One to Buy: ex-Preston Henn 1983 Porsche 956
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As a consequence of its superior specification and a legion of customer cars to support the Rothmans-backed factory team, the Porsche 956 proved almost unbeatable during Group C’s formative years.
Having secured both the 1982 World Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles thanks solely to their works outfit, Porsche began to supply its clients with privateer examples of the 956 for 1983.
With the extra strength in depth afforded by a dozen additional cars, the 956 swept all before it that season, winning every round of the World Sportscar Championship and all but one race in both the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and European Endurance Championship.
Unfortunately though, because the 956 was designed with the driver’s feet located ahead of the front axle, it was never eligible to compete in the high profile IMSA series across the Atlantic.
Despite not having been able to race a 956 in his native US, American gentleman driver and Swap Shop mogul, Preston Henn, acquired one of the customer cars produced for 1983 to race in select rounds of the World Sportscar Championship.
Meanwhile, for the IMSA series, Henn’s team ran an Andial-built 935 dubbed the 935 L which famously won the 1983 Daytona 24 Hours.
Currently on offer at the Maxted-Page showroom in Halstead, Essex, is Preston Henn’s 956 (chassis 103) which, although less successful during that 1983 campaign than the team’s 935 L, went on to finish the 1984 Le Mans 24 Hours in a remarkable second place with Jean Rondeau and John Paul Jr. at the wheel.
Today it is presented in superb cosmetic and mechanical condition, as raced at la Sarthe in 1984.
