The Porsche 962 C: Reinstated To Its Original Form Down To The Nuts And Bolts

Unveiled at the Weissach Development Centre after a long wait of almost 35 years, Hans-Joachim Stuck has finally been reunited with his iconic counterpart, the Porsche 962 C.

A winner of Germany’s 1986 ADAC Würth Supercup, this racing car from Porsche Heritage and Museum was restored to its original 1987 condition over the past year and a half.

Porsche Heritage and Museum’s director, Achim Stejskal, commented, “By arranging this reunion after more than three decades, we have not only surprised Hans-Joachim Stuck, but we have also taken a little journey through time. The history of the motorsport story surrounding the 962 C is unique.”

On that note, besides reuniting with the 962 C, Stuck also met his race engineer of the time, Norbert Singer, and designer Rob Powell, the man responsible for the car’s black, yellow and red livery.

At that time, the vehicle’s appearance changed before the second race, the Norisring 200 miles, when Shell came on board as a sponsor.

Porsche also competed in yellow and red the following year, where Stuck worked hard to successfully defend his Supercup title.

Equally important, Norbert Singer was the first to introduce an aluminium monocoque with the 956 Group C car and its direct descendent, the 962, as well as the Ground Effect underbody. 

Moreover, during the inaugural series for Group C sportscar prototypes, Stuck tested the then-new Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK), which today is available in every Porsche.

“I’m a big fan of the Porsche PDK dual-clutch transmission and proud that I was allowed to test it in the 962 back then. Being able to keep my hands on the steering wheel when changing gears at full throttle felt great right from the start,” remarked Hans-Joachim Stuck.

This 962 C then began its second life as a test car in the aerodynamics department at Weissach, later serving as a reference vehicle for the sports car manufacturer’s corporate collection.

Having to rebuild many parts because they were long gone, Armin Burger and Traugott Brecht from Porsche’s Historic Motorsport division were jointly responsible for the racing vehicle’s rebuild.

“We kept passing this car in the warehouse. Then, about a year and a half ago, we decided to get it out of there, transfer it to Weissach and start working on it. The cooperation with the other departments from Porsche was great. We found almost everything we needed within a radius of just 30 metres,” said Burger and Brecht.

The experts completely rebuilt the underbody, changed the arrangement of the radiators and made many other bodywork adjustments. 

Interestingly, unlike the basic model, the 962 C has a wheelbase that’s 120 mm longer and pedals that are mounted behind the forward-mounted front axle.

Thereafter, the Supercup championship car was presented to European media at a journalists’ workshop at the Weissach Development Centre.

Stuck, who was involved in the car's development process, also takes questions and waits for his turn to do the first laps on the run-in and test track. 

Meanwhile, a second surprise awaits him just a few metres from the test area, where he discovers his red racing suit from the 80s along with his white star-decorated helmet.

Subsequently, Stuck starts his first lap on the two-and-a-half-kilometre test track in Weissach, and all the spectators fall silent as they watch the Group C racer.

Additionally, the 962 C made its first public appearance at the Porsche Museum’s digital Sound Night a few weeks after its unfoldment. 

Likewise, it will make many more appearances over the coming year, with driving and presentation events planned for the upcoming ‘40 years of Group C’ anniversary. 

“The 962 C was one of the few cars I was allowed to drive on my own, without team-mates and with exactly the setup I wanted. You never forget a car like that, and in 2022, we’ll celebrate the 40th in style!” concluded Stuck.