jim6r4 wrote:Hi PMJT could you post some pictures of your 959 and post or pm me the price, when you see Adam give him my regards
Jim - I'll pm you my number - give me a call later today and I'll tell you more - here are some details:
I bought the #7 959 prototype about five years ago - mainly to rescue her as she'd bounced around the auctions at the end of the '90s and not sold due being a 'non runner'.
The history of the car is, it was the seventh of the 13 'F' series prototypes - and as such carries a '930' chassis number. I have a letter from the factory authenticating the car and a charming email from Ralph Sprenger (the works manager at the time) giving more history of the car.
After the factory finished with her she was 'given' (sold!) to Vasek Polak along with another prototype #9 (now owned by Mauro Bompani in Italy) - as US legislation prevented the car from being used she was displayed at Polak's headquarters until the carnet ran out - at which time she was loaned to the Matsuda Collection and displayed in the museum (confirmed by Brian Redman, one of Polak's executors).
She returned to Germany where Polak intended, I believe, to restore her - however his death caused the estate - including the two prototypes - to be sold.
She was entered into a Bonhams auction in Geneva (verified by Simon Kitson) and failed to sell due to having to be pushed into the auction room! I believe Bonhams entered her into another sale and she again failed to sell. Ultimately she was bought by Phillipe Olyzyk who then sold her to an owner in the midlands of the UK.
I acquired the car from James Mackie who had come to own it, believing it was a full production car and was somewhat unhappy!
She was a non-runner from leaving the factory as I understand it - I've heard a charming story that Porsche insisted Polak purchase the two cars as part of his 'commitment' to the factory, and pay EXTRA for the cars to be refinished to production standards - at the time Porsche were on the brink of bankruptcy and calling in any favours they could - however Polak (wisely) refused to pay for the refurbishment to sale standard and bought the cars 'as is'. Porsche therefore insisted they could only be sold as non runners and removed the ECU.
The story goes that a member of the Porsche family was so incensed at the way Polak was being treated, they pulled an ECU out of the factory and sent it to Polak.
She has had substantial work to return her to a running state - the turbos were both rebuilt by a KKK specialist and the top end of the engine checked over by Robert Gant (the engine is basically a 962 derivative and Robert has good experience with these). The normal 'consumable' items such as the drive control pump etc have been replaced and she now drives very well - in fact she's bloody quick.
I have heard an unsubstantiated rumour that #7 - this car - was also one of those used to test the 550bhp upgrade offered by the factory for the production 959's - the other car I know to have been 550'd includes my old silver car, now owned by Juan Birrazi. Certainly #7 drives as quickly as my old silver car - if not quicker!
Please don't ever ask me how much I've spent on her - but it's a lot. The prototype wheels were correctly re-finished in the pearlescent white, brand new Bridgestone RE71 Denloc tyres fitted, all consumable items that need replacing have been etc., etc.
The prototypes have a number of unique features and each car is different - some carried over from the Geneva Gruppe B concept car, including different designs for the drive control computer select stalk, the fuel filler is under the hood - rather than through the hood on the production cars, she has a wonderful hand taped schematic of her unique electrical layout on the inside of the glove box and a fan booster switch located under the dash.
She is a unique piece of Porsche history that carries a UK V5, MOT and tax!! Just about 28,000kms.
Sorry - I didn't realise that Jim6r4 was THAT Jim 
but I'm sure they went bust and the molds sold off about three or four years ago - I was offered them and politely declined! 
