Porsche history project: Recommissioning a Paris-Dakar 959

Porsche’s 959 mastered the grueling Paris-Dakar desert rally from France to West Africa in 1986, finishing 1-2 in the 8,700-mile endurance contest. Now the runner-up Jacky Ickx/Claude Brasseur machine -- which finished right behind the identical 959 of winners Rene Metge and Dominique Lemoyne -- is ready to be driven once again. A comprehensive recommissioning has been carried out over the past few months by the Porsche Heritage and Museum team together with their colleagues from Porsche Classic.

The multi-part documentary “959 Paris-Dakar” on the Porsche YouTube channel offers insights into the recommissioning process.

The starting lineup of the ’86 Paris-Dakar Rally was dominated by trucks and all-terrain vehicles. The three Porsche 959 cars from Zuffenhausen stood out -- the third, a service car driven by project manager Roland Kussmaul and Wolf-Hendrik Unger, took sixth place. To this day, the Porsche Museum has preserved the complete trio as part of its collection.

“The winning car remains untouched and we keep it in a kind of time capsule, so to speak, with all of the physical traces of the rally preserved for as long as possible,” explains Kuno Werner, Head of the Museum Workshop.

Read the full story with more photos at VintageMotorsport.com.