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How the Porsche 956 transformed into the 962
The Porsche 962 was not initially designed as a Group C car. It was a response to IMSA refusing to allow the 956 to race, thanks to rules mandating that…
Porsche 962 from last-ever production run goes up for auction
Auctions
- Last updated: April 8th 2022
Porsche 962-163 is one of seven cars which constituted the last batch of Stuttgart's Le Mans-winning machines, and could sell for over £1m
The Porsche 962C is running the same livery as the one campaigned by Brun and team at Le Mans 1990 in this picture
Darrell Ingham/Getty Images
A landmark motor sport moment crystallised forever – one of the last ever Porsche 962Cs to roll off the Stuttgart production line has come up for auction.
Chassis 163, which is part of Gooding & Company’s ‘Geared Online’ auction, is expected to fetch between £800,000 – £1,200,000. The current bid is £440,000.
The car is in the same condition as it was last raced in after its final race at Mexico in 1990, and was one of seven 962Cs that represented the last batch of Porsche’s iconic sports car ever to be made.
Though Stuttgart was winding down its 962 production overall during that period, ’83 Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan Porsche to make one more serving of 962s to sell to customers.
Chassis 163 would achieve little on-track, chalking up two retirements in a pair of starts, but still holds a unique place in motor sport history
Darrell Ingham/Getty Images
As a result, seven were made – to 1988 specification – of which this Respol-liveried Porsche is one.
Three were purchased by Brun Motorsport GMBh, which had won the 1986 World Sportscar Championship.
163 was first campaigned at Montreal with owner Walter Brun and Jesus Pareja behind the wheel. The car retired from this race, and the next in Mexico, and has since then been left untouched.
It is described by Gooding & Co as “A virtual time warp from one of the most thrilling eras in all of modern motor sports”.
From the archive
The car still has the same bodywork and sponsor decals as found at its last race, as well as its original twin-turbocharged 962C engine, as produced by Porsche for all 962 models.
The 962 was a development of the all-conquering 956, which had won four Le Mans in a row from 1982 to 1985.
The longer wheelbase was born from Porsche’s desire to conquer IMSA in the US, regulations Statseside differing from those of the World Sportscar Championship’s Group C rules, which the 956 conformed too.
As well as winning on its Daytona debut in 1985 (in the hands of AJ Foyt, Bob Wolleck, Al Unser and Thierry Boutsen) the 962C conquered Le Mans in 1986 with Derek Bell, Hans, Joachim Stuck and Al Holbert driving for the Rothmans-sponsored works team.
The same line-up would go on to with a La Sarthe the next year, scoring Porsche’s record seventh consecutive win, whilst in the US it won three IMSA titles between ’85-’87.
Porsche 962C-163 is part of the Gooding & Company’s ‘Geared Online June’ auction, which ends June 18 at 6pm BST. More information can be found here.
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