Rothmans Porsche 962C (chassis #006) 1987 Le Mans 24 Hour winner photographed at Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, May 2017
The Porsche 956 and its successor the 962, are widely and justifiably regarded as the most successful sports racing prototypes of their era, and quite possibly ever. Over a period of some twelve years, this model racked up 232 international victories on every continent in the world. This included the World Sportscar Championship, IMSA, Japanese Sportscar Championship, DRM, Interserie, Supercup and Can-Am. No other car of its type was successful for more than one or two seasons at best, but the 956/962 reigned supreme for at least 6-8 years, and was successful at an international level for up to twelve years. This is the story of the works Porsche 962-006.
Rothmans Porsche 962C (chassis #006) 1987 Le Mans 24 Hour winner photographed at Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, May 2017
If you speak to any of the Porsche engineers associated with the development of the 956 or the 962, you will be told that these two models are regarded within the racing department as one model. In an interview with Jürgen Barth in 2011, I asked him what the difference between the 956 and 962 meant to them in the race department, and he replied, “No difference, it was only the length of the chassis. For me it [the 956 and 962] is the same thing.”
