Most Porsche 959 fans know that the company ended the car’s production in 1988. Some of those same fans know that the exorbitant cost of manufacturing the cars almost ended the company itself.
What many 959 lovers don’t know is that Porsche actually didn’t stop building the 959 when they wrapped up 1988’s production run. They just mothballed the project, locking the remaining parts away for four years until a wealthy Macau collector showed up knocking on their door and inquiring about purchasing a new one.
Porsche may or may not have built six of these unicorns when the company was desperate for liquidity, delivering them to a very happy buyer. Porsche wasn’t good at keeping records, so nobody is really sure how many cars were built in the end. Porsche can’t even really confirm that the cars were built because they just don’t know.
Road & Track’s Chris Perkins delves deeper into the mystery of the “new” 1992 959s and the surprising story behind their apparent production. It’s an interesting and unique legend in the history of a company that has no shortage of legends and history. Give it read to learn more about this wonderful supercar mystery. If you are curious to learn more about what made the 959 special, check out this excerpt from Top Gear where Richard Hammond swoons over the German machine.
