Rogue Porsche 935 with History Beyond Just Racing Hits Sothebys Auction
Le Mans Porsche made famous by its drug dealing owner is for sale at Sotheby’s right now.
This Porsche 935 JLP-2 may be notable for finishing ninth overall and second in Group 5 in the 1980 Le Mans 24 Hour in John Paul Senior, John Paul Junior and Brit Guy Edwards’ hands, but it is also famous for other reasons. Well, let’s rephrase that — it’s infamous for all the wrong reasons!
For sale right now at snip through RM Sotheby’s, you can own this incredible conversation piece for $ 2.1 million. It’s a conversation piece because Porsche 935 JLP-2 is also part of a far greater story. But let’s cover the car first.
Its original owner, John Lee Paul was a successful race driver and team boss who owed and raced several Porsche 935s. This particular car is known as JLP-2 and was built after Paul’s original JLP-1 chassis was destroyed in a race accident.
JLP-2 was Custom Built
JLP-2 is quite unique because it was custom-built. Paul Sr. bought the chassis, engine and a few other components from Porsche, while its body shape came from the Kremer 935 K3. The chassis was stiffer and lighter than its predecessor and its 3.2-liter boxer-six engine stronger. It used twin KKK turbochargers with a manual boost knob by the gear lever and Kugelfischer fuel injection to develop around 750 hp.
JLP-2 raced more than 40 times between 1980 and ’85. John Paul and his son, John Jr., went on to win the 1982 Daytona 24 Hour with Rolf Stommelen driving this car’s 850 hp JLP-3 successor, in which Junior also became the youngest ever driver to claim the IMSA title aged 22 on 1982.
But that’s when the trouble started! John Lee Paul was born Hans-Johan Paul in Holland in 1939. He emigrated to the ’States, where he studied economics and went on to make millions as a fund manager on Wall Street. Paul Senior however also enjoyed a sideline, which only became evident when he was bust with 710 kilograms of hashish in Louisiana. He fled, but spent six months in a Swiss prison for a forged passport.
Original Owner John Paul Also Had an Extramural Sideline
Senior was hen extradited back to the US and sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted murder and drug smuggling. Released in ’99, Paul and his former wife and a later partner’s whereabouts remain unclear. John Paul Jr. also served time, but he returned to the wheel following his release, going on to win a second Daytona and adding a Sebring victory to his CV in 1997. John Paul Jr. died aged only 60 following an illness in December 2020.
John Paul Senior’s whereabouts may remain sketchy, but his incredible Porsche 935 JLP-2 has been present and accounted for throughout its history. Paul Senior and Junior last drove the car in the ’81 Daytona 24 Hour before selling it to ML Speer, who shared JLP-2 to third behind the victorious JLP-3 in the Sebring 12 Hour with Terry Wolters and Charles Mendez.
JLP-2’s 750 HP Flat-six Porsche Had a Manual Boost Knob
Speer sold the car to a collector in 1985, before it was restored by Californian Porsche experts Andial ten years later. The car was then acquired by a French historic racing enthusiast, who restored JLP-2 back to its 1980 Le Mans glory at Crubilé Sport in 2015. The car has twice since competed in the Le Mans Classic and the Dix Mille Tours de Castellet.
Porsche 935 JLP-2 once again available for sale at RM Sotheby’s at $ 2.1 million. Now there’s a most interesting investment with a hell of a story to tell!
Photos: RM Sotheby’s