- The Porsche 959 competed in Rally Racing, competing in multiple Paris-Dakar Rally races.
- Porsche won both the 1984 and 1986 Paris-Dakar races with the 959.
- The car shown here finished second in the 1986 race, being driven by Jacky Ickx.
The Porsche 959 is a near-mythical machine due to its scarcity and performance capability both on the road and in the dirt. Porsche built the road-car version from 1986 to 1993, but it’s the legendary Rothman’s livery-wearing Dakar Rally version that has earned true hero status.
Car number 185 was piloted by driver Jacky Ickx and co-driver Claude Brasseur during the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally. The pair finished in second place, coming in behind another Porsche 959. A few years ago, that very car was recommissioned—and you can get a glimpse into the process as it was captured on video.
Rather than a full restoration, the car was given a sympathetic recommissioning. This means the vehicle was completely disassembled, parts were examined, and anything that needed to be replaced was done so.
This includes bearings, seals, and a few hoses. Otherwise, the 959 was in remarkably good shape, considering it had been beaten to hell and back over 8,700 miles of African savannah.
Porsche says the winning car remains untouched from its race victory. It will remain preserved as such. Doing a bit of light upkeep on this second-place car, however, allows the world to see and hear a race-ready Porsche 959 in all its glory.
Motor1’s Take: If you were a car-loving kid at the time this car entered the world, you likely had a poster of either the Lamborghini Countach, a Ferrari Testarossa, or a Porsche 959 on your wall.
I was a Porsche 959 person, and it remains one of the few cars that turns my heart and brain to pure mush. Watching the restoration process here is a soothing way to pass the time during your day, so sit back and hit play already.
Read the full article here
