Porsche's 'Baby' 935

In 1980, Swedish driver Jan Lundgardh built this example of the 935 'Baby' developed in by Norbert Singer and Ernst Fuhrmann, that could compete in the 2-litre class of the German championship, Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM).

Unlike the original version which had a 911 shell with aluminium sub-frames, Lundgardh had a special tubular structure built that was lighter, while retaining the 935 suspension. Keeping the 911 roof and windscreen that was required for homologation, the body shape looked like the standard version apart from its large rear spoiler, flat front bonnet and wide wings. However, the main difference from the 'standard' 935 was the engine of this particular version. To comply with the 1.4-litre regulations that differentiated the turbos from the naturally aspirated versions, the engine size was limited to 1,425cc and this small 6-cylinder unit was fitted with a single turbo, which nevertheless produced an impressive 370 bhp. This, together with the tubular chassis, kept the weight down in comparison to other 935s. And so, at the 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, in which the car competed as number 69, the car weighed in at just 817 kg.

This stunning 1980 Porsche 935 ‘Baby’ L1 recently features at Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic sale. Photos: © Kevin Van Campenhout / © mcklein.de