Advertisement
BBC TopGear
BBC TopGear
Subscribe to Top Gear newsletter
Sign up now for more news, reviews and exclusives from Top Gear.
Subscribe
Motorsport

For sale: Le Mans-winning Porsche 956. Price? £5.6 million

The car that won the 1983 24-hour race outright is up for auction. You'll need lots of cash

Published: 22 Jun 2015

This Porsche 956 might sell for $9,000,000. Why? It's one of a hat-trick of Porsche 956s that finished first, second and third in the 1982 Le Mans 24hr race, and it is the Porsche 956 that won outright in the 1983 Le Mans race.

So as you can see, it's more than a bit special. It's being offered up for sale by Gooding & Co, and is noted as one of the most successful 956s in existence.

Advertisement - Page continues below

This car, number 956-003, is the third of just ten works 956s build, and came second at Le Mans in 1982, driven by Jochen Mass and Vern Schuppan. It then went on to win the next four races in the season. Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell also had some seat time in -003.

Then came the Big One. In 1983, Vern Schuppan paired up with Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood to cross the Le Mans finish line in first place. 63 seconds in front of Bell and Ickx's 956 which finished second. 63 seconds, after 24 hours.

Schuppan was to later take custody of this Porsche after it retired from its day job, and kept it for more than a decade. It has since passed through four private owners and a "meticulous" restoration, and more recently, was awarded the Porsche Trophy at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

As mentioned, it's expected to fetch anywhere between $7m and $9m - so up to £5.6m - and will be part of Gooding's Pebble Beach sale, which kicks off on 15 August. One of the finest Porsche racers ever, a proper Le Mans winner... being sold in the year Porsche reclaims its Le Mans crown with a one-two finish.

Advertisement - Page continues below

You want it, right?

Top Gear
Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

More from Top Gear

Loading
See more on Porsche

Subscribe to the Top Gear Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear and BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy.

BBC TopGear

Try BBC Top Gear Magazine

subscribe