Racing in its blood

Distinctive Porsche 911 that has been used competitively for more than 25 years

Although it was once popular to allude to a car’s excellence when advertising it for sale by describing it as ‘never raced or rallied’, the reality is that a car that has been raced and/or rallied on a very regular basis is probably considerably better built, better maintained and fresher than one that hasn’t.

That’s certainly true in the case of this beautifully presented 1966 Porsche 2-litre 911. It is being offered for sale through highly regarded Suffolk-based marque specialist Historika, which has been servicing, restoring, rebuilding, tuning and racing 911s for about a dozen years after evolving from founder Kevin Morfett’s 40-year passion for collecting, driving and competing in them.

Anyone who enjoyed the Porsche anniversary race at 2018’s Le Mans Classic will probably recognise this car’s distinctive blood orange paintwork and contrasting sky blue stripe, although it is just as likely to have been spotted at any one of the numerous other prestigious historic events for which it is eligible.

It was originally supplied to the long-standing Dortmund Porsche dealership Hulpert in June of 1966, but it was not until 1992 that the car was first prepared for FIA racing by the world-renowned German 911 tuner Charlie Feustal of Raceline Feustal.

It has been used for racing, and racing only, ever since – meaning that it has suffered none of the usual ravages suffered by regular 911s from the same era that, for example, are famously prone to corrosion damage from road salt.

Historika has maintained and prepared the car exclusively for the past three years, during which it has belonged to the same owner. They are now selling it in a bid to consolidate an extensive car collection.

And the new owner will get a turn-key short-wheelbase 911 race car that not only has a superb shell, but also has a freshly rebuilt and ‘as-new’ engine and a similarly excellent gearbox.

Under Historika’s stewardship, the car has also been steadily developed to be as competitive as possible with, according to Morfett, a “no-expense spared” attitude to maintenance and servicing after both full-scale races and circuit testing.

As a result, it is up to full FIA specification (and, of course, FIA certificated) and has covered only rolling road miles since the last round of major work.

So, if you have £185,000 to spare and fancy a short-wheelbase 911 in which to contest events such as the Tour Auto, Goodwood Members’ Meeting or the Le Mans Classic, this one is certainly worth a look.

At the time of writing, incidentally, Historika was in the throes of restoring another 1966 911 that originally belonged to Michael Tee – son of former Motor Sport owner Wesley J Tee. Having saved Motor Sport magazine in 1936, after being given it in lieu of an unpaid print bill, he owned the title until his death in 1996 at the age of 91.

But that is going to be another story…

Viewing can be arranged by contacting Morfett on +44 (0)7717 212911 or by emailing info@historika.com

Wolverhampton wanderer

Race-spec Turner is back from America and ready to go

Everyone likes a David and Goliath story, especially when niche car builders give better-known marques a run for their money – which is why this delightful Turner 950S offers a level of appeal far out of proportion to its diminutive size.

Jack Turner built cars in Wolverhampton from 1949 to 1966, after cutting his teeth as an engineer with the Gloster Aircraft Company and later as a toolmaker before setting up his own workshop, specialising in tuning, fettling and rebuilding sports cars.

The opportunity to begin making sports cars arose thanks to the enthusiasm of a customer called John Webb, who owned a K3 Magnette that Turner modified into a highly competitive racer. Webb’s success inspired him to provide backing that would enable Turner to set up as a small-scale manufacturer, with the first car to roll off the production line being the two-seater A30. The following year, an uprated model with A35 power and hydraulic brakes was introduced and named the 950 Sports – a 1958 example of which you see here. It was exported to America, where it remained until being repatriated by Gloucestershire-based Tony Davis. He is now offering it for sale with high-compression, ported and polished cylinder head, close-ratio five-speed gearbox, Alson distributor and Dunlop race tyres on Minilite wheels. It is more or less ready to be used in anger.

Just 670 Turners were built before the business went into liquidation: only 170 were 950S models and 67 are thought to survive.

In our opinion, it would be hard to buy a road-going example and convert it to this one’s race specification for the £22,850 being asked. Contact tonydavis2000@hotmail.com for information or call +44 (0)1452 770702.