A car capable of surviving the harsh deserts and savannahs of Africa for up to 14,000 kilometres can go anywhere in the world. The impressive Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar tackled the gruelling rally from France to West Africa in 1986 and is now ready to be driven again. The vehicle has undergone recommissioning by the Porsche Heritage and Museum team alongside Porsche Classic over the last few months, with a multi-part documentary on the Porsche YouTube channel providing fascinating insights into the recommissioning process.
The Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar was one of only three to stand out at the starting line-up of the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1986, with the trio being preserved as part of the Porsche Museum’s collection. The second placed car from 1986 was chosen for recommissioning due to its good condition, with as few parts as possible being replaced while preserving the maximum number of original parts.
Porsche engineers spent two years transforming the original 959 into a rally car, reinforcing the suspension with double shock absorbers on the front axle and fitting all-terrain tyres. The all-wheel drive vehicle is capable of reaching speeds of up to 210 km/h. The sports car manufacturer also optimised many features during the 1980s for the Paris-Dakar endurance rally, which included positioning the engine control units high up in the car to enable the car to cross rivers without damage.
The 959 Paris-Dakar overhauled by Porsche Classic and the Museum team includes traces of African desert sand and mud from the race in its Kevlar body, and the team chose to conserve small areas of corrosion from the rally rather than repairing them to preserve the car’s history. The car will be featured at the Retro Classics event in Stuttgart from 23rd to 26th February to be part of the ’75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ exhibition in the atrium/east entrance.
