1987 Porsche 959 Coupe

Porsche began the development of the 959 in 1983 and was based loosely on the 911 Carrera with the objective of winning the proposed production-based Group B rally competition. The project involved the use of molded composite bodywork, along with many other pioneering manufacturing techniques. The 959 was the first automotive production use of DuPont Kevlar aramid fibers. Aluminum was used for the doors and front lid, and the nose cap was constructed from polyurethane. The suspension had three ride-height settings, plus three dampening settings for the shock absorbers. There are high-speed microprocessors in the anti-lock braking system, augmented by a set of run-flat Bridgestone high-performance tires.

Mounted mid-ship is a 2849cc flat-six engine that has water cooling for the six individual cylinder heads, and twin sequential turbochargers and intercooling. The engine develops 450 bhp which is sent to the all-wheel-drive system giving the car a top speed of 198 mph, with a zero-to-sixty mph of just 3.6 seconds.

Porsche produced just 283 examples of the 959. They had a list price of approximately $300,000, though it is reported that Porsche spent more to build each car.

This example finished in India Red with tri-tone silver leather upholstery is a 'Komfort' version. It has had only two owners from new and shows just 37,000 kms on the odometer. It has an 85 horsepower factory upgrade ECU chip which remains as-new and uninstalled. It has the original tool kit, unused white leather gloves, hanging sales tags, radio instruction cassette, owner's manual, three service manuals, a diagnostic tester and a sterling key chain.

In 2011, this vehicle was offered for sale at the RM Auction sale in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was estimated to sell for $350,000 - $440,000. Bidding reached $300,000 but was not enough to satisfy the car's reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2011