There’s no question that the Porsche 959 changed the automotive world. When it arrived on the scene, the 959 was the world’s fastest street-legal production car and featured futuristic technology like an adjustable suspension and AWD. A lighter and faster S version did away with some of the technological marvels in favor of less weight. Now, one of just three 959 S prototypes is up for sale and its story is truly remarkable.
The S version did more than just shed a few pounds though. It traded that fancy suspension for a conventional coil and spring setup and got a power boost up to produce a total of 508 hp (379 kW). Before the production version of the 959 arrived on the scene, Porsche built two pre-production series of cars.
This particular example is from the first of those two, called the F-series, wherein just 12 total cars were selected for transformation into 959 prototypes. Of those 12, just 10 actually ran and drove. Of those 10, this is one of three built into the lightweight 959 S prototype specification. It has special prototype-only features that no other 959 does.
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Amazingly, despite the fact that Porsche usually destroys prototypes like these, this example made it out of the factory thanks to Vasek Polak, a US-based Porsche concessionaire. When Polak acquired this 959 S prototype, Porsche required that he never drive it and in fact, sold it to him without keys. After Polak’s passing in 1997, a new owner was able to acquire those keys.
Since then, the car has been recommissioned. The engine, the master cylinder, the brakes, clutch, door locks, and fuel system have all been restored and rebuilt as needed. In 2020, an Austrian collector acquired the car and loved it so much that he commissioned a large hardback book specifically about the car. That book will be included with the car itself once it moves on to whoever buys it next.
Girardo & Co. where the car is up for sale will only release its price on application but we feel confident that it’ll be at least seven figures. Only 29 959 S’ were ever built and those easily clear $1 million on the open market. We can only imagine what a running and driving prototype will go for.
