Competition car
Chassis no. 962 166
Engine no. 956/345

- The champion of Group C - 5th at Suzuka
- One of the best competition Porsches of all time
- Well-preserved example, only driven in a few races
- One of the 77 cars built by the Porsche factory

Six successive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1982-1987: just one aspect of the incredible record that the Porsche 956 and 962 could boast during an exceptionally long career for cars built for competition.
At the start of the 1980s, endurance racing was suffering from the absence of the major manufacturers, and the European and American regulations needed to be revamped to revive the battles which the championship had seen in the past. This led to the creation in Europe of Group C, the regulations for which were based on limits on fuel consumption. At Porsche, under the direction of Peter Falk, who had joined the company as a chassis development engineer in 1959, a small team set about developing a new car, christened the 956. In order to meet the safety requirements of the American IMSA regulations, the tubular chassis made way for a monocoque structure, which was stronger and safer. In addition, this design was better suited to the aerodynamic requirements and the venturi tunnels beneath the car which were used to create a ground effect that was essential for the car's high-speed roadholding. Norbert Singer was responsible for this work and played an important role in the car's design; numerous tests were carried out in the wind tunnel. As far as the engine was concerned, Porsche had the flat-six from the 936 at its disposal and used it as the basis for the 956. One of its distinctive features was its cooling system, with water-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. It was fed by two KKK turbos.
Time was short for a small team to deliver a new model of this type, but, as Singer explained, "Thanks to the small distances between us and our very free way of working, we could make the most of all our resources."
The 956 ran for the first time on 27 March 1982 at Weissach, driven by Jürgen Barth, and proved a success. This would quickly be confirmed in June during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, when Porsche claimed the first three places! This success and the others that followed led to many orders from private teams, who had no hesitation in modifying the model as they saw fit. As much as Porsche, they contributed to the success of the 956, which won the manufacturer's title in the World Endurance Championship in 1982, 1983 and 1984.

The following year, in 1985, the 962 made its début, when new regulations stipulated that the driver's feet had to be behind the front axle. These led to changes to the 956, which became the 962. It shared the same basic engineering, including the turbocharged flat-six engine and PDK ('Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe') gearbox, a sequential dual-clutch unit. The new model proved just as successful as its predecessor, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1986, 1987 and 1991, as well as the World Endurance Championship in 1985.
Between them, the 956 and 962 were driven by some of the top names in endurance racing such as Jacky Ickx, Henri Pescarolo, Derek Bell, Mario Andretti, Hans Stuck, Jochen Mass, Klaus Ludwig, Vern Schuppan, Bob Wollek and Thierry Boutsen. Some of them went so far as to consider these two models the best competition Porsches of all time. "It was just so easy to drive", Derek Bell recalled in an article in Classic & Sports Car. "I would drive a 962 around a car park if that was all that was on offer. It was a superb bit of kit and a car for which I retain great affection."

In all, Porsche built 16 962s for the works team and 77 customer cars, including the 962 C we are presenting, one of the last entirely built at the factory. It was bought new by the Trust Racing Team, which ordered two cars to take part in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship (JSPC) in 1991. This car, chassis no. 166, was the main car, the other serving as the backup. It took part in two races: on 14 April at Suzuka, where it finished fifth overall driven by Steven Andskär and George Fouché, and on 27 October at Autopolis, where the same drivers brought it home in eighth place. The team then moved on to the Toyota 92C and the Porsche was sent to Germany to be overhauled.
Maintained thereafter by Stephan and Mike Kupka's Mecauto team in Belgium, this 962 C enjoyed a second life in historic motorsport, notably competing in several editions of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, held in August at the Laguna Seca racetrack. Never having been involved in an accident, it is one of the few 962s built by Porsche to remain in original condition. It is sold today with a set of parts and documents, which are listed in the car's history file. After the usual checks, it will be ready to race again.
It is eligible for the major events for Group C cars, including Le Mans Classic, where it is sure to be highly competitive!

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