The Porsche Exclusive division was formed in the mid-80s at the height of material excess, when not even the latest 911 Turbo was special enough to divert attentions away from miniskirts and Members Only jackets…
Much of the demand for the services of Porsche Exclusive was created by the popularity of the official Flatnose conversions to the 930 Turbo, the first (and most extreme) of which was the one-off ‘935 Street’. This very car will soon cross the block at Bonhams’ Spa Classic sale on 18 May 2014, carrying an estimate of €300,000 - 400,000.
A super-Turbo for a super-Saudi
The success of the Porsche 935 racing car, developed between 1976 and 1981, earned it a place in the heart of many a Porsche aficionado. In comparison to the road-going 911 Turbo with its proud front headlights, the 935 had a flat front profile – with the lamps recessed into the front apron. This aerodynamic silhouette soon proved popular with international customers; but while others were commissioning Flatnose conversions by third parties such as Kremer, Saudi businessman Mansour Ojjeh was in a position to request one directly from Porsche. His company, Techniques d'Avant Garde (or TAG) had entered into a partnership with McLaren to develop a Formula 1 engine, and development of the 1.5-litre V6 was entrusted to the wizards of Stuttgart.
Project ‘935 Street’
Ojjeh was thus ideally placed to make such a request, his brief being simple in theory but complicated in practice. His vision was “a 935 racing car for the street – but with all the luxuries, of course”. This presented the meisters of Exclusive with their biggest challenge to date, as the 935 was no slightly adapted road car. For Ojjeh’s 911, a brand-new 930 bodyshell was lifted from the production line and stuffed with race-bred components: the 3.3-litre turbocharged engine came from the 934 (with subsequent tuning to 375bhp), while the suspension, brakes, and outrageous wide-arch panelwork were all 935-sourced additions. Finally, a special Brilliant Red colour was mixed exclusively for Ojjeh, with the cream leather set off by wood veneer – the latter another first for Porsche. All in all, the 935 Street project had been the department’s most elaborate so far.
The beast of Côte d'Azur
Rounding off the 550-strong list of modifications (indeed, the invoice was 17 pages long) was a Clarion sound system and a set of BBS split-rim wheels, the latter of which were of the same jaw-dropping 345/35 VR15 dimensions at the rear as the 935 racing machine. The final price of the 935 Street was never revealed, but estimates of around three times the cost of a then-new 911 Turbo are said to be accurate. Thankfully, the costly custom never touched down in an Arabian oasis, but was rather kept on the Côte d'Azur where Mansour and his brother Abdulaziz used it for short coastline trips. Now, the new owner will be able to use this unique symbol of 80s excess to upstage its modern equivalents – whether stationed on the French Riviera or Miami Beach.
Photos: Bonhams, Porsche
The 1983 Porsche ‘935 Street’ remained a one-off, and today still represents one of the most striking products in three decades of Porsche Exclusive. Moreover, the 12,000 miles it displays on its tacho makes it almost virginal. Bonhams describes its state as ‘unrestored but maintained in first class condition’.
