Porsche’s first true supercar, the 959 was based upon the 911 and was built to win the FIA’s Group B World Rally Championship while simultaneously serving as a platform to develop an all-wheel drive system that would make its debut on the 964 generation of 911. Of course, to homologate the 959 for competition, Porsche needed to build a series of production cars as well. Unfortunately, Group B was cancelled in 1986, but Porsche decided to soldier on and build the road version of the 959, believing that its most loyal customers would still love to own such an incredible automobile. Nevertheless, the 959 did see success in competition, with 959s finishing both 1st and 2nd at the 1986 Paris–Dakar Rally.

The 959 was laden with ground-breaking technology, including adjustable suspension, an intelligent four-wheel-drive system, tyre pressure sensors, and super-lightweight hollow-spoke magnesium wheels. While the silhouette and interior held a loose resemblance to the 911 produced at the time, there was no doubt that this was an entirely different animal. Looking to achieve zero body lift at speed, Porsche flattened and extended the car’s nose and fitted near-flush headlamps with extensive ducting and cooling for the front brakes and oil radiator. Similar efforts were made in the rear where the car’s tail was stretched and ventilated and topped with a full-width rear wing. Porsche’s efforts in design and technology helped the 959 to achieve an incredible top speed of 197 mph, making it the fastest road car ever produced at the time of its introduction at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1985. Of course, the 959’s massive power-assisted, ventilated disc brakes with ABS were more than up to the task of reigning in the car’s massive horsepower.

From 1985 to 1992, Porsche constructed a total of 329 959s, including 16 prototypes. Even with a price tag of $300,000, it is said that Porsche lost money on every single example built, a testament to the car’s supreme level of engineering. Considering the incredible combination of performance, technology, and usability, not only could the 959 easily outrun just about any car on the road, it could easily be driven and enjoyed on a regular basis.

Delivered new to Germany on 28 October 1988, this particular 959 was one of just three examples originally delivered new in Black and is believed to be the only example with a matching Black exterior and interior. These cars also featured a noted increase in torque and reduction in turbo lag. Currently showing just under 9,500 kilometres on its odometer, the car is accompanied by its original service booklet, which testifies to the car’s astonishingly low mileage and history of regular service, further confirming that it remained in its native Germany until 2013 before being acquired by a gentleman from Monaco.

In his ownership, the 959 was upgraded to Stage-2 specification by the Porsche Classic Centre in Stuttgart, boasting smaller and faster turbos, more efficient intercoolers, and a re-mapped ECU; it was also quoted as producing 542.6 brake horsepower—nearly 100 brake horsepower over its stock output! After the car was involved in a minor front-end accident, a NOS front bumper was sourced from Porsche and fitted to the car. As the NOS bumper was unable to be matched perfectly to the original black paint, the owner chose to have the 959 fully repainted by Ross Packard to ensure an exacting match throughout. It is accompanied by invoices for all the aforementioned work done by Porsche, its original set of books and tools, as well as its original turbochargers.

Nearly 30 years after the 959’s introduction, it still remains a benchmark in automotive history and its performance remains competitive, even against today’s incredible crop of sports cars. When considering its incredibly low original mileage, as-delivered colour combination of Black over black, and Stage-2 specification, this example is without a doubt one of the most compelling 959s to come to market in recent years.