The folks at Porsche Exclusive have been building customized vehicles since the mid-1980s, when the company realized it could cash in on the eccentric wishes of its wealthy customers. The customizing division’s first projects were the Flatnose conversions to the 930 Turbo, the first of which was the one-off “935 Street”.
It was also the most extreme of these projects, as the customer ordering it was Saudi businessman Mansour Ojjeh, CEO and part-owner of the Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG) company, most famous for its TAG Heuer watchmaker brand. TAG also owns 21 percent of the McLaren Group, which includes both the McLaren Formula 1 Team and the carmaking business.
Ojjeh was fascinated by the success of the Porsche 935 racing car and wanted a “a 935 racing car for the street – but with all the luxuries, of course.” To satisfy his request, Porsche Exclusive used a brand-new 930 bodyshell from the production line and equipped it with race-bred components: the 3.3-liter turbocharged engine from the 934 tuned to produce 375hp, as well as suspension, brakes, and wide-arch panelwork from the 935 race car.
The car was given a unique Brilliant Red color, while the cabin receive cream leather set off by wood veneer, with the latter being a first for Porsche. The 1983 935 Street had been Porsche Exclusive’s most elaborate project so far, featuring a list of 550 modifications that made up a 17-page invoice. Among these were BBS split-rim wheels sized 345/35 VR15 at the rear and a Clarion sound system.
The price was never disclosed, but the 935 Street’s cost was rumored to be equivalent to three new 911 Turbos. The car was used on the French Riviera by Ojjeh and his brother for short coastline trips, accumulating just 12,000 miles (19,312 km) from new.
Described as “unrestored but maintained in first class condition,” the 935 Street will be offered at Bonhams’ Spa Classic Sale on May 18, with the auction house estimating it will fetch between €300,000-€400,000 ($411,750-$548,640).
By Dan Mihalascu
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