STUTTGART’S ATTACK ON GROUP B
STORY | Nathan Merz
PHOTOGRAPHY | Stephen Mitchell
Coming across a Porsche 959 in the wild is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Only a scant 337 copies were made. To come across a proper 959 Sport, of which just 29 were ever produced, conjures a sense of suspended disbelief, even in Stumptown with its catchy “Keep Portland Weird” slogan. The 959 story is a mixture of international intrigue, political maneuvering, brinkmanship, engineering brilliance and one enthusiast with an almost prescient view into the influence Group B racing would have on the supercar for decades to come.
The saga started more than 40 years ago in September 1981 when the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) radically reshaped the international motorsports landscape by unveiling its new Group B class. This move made rally racing the Wild West of motorsports. With just 200 cars required for homologation, wide latitude given for use of materials, drive configuration, boost and the like, manufacturers went crazy and legends were born. The Ferrari 288 GTO, Audi Quattro, Ford RS200, Peugeot 205T16, and Lancia Delta S4 to name a few. Not to be left out of the ranks, the engineers at Porsche rolled up their sleeves and set to work at creating their own vision of what a Group B Porsche would look like.
Since Group B provided wide latitude, the initial path chosen by Porsche was a hard-fought battle with legendary talents espousing strong opinions as to what the ideal configuration should be. Jürgen Barth, then a 34-year-old engineer and driver who along with Jacky Ickx and Hurley Haywood had won the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 936, strongly felt Porsche’s choice should be a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration machine more oriented to circuit racing as opposed to rally. After four months of wrangling, on January 15, 1983, Helmuth Bott, then Research and Development Manager for Porsche AG delineated the framework for what would become the 959. This framework contained some critical decisions, primarily of which would be that it would utilize an aft-mounted engine and all-wheel-drive. This was primarily driven by his desire to keep the development of the 911 moving forward and declared that all development concepts and learnings have a direct link to the production 911. Thus, the stage was set whereby the 959 project would inform the development of the 911 series going forward; this single decision has shaped every 911 from 1983 onward.
The initial scope set out in February of 1983 set a goal of homologation in early 1985 and had a target sales price of DM150,000 ($180k USD inflation adjusted) with a production goal of 250 units. There was much to do and not much time to waste as various teams across many disciplines set to work on both an ambitious project and timeline. The initial design work fell to Dick Soderberg working under design director Tony Lapine and Studio chief Wolfgang Mobius. They had just over six months to unveil a design which would debut at the September 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show as the “Gruppe B.” This design finished in Pearl White with flush disc-style wheels nearly took the air out of the room. For the first time the world knew about the upcoming 959 and the furor was on.
By late 1983 with the Porsche faithful now fully aware of a new supercar in the works, challenges were piling up. The homologation timeline had already been pushed back and the projected cost had already doubled. The development team had chosen a path with extreme engineering challenges, having decided that this car would both break technological barriers, but also be a fully accessible and daily driver capable true production car. This was in stark contrast to the various other Group B entrants, of which many bore little resemblance to either their production cars in form or function. Porsche’s mission would come at an extreme price, both in sheer dollars but also in terms of engineering challenges and delays.
Fully 27 months into development Porsche had a dozen 959 prototypes and they were madly scrambling to have a car ready for the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show. The decision was made to present a full-scale cutaway car, fully showcasing the exotic materials, all-wheel-drive configuration, hydraulically actuated suspension, and ABS brake systems. If the 1983 Group B car stirred excitement this car was a powder keg. The car exploded resulting in 1,600 inquiries about purchasing the upcoming 959. Porsche filtered through the inquiries and accepted 250 DM50,000 deposits on the now DM420,000 ($467k USD infl ation adjusted) 959 with projected deliveries starting in August of 1986. Not surprisingly the demand for the 959 vastly outstripped projected supply and immediately a secondary market sprung up for these cars, with reports of potential buyers offering upwards of DM150,000 above list price. The initial list had already been vetted by Porsche and a person’s ability to pay the eye-watering price was not the only criterion, one had to have history or importance to the brand. Suffice it to say this sparked a level of near irrational exuberance that has not subsided to this day.
