The Porsche 962 - the defining Group C prototype 
Few competition cars have achieved the longevity, success and enduring stature of the Porsche 956 and 962. Conceived for the new Group C era, the 956 made its competition debut in 1982 and immediately changed the landscape of international endurance racing. Its aluminium monocoque, sophisticated ground-effect aerodynamics and turbocharged flat-six combined Porsche's traditional endurance expertise with a new generation of prototype technology.

The results were extraordinary. Porsche won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six consecutive times from 1982 through 1987 with the 956 and its 962C successor, while the cars also dominated the World Sportscar Championship and became the benchmark for customer teams around the world. Drivers associated with the 956/962 era included Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Jochen Mass, Klaus Ludwig, Bob Wollek, Vern Schuppan and many other leading endurance racers.

The 962 evolved from the 956 in response to safety requirements that placed the driver's feet behind the front axle, resulting in a longer wheelbase while retaining the essential architecture that had made the 956 so successful. In Group C form, the 962C developed into one of Porsche's most formidable racing cars and remained competitive for an exceptionally long period. Its combination of performance, engineering sophistication and relative accessibility for the driver explains why the model remains one of the most desirable cars of the Group C era.

One of the last factory-built customer cars
Our car, chassis 962-166 was completed in 1991 and is one of the 77 customer 962s built by Porsche. Importantly, it is one of the very last examples constructed by the Porsche factory itself, rather than one of the numerous independently developed or replacement-chassis cars that appeared during the model's long competition life.
Trust Racing ordered two Porsche 962Cs for the 1991 All Japan Sports Prototype Championship (JSPC). Chassis 962-166 was the team's principal car, with the second chassis serving as the back-up. In marked contrast to many 962s, which endured years of intensive professional competition, 962-166's contemporary racing career consisted of just two events.

Period race history

At Suzuka on 14 April 1991, Steven Andskär and George Fouché brought 962-166 home in an excellent fifth place overall. The same pairing returned to the car at Autopolis on 27 October, finishing eighth overall. Trust Racing subsequently moved to the Toyota 92C, bringing the Porsche's frontline competition career to an unusually early conclusion. Chassis 962-166 was then returned to Germany for an overhaul.

That exceptionally short period career is central to the car's appeal today. Whereas many Group C cars accumulated repeated rebuilds, accident repairs and drivetrain changes, 962-166 was spared much of the relentless use that characterised top-level prototype racing.

Historic competition and ownership
Following its retirement from contemporary competition, the Porsche eventually re-emerged in historic motorsport and was maintained by Stephan and Mike Kupka's respected MecAuto operation in Belgium. The car's history includes appearances at major historic events on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca.

By 2012, chassis 962-166 was owned by Eric Edelholm and appeared at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. By 2014 it was in the ownership of Dutch historic racer Mischa Strijder, who campaigned the Porsche at leading European historic meetings. Recorded appearances include the Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort in 2014, Spa Classic in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, and Le Mans Classic in 2016 and 2018.

In February 2023, 962-166 was offered by Artcurial Motorcars at its Rétromobile sale in Paris where it was acquired by its current owner. It is now located in France.

Exceptional originality and matching-numbers drivetrain
Originality is one of the defining qualities of 962-166 which is one of the few Porsche-built 962s to remain in original condition and has never been involved in an accident. Its remarkably limited contemporary race program goes a long way towards explaining that preservation.

Of particular importance, the car retains its original engine, a 3.2-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six (type 935/86) numbered 956/345, together with its original gearbox, making 962-166 a rare matching-numbers Porsche 962C. It also retains its original Bosch ignition system. In the context of a Group C prototype - where engines, transmissions and other major components were routinely changed as part of normal racing operations - the survival of the original drivetrain is an especially significant attribute.

This combination of a Porsche-built chassis, only two period races, no reported accident history and its original major mechanical components gives 962-166 a degree of authenticity that is increasingly difficult to find among surviving 962s.

Current condition and preparation
Since acquiring the car, the current owner has undertaken a comprehensive mechanical review with the intention of preserving the car's originality while ensuring that it can be returned to the circuit in proper condition. The engine has been rebuilt and the clutch replaced. At present, the outstanding items before the car is considered as truly race-ready is a new fuel cell, belts and the required crack testing. 962-166 is accompanied by its history documentation and a spares package which includes three sets of wheels: one monobloc set and two sets of BBS wheels.

A highly desirable Group C Porsche
The Porsche 962 is one of the defining sports-prototypes of the modern endurance-racing era, and factory-built examples occupy a particularly important place in Porsche competition history. Chassis 962-166 adds several qualities that are difficult to replicate: late factory construction, a very short and clearly documented period race history, a fifth-place JSPC finish at Suzuka, continued participation in prestigious historic events and, above all, exceptional originality.

Its matching-numbers engine and gearbox, original Bosch ignition and reported accident-free history distinguish it from the many 962s that were heavily raced, rebuilt or substantially altered during and after their contemporary careers. At the same time, the recent engine rebuild, replacement clutch and current fuel cell mean that this is not merely a static collector's piece, but a car intended to return to the environment for which it was created.

Eligible for major events catering for Group C machinery, including Le Mans Classic, 962-166 offers the rare opportunity to acquire an authentic, Porsche-built 962C with genuine period competition history and unusually strong preservation. For the collector who values provenance and originality as highly as outright performance, it represents a particularly compelling example of one of Porsche's greatest competition cars.