The One-Off 1989 Porsche 959 Speedster

Scouring the internet for new car-related content to be featured in our Petrolhead Corner can lead to unexpected surprises. Stories that have hardly ever been told before, manufacturers that are long gone and virtually forgotten about, rare or even unique cars that only a few people know of. While I am a self-proclaimed car nerd, I do not know nor have I seen everything there is about cars. That’s simply impossible. So when an email popped in with the title “one-off Porsche 959 Speedster”, it raised my eyebrows more than just a little. And when I saw the car in question, I had a typical “What?!?!” reaction! The most logical thing to do is share the story of this one-of-a-kind Über-Porsche with you lot! And speaking of “lot”, it’s coming up for auction soon at RM Sotheby’s, if you’re interested!

The Über-Porsche

Back in the late 1980s, bedroom-poster space was a battle between three cars: the Lamborghini Countach, the Ferrari F40 and this, the Porsche 959. Where the Lamborghini rewrote the rulebook on car design, and the Ferrari went for brutalist speed, the Porsche 959 was the luxurious super-athlete. All three were contenders for the title of being the fastest car in production at one point, with the Countach LP 500 S hitting 293kph in 1982, the Porsche 959 achieving 317kph in 1986, and the Ferrari F40 being capable of going 321kph (1988). Ok, the later 959 S and RUF CTR would go on to be even faster, but the three formed the pinnacle of supercars of the 1980s. The 959 S’ top speed of 339kph would only be bested years later, by a little something called McLaren F1.

The Porsche 959 started development in 1981 as a homologation special to take on the Group B World Rally Championship right before that got cancelled, and thus, Porsche turned it into a road car instead. It was even called ‘Gruppe B’ during the early stages of its developmental life, before being named the 959. It would be a testbed for Porsche to see how far they could push the 911’s platform. The result was a genuine Über-Porsche, with a whole range of innovative new systems to boost performance. The 450bhp 2.8-litre flat-six engine, largely based on those found find the 956 and 962 race cars, came with sequential twin-turbocharging to reduce turbo lag. It had a high-tech, dynamic all-wheel-drive system capable of tackling even snow and ice if needed.

To keep the weight down as much as possible, the chassis was a combination of aluminium, Aramid Kevlar and Nomex instead of the more conventional steel alloys Porsche used back then. The wheels were also quite special, as they were made from magnesium with hollow spokes and a tyre-pressure monitoring system. The body was designed to optimise airflow and increase stability, resulting in the signature integrated wing in the extended rear-end. The automatic ride-height system also helped to keep the car planted at speed. Overall, it was a seriously advanced car, and it came full circle when it entered and won the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. It would also spawn the 961 race car, aimed at tackling the IMSA Championship, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours, where in 1986 it came first in class and seventh overall (All but one car in the overall top-10 was a Porsche that year).

The 959 was in production from 1986 to 1988, during which a total of 337 cars were built. The standard 959 came in Komfort or Sport trim levels, which had a zero-to-100kph time of under 4 seconds and an acclaimed top speed of 317kph. Porsche also built 29 959 S models, with even more power and performance thanks to bigger turbochargers, in exchange for air-conditioning, central locking, electric window lift and the chassis levelling system. With 515 bhp on tap, the 959 S could hit a staggering 339 kph. In 1993, long after it officially went out of production, Porsche built 8 more 959 Komforts using spare chassis and engines.

The chop-top 959

It goes to say that this one-of-a-kind Porsche 959 Speedster did not roll off Porsche’s assembly line in 1987, but was actually converted from a coupe to a convertible two years after it was built. It was first delivered to Jürgen Lässig, a Porsche factory driver who came in second at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1987, and later would win the 1995 Daytona 24 Hours race. Lässig crashed the car and decided to sell it in 1988, upon which it was acquired by a gentleman called Karl-Heinz Feustel. Feustel, a fellow Porsche racing driver and export, who also ran a specialist workshop with two associates, decided to do something radical.

To some, chopping the roof off a 959, even if it was involved in a crash, might sound like blasphemy for one of the greatest Porsches ever made. It could also be seen as the saving grace for a car that could otherwise have been stripped for parts and sent to the junkyard with no outlook for a future on the road. And since the specialist work took around 4,000 hours to complete, I am happy they didn’t rush the job! It looks equal parts unexpected, wild and cool if I’m honest!

According to RM Sotheby’s details, there was a tremendous focus on getting the fit and finish of the chop-top conversion just right. It’s a Porsche after all, so engineering-wise, it had to be done as close to perfect as can be. An electrically operated soft-top was installed, and a removable hard-top was constructed. The team even made a low-level ‘Speedster’ front windshield, which could be exchanged for the standard 959 windshield you see in the images. Along with the hard top, this windshield is also included in the lot.

The car changed paint from Silver Metallic to Grand Prix white, one of the more popular (and possibly best) colours for the 959. The interior changed from two-tone Cashmere beige and black leather to blue. And in typical 1980s fashion, the seats had multi-coloured inserts, of course. For the rest, the 959 has been returned to running, driving factory-fresh condition, and it still seems to be in excellent condition even today. That might be down to having driven just 8,300 kilometres and the recent service it has had, but it’s also a testament to the work of both Porsche and Karl-Heinz Feustel.

It’s coming up for auction at RM Sotheby’s during their Milan event, which is held on May 22nd, along with the hard-top, the speedster windshield and other additional parts. The estimate for this unique 959 Speedster is set at EUR 1,100,000 to EUR 1,500,000, which is on the low end of what Porsche 959s go for these days. This one, though, will give you the joy of feeling the wind through your hair when you step on the loud pedal and let loose the twin-turbo flat six’s 450 rampant horses!

For more information, please visit RMSothebys.com.

Editorial Note: The information used and images portrayed in this article are sourced from and used with permission of RM Sotheby’s unless stated otherwise.