Vehicle Description
1988 Porsche 959S
VIN: WP0ZZZ95ZJS905021
Finished at the Porsche factory on October 4th, 1988 this car was
originally contracted to American businessman, George Gillett of
Florida. As with all the 29 US bound 959S this example was not
authorized for import by the DOT after a failed attempt to import
them as track cars. It would be kept in France during its first
years.
5021 was purchased by a Mr. Gabel of Berlin, Germany in 2008 at
1,430 miles. Gabel would eventually sell the car, now with 2,141
miles, through the German dealer, E. Theisen, to Fawaz Al-Hasawi, a
Kuwaiti businessman. Al-Hasawi had an exceptional collection of
cars housed in London, England and moved the car there in July of
2014.
In February of 2015 Al-Hasawi sold a large part of that collection
in a historic sale referred by the press as the 'Aladdin's Cave of
Classic Cars'. All 27 cars, which included the 959's period
competitors the Ferrrari 288 GTO and F40, would move from London to
their new owner John Collins who runs the Ferrari specialist
Talacrest, in Ascot, Berkshire, England.
Not being a Porsche specialist, in July of 2015 Collins would pass
the car to DK Engineering, who are more familiar with the 959. They
would have Porsche Great Britain do a $15,000 full service to the
car, and engage Canepa's 959 experts to remotely rebuild the car's
traction control module.
Canepa would purchase the car earlier this year and finally bring
the car into the US only 28 years after its original purchase date.
Since its arrival our 959 team has inspected the 2,200 mile car
from stem to stern and found it to be an excellent original example
of one of the best sportscars ever built. Fully concours prepared
this legendary, as-new Porsche is ready to anchor any car
collection, or for the indulgent, ready to be driven and
experienced.
About the 959??
The Porsche 959 was by far the most technologically advanced
sportscar when it was introduced in 1985. Their timeless design,
state-of-the-art systems, and superior driving characteristics make
them one of the greatest sports cars of all time. ? ?
In the early 1980s, to the joy of race fans worldwide, FISA
introduced its new Group B road regulations. To qualify for
homologation, manufacturers would have to produce and sell 200 road
versions of their cars. Only two stepped up to the challenge:
Porsche with its 959, and Ferrari with its 288 GTO. ? ?
Porsche developed the ultimate powerplant; a twin-turbocharged
six-cylinder boxer engine with an air-cooled block and water-cooled
heads, displaced 2.85 liters, about half a liter less than a
contemporary 911 engine. The motor had originally been developed
for the "Moby Dick" race car and then been redeveloped slightly for
the short-lived Porsche Indy Car before being "tweaked" a last time
for use in the 961, the 959's racing counterpart. The water-cooled
cylinder heads combined with the air-cooled block, 4-valve heads
and sequential turbochargers allowed Porsche to extract 450 hp from
the compact, efficient and rugged power unit. The engine was
coupled to a unique manual gearbox, which was the first 6-speed
manual transmission sold in a streetcar.
In an attempt to create a lightweight shell, Porsche adopted an
aluminum and Aramid (Kevlar) composite for body use along with a
Nomex floor, instead of the steel normally used on their production
cars. The vehicle's weight of 3,190 pounds (1,450 kg) helped to
achieve its high performance level. ? ?
Porsche also developed the car's aerodynamics, with automatic
ride-height adjustment and "zero lift" aerodynamics. The 959 also
featured the most advanced all-wheel-drive system available in a
production car. Capable of dynamically changing the torque
distribution between the rear and front wheels, the PSK system gave
the 959 the adaptability it needed both as a race car and as a
"super" street car. Under hard acceleration, PSK could send as much
as 80% of available power to the rear wheels. It could also vary
the power bias depending on road surface and grip changes, helping
maintain traction at all times. The magnesium alloy wheels were
unique, being hollow inside to form a sealed chamber contiguous
with the tire and equipped with a built-in tire pressure monitoring
system.
The 959S was created as a US car for the close friends of Porsche
racer, Al Holbert. The idea was to bring in 959S as a track day /
race car, thereby side stepping all of the DOT and EPA regulations
that were never met by Porsche. They took out the A/C, installed a
roll cage, put in a traditional coil over suspension, installed
4-point seat belts and special seats, and boosted power by about
30hp in an effort to pass the car off as track car. When the first
10 arrived in the US the US government agencies inspected the cars,
and after a trip to the Nazareth Speedway, they determined that the
959S was not a track car. They were all shipped back to Porsche to
be sold to different regions outside North America.
