Friday results from Gooding's Amelia Island AuctionEx-Autohaus Max Moritz GmbH | First in Class at the 1979 Nürburgring 1000 Kilometers
Estimate: $1,400,000 - $1,600,000
Chassis: 930 770 0956
Engine: 677 2808 *Please note that this vehicle is sold on a Bill of Sale.
One of Just 10 Examples of the 934/5 Produced
Extremely Well Documented History from New
1979 Nürburgring ADAC 1000 Km Class Winner
1981 Australian National Sports Car Championship Winner
Recently Restored to 1979 Livery and Configuration
The Last Group 4 Porsche 911 Built; Retains Original Engine
2,993 CC Air-Cooled SOHC Flat 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
Single KKK Turbocharger with Intercooler
Estimated 600 BHP at 7,000 RPM
4-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Ventilated, Cross-Drilled Disc Brakes
Fully Independent Suspension with Coil-Over Shock Absorbers
PROVENANCE
Ciro Nappi, Italy (acquired new in April 1977)
Dino Male, Italy (acquired from the above in July 1977)
Carlo Noce, Italy (acquired from the above in 1978)
Jürgen Lässig, Germany (acquired from the above in January 1979)
Bruce Spicer, Australia (acquired from the above in December 1979)
Peter McNamara, Australia (acquired from the above in 1982)
D. Goseny, Australia (acquired from the above in 1984)
Ian Kenny, Australia (acquired from the above in November 1984)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)
RACE HISTORY
Giro d’Italia Automobilistico, June 1977, C. Nappi/C. Turizio (Retired)
Trofeo Mare Polito, July 1977, “Dino,” No. 56 (2nd Place)
Corsa dell’Etna, July 1977, “Dino,” (2nd Place)
Trofeo delle Note, August 1977, “Dino,” No. 81 (3rd Place)
Coppa Intereuropa, Monza, September 1977, “Dino,” No. 3 (6th Place)
Coppa Citta di Enna-Pergusa, September 1977, “Dino” (1st Place)
Vallelunga 2 Ore, Trofeo Renzi, November 1977, “Dino”/C. Nappi, No. 132 (2nd Place)
Vallelunga, Trofeo Nappi, November 1977, “Dino,” No. 227 (1st Place)
Mugello 6 Hours, March 1978, “Dino”/Camathias/Pacetta, No. 25 (3rd Place Group 4, 13th Overall)
Zolder DRM, Belgium, March 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (2nd Place Group 4, 12th Overall)
Hockenheim DRM, Germany, April 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (2nd Place Group 4, 10th Overall)
Eifelrennen DRM, Nürburgring, April 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (3rd Place Group 4, 13th Overall)
Salzburgring DRM, Austria, May 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (1st Place Group 4, 8th Overall)
Nürburgring 1000 Km, Germany, June 1979, J. Lässig/G. Holup/H. Duge, No. 44 (1st Place Group 4, 7th Overall)
Mainz-Finthen DRM, Germany, June 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (5th Place Group 4, 11th Overall)
Norisring DRM, Germany, June 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (7th Place Group 4, 16th Overall)
Zandvoort DRM, Holland, July 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (2nd Place Group 4, 9th Overall)
Zolder DRM, Belgium, August 1979, J. Lässig, No. 72 (4th Place Group 4, 12th Overall)
Baskerville, ASCC, Australia, April 1980, J. Latham, No. 10 (3rd Place)
Amaroo Park, ASCC, Australia, July 1980, J. Latham, No. 10 (1st Place)
Winton, ASCC, Australia, August 1980, J. Latham, No. 10 (4th Place)
Calder Raceway, ASCC, Australia, November 1980, J. Latham, No. 10 (1st Place)
Sandown Park, ASCC, Australia, January 1981, J. Latham, No. 10 (1st Place)
Baskerville, ASCC, Australia, April 1981, J. Latham, No. 10 (1st Place)
Winton, ASCC, Australia, August 1981, J. Latham, No. 10 (1st Place)
Calder Raceway, ASCC, Australia, October 1981, J. Latham, No. 10 (1st Place)
EXHIBITED
The Spa Classic, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, May 2015
THIS CAR
Developed during the mid-1970s under Wolfgang Berger and Norbert Singer, Porsche’s 934 was the raucous FIA-homologated Group 4 racing version of the turbocharged 930 road car. Given the importance of racing success in America to sales, the 934 prototype was submitted for inspection by IMSA’s John Bishop for inclusion into the Camel GT series in late 1975. Fearing the 934 would dominate, much as the 917/30 did in Can-Am, Bishop rejected the 934 in 1976; however, the SCCA welcomed it in Trans Am. Almost immediately, the 934 was virtually invincible, winning the 1976 European GT Championship and the 1976 and 1977 SCCA Trans Am titles. The 934 was finally approved by IMSA for 1977, including such upgrades as even wider wheel arches, a wide 935-style rear wing, and mechanical fuel injection. Alternatively called the 934/5 or 934 1/2, the updated 934 was produced in a 10-car batch in 1977. This car, numbered 930 770 0956, was the sole example sold new to Europe, and it offered many special features, making it a true “one-off.”
