Why this Porsche 930 Flachbau is worth £180k

I recently spent a day with supercar dealership, Premier GT, who kindly gave me the chance to view and go out in some of their cars.

Parked inside the showroom were some of my dream cars, such as a rather striking Ferrari SF90 finished in yellow. Sat in the back corner though was a car which I had never seen in person. £179,995 is its asking price, and not a lot of people know why.

Upon first glance, it appears to be a normal Porsche 930 Turbo - until you look at the front. Gone is the traditional round-design of headlights, and in its place is what appears to be absolutely nothing. This is because it is one of the 948 Porsche 930s equipped with a factory specified Flachbau.

More commonly known as the ‘Flatnose’, this unique design is one of the most desirable iterations of the infamous 911 to have ever been produced. It’s a car which is loud in its design, but silent in its history - which is a bit of a shame in my opinion. People of course know of the Flachbau, however many remain oblivious to its story.

Born in the world of motorsport

The Flachbau design was never intended to make its way to public roads, instead being something which was originally meant to remain on track.

Group 5 racing was a class featuring production cars from manufacturers across the globe. Brands could modify their Group 5 cars however they pleased, but the silhouette had to remain the same as their road-going counterparts. For this exact reason, Group 5 was soon dubbed the ‘silhouette class’.

Most manufacturers fitted their cars with large front splitters and rear wings, but one of Porsche‘s engineers had something else in mind. Norbert Singer was one of the Porsche engineers responsible for the legendary 917. He realised that there were no rules as to where the cars’ headlights had to be - and so came the birth of the 935/78, otherwise known as ‘Moby Dick’.

The front of the car was now completely smooth, which meant that the 935 was now producing more downforce than ever whilst also minimising drag. After the unique design caught the attention of the public eye, one man wanted his own Flachbau to enjoy on public roads.

From the track, to the streets

Mansour Ojjeh was the CEO of Swiss watchmaker, Tag Heuer. Even up until his passing earlier this year, Ojjeh had a firm and passionate connection to motorsport.

Ojjeh asked Porsche to build a road-legal version of the 935/78, and the company did just that. Dubbed the ‘935 Street’, it was the result of 550 modifications and had the sole purpose of offering the 935-thrill on public roads. Though it borrowed the shell of a 930, the car made use of race components from the 935. Sitting just above its rear wheels was a modified 934 engine which produced 375 horsepower.

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Despite giving the car a performance-oriented body, Porsche did not want to compromise on the 935 Street’s interior. Finished in high-quality leather and wood, it seems - and feels - more like a living room rather than the interior of a road-legal racing car.

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Granting Porsche fans one wish

Following the public’s approval of the 935 Street, Porsche offered the Flachbau conversion for both the standard coupe and the cabriolet. The conversion came at a great cost, primarily due to the fact that it was done by hand - 60% of the original price of the car to be precise. For this reason, Porsche produced a total of just 948 Flachbaus.

The majority of these cars were fitted with the performance kit, known as the 930 SE. Comprising of a quad-pipe exhaust system, extra oil cooler, additional air vents and more, it gave the Flachbau what it needed in order to produce 325 horsepower.

Although the Flachbau is a car of the past, what it helped to grow is something which Porsche still runs to this day. Whether it’s for the track-focused 992 GT3 or the all-electric Taycan, Porsche’s personal configuration programme allows customers to make their cars their own - and its success is partially due to the 930 Flachbau’s Sonderwunsch program. It allowed anyone who had enough cash to customise their 930 Flachbau almost any way they wanted to.

Example presented by Premier GT

Premier GT’s example is a 1980 model with just 22,782 miles. Its exterior is finished in Guard’s Red, which is beautifully complimented - check spelling - by the black leather interior. The theme of red also extends into the interior of the car, thanks to the red piping around the seats - this is an option which was selected as part of the Sonderwunsch program.

Despite being 31 years of age, the car boasts modern luxuries such as an electric sunroof and electrically adjusted seats, which are also heated.

And, whilst you’re inside, you’ll be able to start the car’s engine; at which point you’ll be rewarded with a magnificent sound:

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The last ever Flachbau

Porsche never intended to offer a 964 Turbo Flachbau but at the end of production, 93 chassis were left and so Porsche decided to produce a Turbo S variant using these remaining chassis.

Image credit: Gooding & Company

Image credit: Gooding & Company

Due to the success and popularity of the 930 Flachbau, 76 of these 964s ended up becoming Flachbaus. And so, the 964 became the closing chapter to the Flachbau saga - until a few years ago.

The actual last ever Flachbau

When they released the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport, the manufacturer from Stuttgart also decided to unveil something truly special, the new 935.

Whilst it borrows its mechanical underpinnings from the GT2 RS, the car is dressed in bodywork which pays homage to the first ever Flachbau, Moby Dick.

Only 77 units were ever produced, however the reincarnation of the legendary Flachbau was more than enough to spark new interest in the unique variation of Porsche.

Final thoughts

Time and time again, the German manufacturer has proven the perfection of its sports car recipe - hence it has been in use for almost 60 years.

Although the lifetime of the traditional 911 recipe proves its worth, it also helps to make more unique iterations of the sports car more unique - and the Flachbau is no exception. It maintains the driving pleasure of the normal 911, but its unique bodywork is a reminder of Porsche’s unique presence in motorsport today, and in the past.

At the time of writing, this example presented by Premier GT is believed to be the only right-hand-drive 930 Flachbau available to purchase in the UK. For further details on the car, click here. Premier GT also have many other rare vehicles in their inventory, including an incredibly rare Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupe - view their full list of cars by clicking here.