One to Buy: 1991 Schuppan Porsche 962
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Having initially been the dominant force in Group C racing, the Porsche 962 gradually began losing out to a new generation of machinery from the likes of Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz.
The Porsche’s weak spot was its outdated aluminium honeycomb tub while rival firms now used lighter, stiffer units fashioned from carbonfibre.
Having raced for the factory Porsche team every year between 1982 and 1988 and established his own equipe in mid 1987, Vern Schuppan sought to rectify the situation.
With Porsche’s blessing, Schuppan commissioned five new carbonfibre tubs from Advanced Composites Technology in England. By using the standard 962 chassis as a mould, Porsche’s tried-and-tested running gear would bolt straight on.
Team Schuppan began to race its first couple of carbon tubbed 962s in 1990. That season, the operation scored a best finish of fourth overall at the Fuji 1000km Japanese Sportscar Championship event.
1991 saw the arrival of the car you see here, chassis TS02C, which is currently on sale at the Canepa showroom in Scotts Valley, California.
Equipped with further refined bodywork that featured all kinds of trick aero, TS02C ran on four occasions during the ‘91 season. Its debut at the Silverstone 430km World Sportscar Championship race saw Jonathan Palmer and Eje Elgh start 15th but their race was ultimately cut short by engine failure just after one third distance.
Next time out at Le Mans, Elgh was joined by Will Hoy and Roland Ratzenberger. TS02C qualified 37th but blew a head gasket during the 16th hour.
For the Fuji 1000km Japanese Sportscar Championship event in early October, TS02C arrived in further updated trim. On this occasion, James Weaver and Kenny Acheson qualified 13th and finished sixth overall (fourth in the C1 class).
TS02C’s final outing came three weeks later when the car returned to World Championship action at the Autopolis 430km in Mexico where Elgh and Ratzenberger qualified 15th but failed to finish owing to a late engine failure.
The car was then sold to a Japanese collector with whom it remained until Canepa’s acquistion. TS02 has since undergone an exacting multi-year restoration by the Canepa Motorsport team and attended historic events such as the Sonoma Speed Festival and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
