For Sale: 1990 Porsche 962C
Porsche’s 962s are the absolute definition of fever machines. Aesthetically stunning, aural wonders which have achieved an impossible level and consistency of success throughout their history in motorsport.
If you pop by Canepa Design, you pick this one up complete with an excellent racing history, steered in its prime by Tiff Needel and Derek Bell, and ready to hit the track again in historics.
1990 Porsche 962C
This Factory Built 962 is considered to be the most successful prototype car in the history of motorsports. Introduced in 1984 and based on Porsche’s wildly successful 956 — at their Le Mans debut in 1982, three factory 956’s led the entire race and finished first, second and third — the 962 was designed to address the ever-evolving rule changes in IMSA GTP competition. New safety rules required placement of the pedal box behind the front axle line and the 956 wheelbase was lengthened to accommodate the move. A new steel roll cage was also installed and the 956’s twin KKK K27 turbochargers were replaced, per new rules, with a single K36 version. Originally introduced with a 2.8 liter motor, the 962’s displacement grew to 3.2 liters in 1985.
A new version of the car was also introduced in 1985: the 962C. Designed for WEC (World Endurance Championship) racing, it featured the twin-turbocharged motor originally found in the 956. In the hands of drivers like Derek Bell, Jackie Ickx and Hans-Joachim Stuck, the 962C dominated. In 1986 the name of the WEC series was changed to the World Sports Prototype Championship (WSPC), and the Porsches continued to dominate. The 962C also notched its first victory that year at Le Mans.
By 1987 the rest of the field was starting to catch the Porsches. In response, the factory debuted a new 3.0 liter motor that year at Le Mans. Proving to be both powerful and reliable, it gave Porsche its sixth consecutive victory.
The 962C helped Porsche rule sportscar racing for years; a 962C, running in the GT1 class, won at Le Mans as late as 1994. Derek Bell, a 5-time Le Mans winner who drove 962’s to 21 victories, remarked that they were “fabulous cars… and really quite easy to drive.”
This car, number 962-154, was built in February 1990, making it a fairly late example and a benefactor of the evolution of the line. Delivered to Alpha Racing in Japan it placed third at Le Mans that year with Tiff Needell, David Sears and Anthony Reid at the wheel. It then went on to compete in a number of Japanese racing events. Eligible for vintage racing, it has been fully detailed and is ready for delivery.
RACING HISTORY
24 Hours Le Mans – June 1990 – Finished 3rd
Drivers: Tiff Needell/David Sears/Anthony Reid
FIA World Sports Prototype Championship Series – Finished 8th
April 1990 – 480km Suzuka
Drivers: Derek Bell/Tiff Needell
All Japan Sports Prototype Championship Series
March 1990 – 500km Fuji – Finished 10th
Drivers: Tiff Needell/Costas Los
July 1990 – 500km Fuji – Finished 5th
Drivers: Tiff Needell/Derek Bell
August 1990 – 1000km Suzuka – Finished 8th
Drivers: Tiff Needell/Derek Bell/Anthony Reid
September 1990 – 500km Sugo
Drivers: Tiff Needell/Derek Bell
October 1990 – 1000km Fuji
Drivers: Tiff Needell/Derek Bell/Anthony Reid
For more information visit:www.canepacollection.com
Photos via www.canepacollection.com
