One to Buy: ex-works 2nd at Le Mans 1988 Porsche 962
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Although 20th century sports car racing saw frequent periods of domination by some truly great automobiles, perhaps the most sustained era of supremacy by an out-and-out prototype was that of the Porsche 956 and 962 throughout the 1980s.
In addition to a quintet of Driver and Manufacturer World Championship titles between 1982 and ‘86, these Porsches most notably combined to take outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours for six straight years between 1982 and 1987 along with four back-to-back IMSA GTP crowns from 1985 to 1988.
Throughout this period, works cars in Rothmans and later Shell colour schemes were joined by a legion of factory supported satellite teams and genuinely independent privateers; such strength in depth and Porsche’s legendary mechanical robustness meant the opposition rarely got a look in.
Currently on offer at the Fiskens showroom in central London is the very last works 962 from this golden period of motor sport: chassis 110.
The only brand new chassis of the three works cars in attendance at 1988’s Le Mans 24 Hours (the sole World Championship event contested by Porsche that season), chassis 110 was allocated to the team’s number one driver pairing of Derek Bell, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Klaus Ludwig who had no less than ten victories at la Sarthe between them. Having started from pole, the trio were ultimately beaten to victory by a works Jaguar that crossed the line just 180 metres up the road in one of the closest ever finishes at Le Mans.
Chassis 110 subsequently appeared in three Supercup races during the weeks that followed collecting a second at the Norisring (with Stuck) and then fifth and fourth place finishes for Ludwig at Diepholz and the Nurburgring. The car was subsequently retired from competitive action and is being offered in what is described as ‘time capsule condition’ having remained ‘untouched since her last race’.For more information visit the Fiskens website at: https://www.fiskens.com/
