1978 Porsche 935 K3 with Daytona, Sebring History on Sale
Porsche 935 K3 chassis number 0021 never won a race, but it was a front runner for several years in the IMSA Championship.
Back in the 1970s, Porsche introduced the 935 to compete in the Group 5 class of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile and one of the most legendary race cars ever was created. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, 935 race cars won more than 150 races around the world, including six wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring each, and an overall win in the 1979 24 Hours of LeMans.
Even after the prime racing period, Porsche 935 race cars have continued to wow the crowds at vintage events around the world, securing the place of this factory-built race car as one of the greatest of all time. While flipping through the cars available for sale on the Girardo & Company website, we came across a 935 from 1978 that had several successful seasons in the IMSA Championship before being retired from the big leagues of endurance racing. Since then, it has changed hands a few times and crossed the pond a few times, receiving a thorough restoration before being placed up for sale in like-new condition.
The 935
In 1976, the FIA introduced their rules for the then-new Group 5 division, introducing the highest level of performance and the least production-based content. As a result, the cars were insanely power and incredibly light, making them among the fastest production-based race cars that the world has ever seen, even by today’s standards. In 1977, Road & Track tested a 935 race car and found that from a stop, the 935 took 3.3 seconds to get to 60 and 6.1 seconds to get to 100, while covering the quarter mile in an unbelievable 8.9 seconds. Mind you, that is from a car that shined brightest on a road course.
What made the 935 so special was the ability to modify the body under Group 5 rules. The hood, doors, roof and trunk lid had to remain the same, but the headlights were tucked away and a gigantic wing was added, leading to incredible aerodynamic properties. Of course, all possible weight was removed and by 1978, a twin turbocharged engine was providing big power, making it one of the most dominating cars in the factory-backed racing world.
As mentioned above, the Porsche 935 piled up more than 150 wins at major events in FIA competition, including six wins at Daytona and Sebring, an overall win at LeMans and a long list of driver and manufacturers’ championships from associations around the world. The 935 would be a key contender in the world of FIA Group 5 until the class was discontinued in the early 1980s, at which point the car continued to thrive in IMSA events.
1978 935 Chassis Number 0021
The 1978 Porsche 935 K3 listed for sale by Girardo & Co. was one of 24 units built for 1978 and 1979 with the twin turbo engine. This car wears chassis number 930 890 0021 and is commonly known as 0021, having been purchased by the Interscope Racing Team through VW of America in 1978.
This Porsche race car made its on-track debut at the 1978 Camel GT Challenge at Road Atlanta with Danny Ongais at the wheel, qualifying 11th and finishing second. The team would enter five more events on the schedule that year before heading to the 1979 24 Hours of Daytona with Ted Field, Danny Ongais and new car owner Preston Henn handling the driving duties. Unfortunately, Henn lost control of the car and slid through a portion of the infield, leading him to retire the team from the race.
For the 1980 season, 935 number 0021 was sent to Kremer Racing in Germany for their Type 3 ‘K3’ specification upgrades. The most prominent feature of the K3 package was the added aero bits from front to rear, but Kremer also added an air-to-air intercooler, cutting weight and allowing for better charge-air cooling on the track. Kremer also flipped the manual transmission over, allowing for a suspension setup that sat almost two inches lower and making gear changes a whole lot easier on the fly.
This Porsche race car would enter Daytona and Sebring again in both 1980 and 1981, and while this car routinely appeared around the front of the field, it never won a race. It was retired after 1982 and sold to American racer Monte Shelton, who raced and showed the car for more than two decades.
In 2006, it was shipped to Europe where it was fully restored and in 2014, it was sold to the current owner, who had the original twin turbo engine fully rebuilt from the bottom up. Today, it is available for sale and if you have deep enough pockets, it could be yours soon.
Images: Girardo & Co.
