Similar Cars We've Sold Mercedes C11 Lola T70 Lola T616 Currently For Sale: March 84G March 84G March 84G March 83G Porsche 935 L1 Related Book Titles Porsche Turbo USA Golden Era Sauber- Mercedes Nissan Novel Related Articles Daytona 2006 24 Hours Porsche 962 with no number Kreepy Krauly March 83G Eagle Toyota Electramotive Nissan ZX-T Lola T600 Development History of March GT Prototypes	Price: $375,000 Some spare parts available. Click on thumbnail for larger image Depending on your point of view, it can be argued that Porsche either ‘ruined’ or ‘made’ the two major sportscar championships (IMSA and World Manufacturer’s Championship), with this car, but what is beyond dispute is that Weissach’s first monocoque design provided the backbone for both championships at times when, without it, things would have been very thin indeed (certainly in the FIA series), and might even have disappeared entirely. Whatever your viewpoint or loyalties, it would be a fool that did not admit that the 956/962 series will certainly be remembered by history as one of the great racing car designs. Its reign lasted from 1982 right through to the end of 1990, when – in Europe at least – the car, which had originally been conceived for an 800 kilogram formula, was effectively ballasted out of competitive existence, by having to run at 950 kilograms in sprint races, and no less than 1000 kilograms at Le Mans – it was truly the end of an era. The 956 was produced exclusively for the Rothmans factory team during 1982 (chassis nos. 001-004), followed by a further five monocoques in 1983 (005-009) and a final one in 1984 (010). Meantime, a customer version was produced in 1983 (101-112), followed in 1984 by an improved ‘B’ specification version, which was built to the 1983 works car specification (113-118). Thereafter, production of the 956 ceased so that Weissach could start concentrating on the 962, which differed from the earlier car, mainly in as much that it was built longer at the front* – to meet the IMSA requirement that the driver’s pedalbox should lie behind the axis of the front wheels. * Note: The quick way to identify between a 956 and a 962 (without checking the chassis-plate) is to look at the flank panel between the front wheel-arch and the door – on the 962 it is noticeably deeper than the 956 – 12 cms deeper in fact. The prototype ‘001’ raced only once at Daytona in 1984 in the care of Mario and Michael Andretti, where it claimed pole and then retired after having led. It was kept by the works as a test and display car. Chassis 002-005 were built to Group C specification (i.e. with different aerodynamics and engines) and raced by the works team in the WEC/WSPC from 1985 onwards. Between 1985 and 1990 ten more ‘works’ chassis (006-015) were fabricated for use by the Rothmans squad and later the Reinhold Joest’s quasi-works team. Customer production of the chassis commenced in April 1984 with 101 and three other ‘IMSA’ versions and effectively continued for Group C and GTP buyers until the middle of 1991, when it ended with the fabrication of 962.177*, which was sold to Brun. * Note: Porsche also gave an undertaking to build replacement tubs for existing damaged cars. Of course, as well as the ‘official’ factory produced entities, a large number of honeycomb and/or carbonfiber composite ‘clone’ chassis have been built by a variety of fabricators. Richard Lloyd’s Silverstone-based GTi Engineering got the ball rolling in 1984, with their 956Gti 106B, which was replacement/development for/of the original tub with that number that was stripped of it’s engine, rear suspension, etc. and sold to Walter Brun. Later they made 962GT1.106B (not to be confused with the ‘genuine’ IMSA-spec’ car that was sold by the factory to BF Goodrich!), GTi-200 and GTi-201, as well as a spare tub, which found its way to Rob Dyson in America and became known as ‘DR-1’. By far the biggest producer of ‘clone’ monocoques though, has been John Thompson’s TC Prototypes in Northamptonshire, England. Perhaps the most highly regarded of independent producers of racing chassis, TC began building ‘Porsches’ as replacements for write-offs (for example 962.107 and 110) and then commenced production of honeycomb tubs as ‘new’ cars using Porsche running gear – notably for Kremer and Brun. It will be seen, therefore, that at some races during the latter half of the WEC/WSPC, there seemed to be more British-made Porsches than German ones present! Kremer also experimented with their own carbon/kevlar chassis, without a great deal of success and Vern Schuppan became a composite ‘Porsche’ producer late in the decade. In the United States, 962s have been built by Porsche’s agent Holbert Racing and under license by Fabcar and Jim Chapman (usually bearing ‘HR’ numbers). Of course, without extensive aerodynamic and engine modification, a car that was designed in 1981 could not have remained as competitive for as long as it did (the last notable 962 victory was at the Daytona 24 Hours in 1991!). Various body and underbody modifications have been tried during the years – from extra nose-mounted nose aerofoils – and engine-bay suction ‘cooling’ fans, which enjoyed some limited success on high downforce tracks, right through to the famous and ubiquitous long-tail/low drag almost flat-bottom (but not quite) Le Mans configuration. It is perhaps a tribute to the veracity of the original design though, that so many 962s racing in 1990, still bore close external resemblance to the first 956. To prove that particular rule, of course, there was the exception of Richard Lloyd, whose honeycomb 962s usually sported ‘melted-jelly’ coachwork and as such, were quite unrecognizable as Porsches! Engines progressed from 2.6-liter air/water-cooled (Group C) and 2.8-liter air-cooled (GTP) right through the 2.8, 3.0 and 3.2-liter variants (and back to 3.0-liter in IMSA when the rules decreed so). This was achieved by many bore/stroke/4-valve/2-valve/turbocharger/compression ratio/engine management changes. But probably the biggest single boost for the aging design came in 1988, with the adoption of Motronic 1.7 series electronics. All this, combined with electronic control of the turbocharger wastegate (an initiative that gave an instant ‘free’ extra 50 bhp, apparently for nothing), boosted the engine’s output mightily. It was not quite enough though. Jaguar won its first Le Mans that year (arguably because Porsche refused to release 1.7 to the private teams until after the race), but it did at least keep the 962 in with a fighting chance – long after its ‘sell-by’ date. If any further proof were needed of how great a car the 956/962 really was, consider what happened to its original contemporaries. The Rondeau 482, the Lancia LC-2 in Group C and the Lola T600 and March 82G in IMSA. All (or direct derivatives) continued to race until quite late in the period covered by this volume – but while they (without exception) had become hopeless makeweights without a ghost of a chance – the Porsches were still up the front of the pack snapping at the heels of the Jaguars, Mercedes and Nissan ZX-Ts – and sometimes beating them. The car that we are privileged to offer here is one of the very last (and therefore one of the fastest!). It is the last of the line of the Al Holbert racing 962s, built on a Chapman monocoque chassis tub. The Chapman tubs were built in California and were notably stronger, as well as lighter, than the Porsche-built tubs. Certainly, most drivers felt a lot safer in them! Just like the very first 962 built, this particular car was first of all driven in anger by Mario and Michael Andretti at the Daytona 24 Hours, this time in 1989. Sadly, after leading early on in the race, HR7 was put out with suspension damage in the seventh hour. Prior to its first race appearance at Daytona, this 962 had been tested by Al Holbert in late 1988. It was the last car he was to test, dying in a tragic airplane accident shortly afterwards. In 1989, at Daytona, the car was in "Miller" livery and had been lent by Bob Holbert, Al’s father, to Jim Busby’s racing team. The sister car (962.C.02, race number 67) went on to win the race outright, thus demonstrating the quality of the Busby team’s Porsche 962s, the fastest of all the 962s. After Daytona, the car was sold, by Jim Busby, to Chapman Root IIIrd, an avid vintage racer. Chapman then proceeded to win no less than twenty-three vintage races entered with the car! After this, the car was completely stripped to the last nut and bolt and rebuilt by David Glen. The car was then sold to the present owner, who has done just a shakedown pair of laps at a local racetrack and two practice sessions at the Porsche "Rennsport" Reunion at Daytona. As this is an IMSA spec. car, it has, of course, an air-cooled engine, thus minimizing rebuild/repair costs, particularly when compared with the water/water version. Fast, fresh and ready to go vintage racing, in either HSR, CHRA or Group C in Europe, this 962 will reward the lucky new owner with all the thrills that the last Golden Era of Sportscar Racing could provide. 1988: Tested by Al Holbert. 14/8: Sears Point: C. Robinson/D. Bell, #14; 6th. 1989: Lent to Jim Busby Race Team by Bob Holbert. 2/4-5: Daytona 24-Hours: M/M Andretti, #68; DNF. Miller. (Put out with suspension damage in the seventh hour.) Sold to Chapman Root IIIrd via Jim Busby. Vintage raced. 23 straight race wins. 2001: Totally rebuilt. 2002: Sold to present owner. 2004: Rennsport reunion, Daytona. Site Contents © John Starkey 2006