A Porsche 959 Prototype, the Ultimate Eighties Hero, Is for Sale
This twin-turbo deity is yours—for $1.7 million.
A Porsche 959 Prototype, one of the most elusive collector-car unicorns of the last century, is up for sale. In pure white, it’s a veritable Moby Dick—some supreme, mythic prize for an especially well-heeled child of the Eighties who, for a staggering 1.55 million euros, will finally have the ultimate Porsche. Ever wanted to embarrass a sheik in his Ferrari F40 on counts of speed, good taste and rarity? A Porsche 959 in monochrome white is your car.
This clean machine is one of four surviving factory prototypes of the original class of 29—the rest were crushed decades ago. The seller notes that after living out its use as a testbed for ABS and tire development, the car was sent back to the factory for restoration and refurbishment, then sold to Professor Tachio Saito, a dear friend of Ferry Porsche—credited with the design of the 911—and founder of the Porsche Owners’ Club of Japan. (That, friends, is credentials.) Though it was made fully road ready, this car retains aspects of its experimental younger days: The wheels are magnesium, several body panels are lightweight and the pre-production Dunlop wheels and tires differ from the standard cars’.
If you can’t tell from the nostalgic listicles, leggings craze or all-consuming mania surrounding Back to the Future’s 30th anniversary, the Eighties are the most popular decade on the block. What a warp: Robert Downey, Jr.’s even, once again, a critically acclaimed movie star! In terms of pop culture, it’s a great time to be, like, 35; the Internet is regurgitating your childhood. Things are less sunny, though, if you’re 35 and have an interest in owning the cars you dreamt about in adolescence. Classic beasts like the E30 BMW M3, Porsche 930 and even Magnum’s Ferrari 308 are shooting up in value, already beyond the means of most; fallen Group B titans like the Ferrari F40, Audi Quattro S1 and this supreme Porsche 959 have skipped straight to the stratosphere.
What price to ride the crest of the Great Eighties Wave? Right now, it looks like that number is just under $1,700,000. Great Scott!
