When we first reported on this 959 Prototype for sale we weren't sure how much it would sell for. We knew that "regular" 959s sold in a range of $450,000 to $600,000 depending on condition, provenance, etc. We figured a rare factory prototype like this would command a significant premium over that. Boy, were we wrong. With just under 4 minutes of bidding one of the last two remaining running prototypes hammered down at $400,000 plus a 10% buyer's premium for a total of $440,000. Unless there is some unknown story behind this 959 someone got a hell of a buy! Watch the video below to see the bidding action for yourself.
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After researching this car a bit, it became my opinion that this car may not be legal to drive in the US or basically anywhere else. The owners of the car (Blackhawk) informed me that a letter from Porsche accompanied the car stating that it was a prototype and was not safe to be driven on the road (they did not provide the actual letter to me). They were also not able to provide me with detailed information on the US title that accompanied the car. So, yes, this is a 959 prototype and a piece of Porsche history, but I could not determine whether the car was a complete, running car that could be registered on the road. This ambiguity surrounding the car is probably what accounted for the lower-than-expected sales price.
One possible reason for the low price is that it was auctioned by Barrett Jackson and they are mainly known for selling muscle cars. Since a car is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it, then perhaps a buyer willing to pay more for this was not in the room. However, at a different auction it is possible that the car could have gone for much more. Just a thought