In the mid-1980s, Porsche was in trouble, big trouble. At the time they were a relatively small, independent company and as such - they would reportedly lose the same as the asking price of nigh on £150k, for every single 959 built; a car that they would in fact struggle to sell at all. The 959 was a fascinating feat of engineering, not least for a business struggling so heavily at the time, its arguably a miracle the project was seen through – even going the other way in 1987 when Porsche reluctantly built the production version and curtailed production in 1988 after just 292 examples.
Commonly misunderstood that Porsche simply could not afford to give four cars to the United States for their crash testing requirements, they had instead saved on development costs designing and testing to European safety standards only. Nevertheless, the 959 was not lost on U.S. enthusiasts and collectors and there were some efforts to import a modified Sport into the U.S. for track use only.
The Sport saw a 100 kg weight loss over the Komfort, although mechanically the cars were identical. A factory power upgraded with larger turbochargers and revised internals was available that boosted power by 70bhp to 520 bhp. The exceedingly complex suspension setup was discarded in favour of more conventional coil-over setup. The interior was pared back too; air-conditioning was removed, wind up windows installed, radio deleted and rear seats omitted along with central locking and even the passenger wing mirror.
The interior gained a full leather-wrapped roll-cage, with the seats now revised and in cloth with four-point racing harnesses. All 959 Sport were completed to the exact same specification with just the colour being left to choice; Guards Red or Grand Prix White. Just 7 Rest of World 959 Sport examples were completed in 1987 with 1 further car in 1989. All of the 29 USA examples were completed in 1988.
This example has been earmarked for delivery to Texan Le Mans entrant Jack Griffin, who’s unlikely friendship forged over a tennis match with a former Porsche Motorsport Director had seen him send a $60,000 deposit by cheque to Stuttgart. However when the US Environmental Protection Agency rejected the Sport as track-only sportscar, Porsche sent back his refund.
Delivered through the Racing Department in Weissach, the car was sold to Italy in December of 1989, first registered in the name of company Effe Uno SpA of Bolzano. The business was operated by Pierluigi Rindi, a successful businessman in the textiles industry. Rindi would retain the car for 10 years before sale to Bergamo. In 1999, the car was registered to significant construction holding company. Keen Porsche lovers, the 959 joined a garage including their Mille Miglia entrant 356. The family would retain the car until June of 2014 when it was exported to Germany.
Purchased by the current owner in September of 2014, the 959 was shortly thereafter returned to its Stuttgart home for a comprehensive overhaul. Purchased with just 16,700 miles from new, the current custodian requested Porsche Classic carry out a thorough inspection ahead of remedial works.
With a worklist outlined, Porsche Classic overhauled the 959 at a cost of just under €200,000, of which a quarter was spent on the engine alone. At the time of the overhaul, this example received the Porsche factory power upgrade boosting output by 70bhp to just over 520bhp. Porsche Classic are presently overbooked for the Carrera GT and 918 recomissioning service and cannot accept any further restorative works until 2030!
Upon completion in 2017, the 959 Sport made its way to Hong Kong to reside within a prominent global collection. More recently this example has made its way to the UK, undergoing UK registration in 2022. Recent servicing has been carried out exclusively by Porsche Reading with the 959 receiving a minor service in October 2024.
Today this 959 Sport presents superbly. Having been cared without consideration for expense and benefitting from a complete overhaul with Porsche Classic, this example has since been carefully stored and used sparingly. This 959 Sport will undergo a fresh service by Porsche Reading in March 2025 and is available to view at our showrooms outside London immediately