In 1986 fully 50% of Porsche’s worldwide sales were coming from the United States, would this important market receive the 959? As production for markets outside the U.S. commenced word was out that Porsche simply was not willing to offer the required four 959’s the U.S. EPA and DOT required for certification. At an internal cost of an estimated DM1,300,000 for each copy Porsche simply could not justify the cost and sadly the dreams of a street legal 959 died for U.S. buyers. However, forever hopeful Porsche concocted a new plan and on October 16th, 1987, sent out a memo from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) announcing that they were accepting orders for 25 Porsche 959 Race Versions priced at $295,000 ($792,000 inflation adjusted!) which in bold announced, “This Model is NOT and CANNOT be certified for use on public roads by the United States Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency. It is forbidden to operate this vehicle on public roads.” The cars were offered in red or white with dark gray cloth interiors and differed from the regular comfort versions as they deleted the hydraulically adjustable suspension, air conditioning, radio, and added four-point belts, rollover cage, and racing brake pads. Projected delivery was June of 1988 and required a $60,000 non-refundable deposit.
At this point many people were aware that this was a cute if somewhat naïve attempt for Porsche to bring the 959 stateside and appease some of its most high-profile customers. These initial 25 orders were gobbled up and in fact a total of 30 orders were taken and a total of 29 cars were built. In the fall of 1988 Porsche shipped eight of these cars with hopes of a lazy bureaucrat simply rubber stamping their entry. Unfortunately, the cars were flagged, and the automaker found itself embroiled in a heated battle, effectively the EPA knew the ruse and called Porsche out. After several months of wrangling, Porsche accepted defeat and shipped seven of the eight cars home, tail between its legs. A single example was allowed entry under the direction that it be used exclusively as a static display at the museum of Otis Chandler, then publisher of the L.A. Times and a prolific Porsche collector. Porsche offered to refund the deposits of the U.S. based orders but also offered these customers the option to pick their cars up in Stuttgart with the explicit understanding they could not be returned to the U.S. It is not known the initial distribution of these 29 cars but suffice it to say for some rabid Porsche fanatics some creativity “might” have been involved.
Fast forward to 2023 and I hear word about one of these coveted 29 959 Sport’s residing in Oregon of all places, and would I be interested in seeing this car and writing about the vehicle’s history? This simple question was not even worthy of further consideration, of course as any 959 is lust worthy but a true 959 Sport? Upon arrival at Portland International Raceway, I am immediately captivated by the Guards Red 959, Porsche purists can quickly spot the visual hallmarks of the Sport model; the absence of the hydraulic fluid access door on the driver’s side quarter panel and the car’s single-mirror configuration, subtle but oh so telling…. With quick introductions I am offered the passenger seat and we’re off. The banter is light, falling immediately into easy conversation with a fellow Porschephile and all seems normal as I inquire about the history of this 959 Sport. I am anticipating hearing that he purchased it recently at a catalog sale or through a private treaty arrangement, I simply was not prepared for the story I heard.
In the early 1980’s the owner was smitten with Group B and seemingly had a prescient view of how this radical rule change meant that manufacturers were essentially selling race cars at enormously subsidized prices to end users. The likes to the Ford RS200 and Peugeot 205T16 were being sold at literally pennies on the dollar versus actual costs and he had the foresight to know this and make purchases in period. Not only this, but I learned that he still owned these cars. Of course, of the Group B cars the 959 was the literal top of the heap and somehow the current owner was wise enough to know he needed an ally with top connections within Porsche. Utilizing these connections on November 14th, 1987, the current owner was able to submit his order for not one, but two 959 Sport models, one red and one white. It was going to be a long wait as the car was finally delivered directly from the factory on September 5th, 1989, and it wouldn’t be until 2016 that the owner could bring his prized 959 Sport Stateside, as it qualified under the 25-year exemption. As they say, patience is a virtue.
As we hopped into the 959 on a recent morning at Portland International Raceway, I was taken by both the car and its owner. Here is a machine clearly presaging the future of not only Porsche but performance cars over the next four decades with its computer controlled all-wheel-drive system with situational variable torque split, sequential turbos, adaptive suspension, tire pressure monitoring, and exotic use of materials well before anybody else. Alongside this is a prescient owner who more than 40 years ago knew not only that these Group B era supercars and more specifically the 959 would become icons of a generation but also had the patience and wherewithal to both purchase them new and to hold onto them. If I have ever met an automotive sage, I think he just might be the one.
