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1982 Porsche 956 background image

1982 Porsche 956 Group C

  • Chassis Number: 956-003
'Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.' That may be clear nowhere better than with the Porsche 956 - winner of LeMans in its first appearance - with its derivatives the 962 and 962C, arguably the most successful single series of endurance racing cars ever built with more than 120 victories over a 13-year span.

This example, chassis number 956-003, was the single most successful of the 956/962 series. It was driven to second place in the 1982 24 hours of LeMans (winning by only 63 seconds after crossing the line with a nearly seized engine) by Vern Schuppan, Jochen Mass and Jackie Ickx, and won its next four races that year, driven by Ickx/Mass in three and by Ickx and Derek Bell in the other. In 1983, this car won at Spa, Fuji, Brands Hatch and a breathtaking victory at LeMans, driven by Vern Schuppan, Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood, covering a then-record distance of 3,136 miles. Porsche 956-003 has the best record of all the factory 956/962 chassis; responsible for more points than any other 956 and Porsche's 1982 World Endurance Championship and Ickx's Driver championship and - most important of all - the overall winner of the 1983 LeMans 24 hour race. It is an essential part of the bedrock foundation of the Porsche endurance racing legend.

On March 5th of 1986, 956-003 was sold to Vern Schuppan in whose hands it had twice raced and has had only four owners since then, all recognized collectors who have carefully maintained and preserved this singularly important piece of racing history. It has the 620 horsepower, 2649cc intercooled twin-turbo, dual overhead camshaft, four-valve per cylinder boxer six, with air cooled cylinders and water-cooled heads. Altogether 124 of these 956/962 series racers were built by Porsche and somewhere around 56 others were built by privateers.

2015 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach Concours

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $7,000,000-USD $9,000,000 
Sale Price :
USD $10,120,000

2007 Vintage Motor Cars in Arizona

High Bid (Lot was not sold)
USD $2,000,000

Recent Sales of the Porsche 956

(Data based on Model Year 1982 sales)
1982 Porsche 956
Chassis#: 956-003
Sold for USD$10,120,000
  2015 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach Concours
1982 Porsche 956 image  1982 Porsche 956 image  
1982 Porsche 956 Group C Sports-Prototype
Chassis#: 956-004
Sold for USD$3,179,431
  2014 RM Auctions - Paris
 

Porsche 956s That Failed To Sell At Auction

1982 Porsche 956's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1982 Porsche 956 Group C Endurance Racing Coupe956-0032007 Vintage Motor Cars in Arizona$2,000,000  

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1982 Porsche 956

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1982 Porsche 956 vehicle information
Group C
Chassis #: 956-003

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