Exceptionally well-documented and raced many times in Europe, 0956 carries rigorously researched history, including the work of former Le Mans champion Jürgen Barth. The car’s history is also documented by John Starkey in his 930 to 935: The Turbo Porsches book. Unlike the other nine 934/5 cars built, 0956 was fitted with Group 4 bodywork plus the more-powerful 600 hp engine with mechanical fuel injection, a special 930/51 transaxle, and 935-type oil pump and cooler. Additionally, 0956 was the last Group 4-bodied Porsche 934 built.
The Porsche was initially ordered new by Italian industrialist and sports car racer Martino Finotto, but he elected to purchase a 935 instead. It was first purchased by Ciro Nappi, also of Italy, who entered it into the 1977 Giro d’Italia Automobilistico but retired from the race due to a family issue. Next, the 934/5 was purchased by Dino Male, who competed under his first name and achieved two victories with the car in the Italian Group 4 Championship. In 1978, 0956 was with Carlo Noce of Modena, and campaigned under his Sportwagen of Sassuolo banner at the Mugello 6 Hours. During late 1978, the 934/5 was sold to Germany and Jürgen Lässig from Tuttlingen, who had been racing for several seasons in the German Championship (DRM) with the Max Moritz team based in Reutlinger. Lässig drove 0956 at many events during the 1979 racing season, earning six podiums, including consecutive Group 4 class wins at the Salzburgring DRM and Nürburgring ADAC 1000 races.
Following the end of the 1979 season, 0956 was rebuilt by Porsche and then sold to Bruce Spicer of Spicer Porsche in Melbourne, Australia. There, it was driven by John Latham for the 1980 and 1981 seasons. After nearly winning the 1980 Australian Sports Car Championship, Latham and 0956 won all but two rounds from pole position to capture the championship in 1981. In the two races Latham did not win, he placed second. Rule changes rendered 0956 ineligible for the next season and it was sold in 1982, passing from fellow Aussie Jeff Dutton to Peter McNamara. Alan Hamilton Porsche made the car road-legal for Mr. McNamara, including RHD conversion by Dutton and Caress Panels. Used as a thrilling road car, 0956 was passed from D. Goseny in 1984 to Ian Kenny, who had a full restoration completed in 1995, after which the Porsche was displayed at concours events.
Following acquisition by the current owner, 0956 was restored in 2014 and 2015, converted back to LHD, and refinished in its 1979 DRM silver, blue, and red “BOSS” livery as raced by Jürgen Lässig. When the work was finished, 0956 was rolled out at the 2015 Spa Classic at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
As offered, 0956 is accompanied by its 2015-issued FIA Historical Technical Passport document, and a wealth of materials including manuals, correspondence, book excerpts covering the car, restoration records and photographs, and a 158-page historical document including many photographs of the car in action. A thrilling find at auction for committed Porsche collectors, this singular 934/5 stands as a top-quality example of Porsche’s unwavering commitment to excellence and racing success.
