Car of the Week: This 1987 Porsche 959 Is One of Porsche’s First Supercars. Now It’s up for Grabs.
The Porsche 911 is, in the minds of its many admirers, the definitive sports car of the 20th century. It’d be difficult to name another automobile that checks as many boxes for competition and commercial success, not to mention good looks, enduring design and for being just plain “fun” to drive. But the moniker “911” is a multifaceted one, because within that hallowed lineage is a family of cars embracing everything from the essential “Project 901” of 1963 to the race cars bearing the quintessential 911 shape but that are quite different under their familiar exteriors.
Like any family with so many historic and contemporary characters, there are always a few superstars that upstage the others. One of the biggest Porsche superstars—and one with an enduring fan base—is coming to the Broad Arrow Auctions sale at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Florida on March 4. That car is the Porsche 959.
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With its extraordinary power, all-wheel drive and curvaceous body, the 959 charted the course for the “modern” 911, the era ushered in by the model 964 that came to market in 1989. Groundbreaking technology defined the 959, which Porsche created in the early 1980s to compete in the Group B rally series, and continued to develop late into the decade to be the marque’s ultimate road car.
The 959 is powered by a flat-six engine derived from the successful 962 race car. It uses water-cooled heads instead of air-cooling as the thermal limit could not accommodate the 444 hp output of the 959. Turbocharging, first implemented in Porsche’s 917/10 Can-Am racer from 1972, was adapted to the road-going 911 Turbo of 1975, and subsequently in a sequential-turbo configuration for the 959. All four wheels allocated grip through computer control—sophisticated for the time—while a self-leveling suspension explored the limits of handling dynamics. And Kevlar composite was used for the aerodynamic body, which includes the famous wraparound, basket-handle rear spoiler that has become the signature styling element of the 959.
While ultimately produced for road use, the 959 cut its teeth in competition, and was successful in two disparate arenas: the 24 Hours of Le Mans (as the 961), where it finished first in class and seventh overall, and the Paris-Dakar Rally, finishing first, second and sixth in the 1986 race. But the 959’s fantastic complexity came at a cost. Porsche is reputed to have lost $300,000 on each car, which sold for about $225,000 when new, and so, the 959 would never become a viable product for the manufacturer. Yet it has gone on to be a first-tier trophy in any Porsche collection.
“The rise in collectability of 1980s and ’90s sports and supercars isn’t going anywhere, and if the RADwood era has a royal lineup, the Porsche 959 is at the top of the list,” says Alexander Weaver, senior car specialist with Broad Arrow Auctions. “The 959 was essentially created to showcase Porsche’s technological bragging rights developed on the track in the previous decade, and the Komfort package takes the 959 to the next level, with creature comforts for extended driving. Recently serviced and with just over 14,659 miles, this is an example ready to be driven and enjoyed.”
This example is a 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort, one of only 292 production 959s made between 1986 and 1988. A copy of the Porsche Certificate of Authenticity indicates that chassis No. WP0ZZZ95ZHS900051 was painted Silver Metallic with a black leather to sample (code 99), and optioned with heated, electrically adjustable sport seats and an alarm system. Importantly, it retains its original 2.85-liter engine.
Delivered to France and eventually imported to the United States in 2002, it received attention from Porsche 959 guru Bruce Canepa, whose team boosted performance and reliability with their Stage One engine upgrade. Increasing output to 600 hp, the improvements entailed fitting 369 new components, along with a 959 S coil-over suspension to replace the hydraulically adjustable suspension. California smog-legal, it is accompanied by a very rare multipiece tool kit and warning triangle contained in bags matched to the interior leather. The car being offered is estimated to fetch as much as $2 million.
Click here for more photos of the 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort offered through Broad Arrow Auctions.
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