1985 Porsche 959 Coupe

The Porsche 959 was originally developed for the short-lived Group B rally program. It was a technologically sophisticated vehicle with the body construction incorporating DuPont Kevlar aramid fibers, a polyurethane nose cap, and aluminum doors and front lid. The suspension was comprised of three adjustable ride-height settings, as well as three dampening settings for the shock absorbers. They had an antilock braking system that was controlled by high-speed microprocessors, augmented by run-flat Bridgestone tires. The engine featured six individually water-cooled cylinder heads, twin sequential turbochargers, and intercooling, sending 450 horsepower at 6,500 rpm to all four wheels through an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system.

The Porsche 959 had a steep $300,000 purchase price, but that was not enough to slow the eagerness of customers. The factory had a waiting list and lost money of every one of the 283 examples built. The model was given the nickname of 'Porsche's Gift to Its Favorite Customers.' Unfortunately for United States collectors, the 959 was not legal to import to the states. The 'Show and Display' law of 1999, championed by 959 owners Bill Gates and Paul Allen, finally allowed the cars to be legally imported.

There were just 21 examples of the 'Vorseries' examples produced, all created in 1985. The 'Vorseries' examples were pre-series production models and were built after the original prototypes. They utilized the finalized 959 specification to varying degrees, but they preceded the start of official public production.

This example is a Vorseries example and was finished in road going 'Komfort' trim. It is not fitted with the hydraulic self-leveling rear suspension, which was a later innovation.

The car spent time in the Porsche executive fleet. It was titled and road-registered prior to being sold privately by the factory. This 959 has had only two registered owners since, the most recent being the president of the Porsche Club of Spain. It has been driven only 5,000 kilometers from new.

The car is finished in its original Zermatt Silver paint and a grey-piped black leather interior.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2014