One to Buy: ex-Kremer Racing / Alpha Cubic Racing Team 1984 Porsche 956
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Having reserved the 956 strictly for works use during the model’s maiden season (1982), Porsche began to offer customer copies for 1983. The following year, a further updated iteration was supplied to customers that featured a number of technical improvements.
Perhaps most significantly, these 1984 B-spec. machines came with new Bosch Motoronic MP 1.2 digital engine management which yielded much-improved fuel efficiency. In addition, weight was reduced thanks to a lighter tub and body panels, the aerodynamics were further refined and the front suspension was slightly reconfigured.
In total, six copies of the second generation 956 were supplied to Porsche’s customer teams. Numbered 113 through 118, the last example was sold to the Trust Racing Team Japan as a bare tub to replace their earlier car which had been wrecked.
As for the others, chassis 113 also headed out to Japan for Nova Engineering, 114 was sold to John Fitzpatrick Racing, 115 went to Kremer Racing, 116 to Brun Motorsport and 117 to Joest Racing.
Currently on offer with Fiskens in London is chassis 115 which Porsche dispatched to the highly rated Cologne-based Kremer Racing outfit where it ran alongside the team’s existing 956, chassis 101.
As evidence of Kremer’s industry-leading preparation, chassis 115 achieved a remarkable 100% finish rate during its six outings in 1984. The car debuted wearing a handsome blue Kenwood livery at the Le Mans 24 Hours where Vern Schuppan, Alan Jones and Jean-Pierre Jarier finished sixth overall. During its other three outings at World Championship level that season, chassis 115 bagged fourth at Imola and fifth place finishes at the Nurburgring and Sandown Park (all of which were 1000km races).
The car’s other two outings of 1984 saw Manfred Winkelhock drive chassis 115 to victory in the big money Norisring Trophy non-championship race and collect a second place finish in the DRM contest at the same track earlier that weekend.
Kremer subsequently retained chassis 115 until mid-way through the 1985 World Championship season, during which it most notably scored fifths at Le Mans and Mugello and eighths at Monza and Silverstone.
The car was then sold to the Alpha Cubic Racing Team in Japan where it was used in Japanese Sportscar Championship events and at the Fuji 1000km World Championship races. Its best result was third at the 1985 Suzuka 1000km. In ten races with Alpha Cubic between mid 1985 and late 1986, the car only failed to finish on one occasion.
Chassis 115 was later sold back to Kremer and restored. It then passed through the hands of British collectors Tony O’Neill and Henry Pearman. Today, the car presents beautifully in its 1984 Le Mans livery.
