money to their 956 Group C programme, the idea of a production-based model taking the fight to Ferrari in Group B proved too good to resist.
Porsche and Ferrari works cars had last gone head-to-head during the 1970 and ‘71 seasons when the German firm’s 917 and 908/03 trounced the 512 S and 312 PB in the World Sportscar Championship and also took the company’s first outright wins at Le Mans.
The resultant 959 was expected to challenge the Ferrari 288 GTO for honours in Group B, but as it turned out the series proved a flop and neither machine ever raced in its original form. Instead, the GTO simply proved a major commercial hit and paved the way for the F40 which arrived in late 1987.
By contrast, the 959 had a long, painful and expensive gestation; the first deliveries didn’t take place until a few months before the F40 arrived and its vast DM 431,500 list price was less than half the build cost.
Nevertheless, with its state-of-the-art specification, mind-bending performance and superlative build quality, the 959 moved supercars into new territory.
Currently on offer at the Dutton Garage showroom in Victoria is this handsomely configured 959 from 1987.
Originally delivered to a customer in Italy, chassis 900149 was ordered with arguably the best colour for a 959: Graphite Grey Metallic with matching tri-colour upholstery.
It has today covered a little over 23,000km and comes with a full complement of original handbooks / manuals.
Reprinted below is Dutton Garage’s description for this superb Group B homologation special:
Chassis number: WP0ZZZ95ZHS900149
The Porsche 959 is remembered as one of the greatest sports cars of the modern era.
A technological tour de force which was light years ahead of anything else at the time, it featured a 2.8L twin turbo 450HP engine, did 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, and had a top speed of over 300km/h, making it the fastest car in the world at the time. Its performance was contained by computer controlled all wheel drive, and driver adjustable ride height and suspension settings, and its passengers were cosseted in its leather lined and air conditioned interior. While there are cars that have this level of comfort and performance today, it is hard to fathom the impact the 959 made when it was released over 30 years ago.
Derivatives of the 959 won their class at Le Mans, and won the Paris Dakar rally outright. While it missed competing in the category it was designed for, Group B, it nevertheless became a test bed for all its technology to filter down to the rest of the Porsche range.
As special and sought after as the 959 was, only 292 production cars were ever built, making the 959 extremely sought after today.
The stunning example we have available is resplendent in its original Graphite metallic paintwork with dark grey leather and contrasting inserts.
Italian delivered new, it remains in outstanding original condition with very low mileage, and all its service books and manuals.
Please contact us for more information.
