The Porsche 956 – and the succeeding 962 – remains one of World Sportscar Championship’s most famous and successful models, winning as it did the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Daytona 24 Hours amongst others. But a new book from Glen Smale offers information you may not have known…
Every now and then, a book chronicling automotive history comes along and reveals new information from a subject you thought you knew everything about. Glen Smale does just that with Porsche 956/962: A Photographic History, revealing the story of one of the greatest and longest-serving racing machines ever produced.
Through it’s 12-year career, a total of 150 cars of the 956 – and its successor the 962 – were built for both factory and customer teams, some of which went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans (six times on the bounce, 1981-87) and the Daytona 24 Hours (four times, from 1985-87 and once more in 1989).
As the title suggests, the majority of the 496 pages are filled with images – 700 to be precise – of the group C legend, offering snapshots from the 956/962’s development stages to its final triumph at La Sarthe in 1994.
Apart from many pictures to drool over, the book is also loaded with facts and statistics from drivers, managers and team personal involved with the 956/962’s running down the years.
It’s competitive years may be behind it now, but that doesn’t mean the 962 has stopped turning its wheels in anger. Just take a look at what showed up for last year’s Spa Six Hours…
