With the passage of time, the Porsche 959 only looks more prescient. Conceived as a Group B rally contender, it evolved into a roadgoing technological showcase incorporating features that took decades to become standard-issue on high-performance automobiles. An intelligent four-wheel drive system, adjustable suspension, tire pressure sensors, and dramatic mass-reducing measures including composite construction and super-lightweight hollow-spoke magnesium wheels, to say nothing of its high-output 2.85-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six—it all seems strikingly modern, particularly on a vehicle introduced for 1986.

THE 959 SPORT

As is common practice with today’s top supercars, the 959 was also offered as a more extreme, performance-focused variant that pushed its performance envelope even further: The 959 Sport.

Instantly discernable from their standard “Komfort” brethren, the 959 Sport boasts a leather-wrapped roll cage with four-point racing harnesses and cloth upholstery. To save weight (and reduce mechanical complexity), the 959 Komfort’s adaptive suspension was replaced with a coilover setup, and the air conditioning, stereo, and even the passenger-side mirror were absent from the list of standard features. Thus, the 959 Sport was a full 220 pounds lighter than the 959 Komfort. Output was even more impressive than the standard 959, with the engine in the Sport producing 508 horsepower. The majority of 959 Sports were built to similar specification, with the biggest choice left to the buyer being the selection of Grand Prix White or Guards Red paintwork.

Making the 959 Sport even more fascinating, it represented the best effort of racing champion and Porsche North America Motorsport Division head, Al Holbert, to bring the 959 to the United States. From the outset, Porsche never intended to homologate the model for the American market, but Holbert reasoned that there was enough interest to justify importing a limited number of chassis—suitably modified and designated, officially, for track and racing use only—for collectors and enthusiasts. Holbert even went so far as to import a number of 959 Sports to Pennsylvania, which were reviewed by federal authorities; they quickly discerned that, despite their leather-wrapped roll cages and lack of air conditioning and radios, these were essentially thinly disguised street cars, and Holbert’s plan hit a regulatory roadblock. Sadly, Holbert died in a plane crash in 1988, bringing this chapter of 959 history to a premature end.

While 959s are already substantially rarer than contemporaries like the Ferrari F40, with only 292 production examples built from 1986 through 1989, the 959 Sport comprises an even more exclusive subset. Just 29 were built in total, making what was the most intense production 959 variant incredibly rare, as well.

CHASSIS 5013

Research indicates that this 959 Sport, chassis 5013, was originally ordered by Timothy L. White of Ohio. As these cars failed to get regulatory clearance to be imported into the United States, however, it was common that these cars were ultimately delivered to other markets entirely. Such was the case with chassis 5013, offered here.

One of 11 959 Sports finished in Grand Prix White, it was fitted with a passenger’s side mirror; notably, it is also one of only two 959 Sports known to be equipped with air conditioning. Chassis 5013 was completed in September 1988 but ultimately invoiced a year later, in September 1989. It was delivered new to a South Korean business magnate with an extensive and widely varied car collection, including a number of other examples of the 959.

In 2007, the Porsche was acquired by German Formula One driver, Le Mans class-winner, and Formula E competitor Nick Heidfeld. In 2017, Heidfeld commissioned Porsche Classic in Stuttgart to conduct an extensive overhaul of the car, which at the time had been driven fewer than 4,200 kilometers from new. Despite this limited use, nearly 115,000 Euro was invested in the 959 Sport at this time, with the goal of returning its complex powertrain to correct factory specification; notably, this included a restoration of the car’s Motronic engine management system to its as-delivered condition. The work was completed in December 2021.

Chassis 5013 was acquired by its present caretaker, just its third owner from new, in 2022. It has since been carefully maintained in his personal collection, which includes other notable Porsches that span the manufacturer’s entire illustrious history, and it remains in excellent overall condition today. Retaining its numbers-matching engine and displaying just 4,788 kilometers (~ 2,976 miles) at cataloguing, it is accompanied by documentation from prior ownership, tools, as well as German and English owner’s manuals and warranty book.

The ultimate iteration of Porsche’s innovative 1980s supercar, the 959 Sport was a visionary creation upon its introduction, and it remains so today. With only 29 constructed, they are rarely available for acquisition. This carefully preserved, interestingly specified, and scarcely driven example, which has lived much of its life out of the public eye, is a truly special opportunity for a dedicated collector.