What's all this then?
It's been raced by Porsche legend Jurgen Barth (as well as US racer Mike Keyser and Swiss driver Sylvain Garant), taken part in great events such as the Sebring 12 Hours, the Daytona 24 Hours and the Targa Florio. It won its class at the Le Mans 24 Hours and came home 13th overall in a time when just finishing the race was an achievement.
Then, as is the fate of so many cars, it fell into disrepair. At some stage it had an accident and was ineptly repaired. Rust took hold and it even looks as if kids used the roof as a trampoline. Now though, this classic Porsche 911 2.5 S/T - one of only 24 ever made - has been restored to utter perfection by Porsche's in-house classic car team.
What did Porsche do to restore it?
It's been stripped and rebuilt. The roof has been replaced and so too have the delicately flared rear wings (which had to be made mostly by hand). It's even been dipped and rust-proofed to the same standards as a new 911 to make sure it lasts this time.
Alexander Fabig, head of Porsche Classic at Porsche AG, recalls the state that the car was originally in: "The 911 2.5 S/T was rediscovered a few years ago by a collector in the USA - and it was in a really dilapidated condition. Our experts have done an excellent job at restoring the sports car to the highest standards. We are thrilled about the confidence this customer placed in us with this restoration job. This project is unparalleled and of great historical significance."
Originally priced at DM49,000 this beautifully restored Porsche is now probably close to priceless and is on display at the amazing Techno Classica classic car show in Essen, Germany. Definitely worth the price of a Ryanair ticket...
Neil Briscoe - 8 Apr 2016