The Porsche 956 is a legend if there ever was one.
It was a technological tour-de-force, with an early monocoque construction and
ground-effects aerodynamics. No wonder it held the outright lap record at the
Nürburgring until its modern successor knocked it down the chart.
And it won. Boy did it win .With the 956, Porsche
took overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in a row, starting
with a dominant 1-2-3 finish in ’82. This example right here, though, was the
only one ever to win on US soil. And to US soil it’s returning two months from
now to lead what promises to be a landmark auction event.
Based on its early success at Le Mans, Porsche
produced a handful of 956s for privateer teams – just nine for the 1983 World
Endurance Championship. This one was made for John Fitzpatrick Racing, and
though it retired from Le Mans, it went on to win other races, including at
Road America, where it became (and remained) the only 956 to win an American
race. It also won the endurance race at Brands Hatch in the UK that season, and
scored additional podium finishes at Mosport, Imola, Mugello, and Silverstone.
Chassis number 956-110 went into a private
collection following its final outing at Le Mans in ’84, and has in the years
since been held by just three private owners. The current one has had it for
the past 16 years, but is now putting it up for auction, resplendent in the J
David livery it wore at Le Mans in ’83. RM Sotheby’s expects it will sell for
around $6 million when it crosses the auction block at the Porsche Experience
Center in Atlanta this October in celebration of the marque’s 70th anniversary.
