CELEBRATING THE AMAZING PORSCHE 959
Three decades on, and lovers of fine cars still marvel at the technological triumph that was the Porsche 959, one of the greatest cars of the modern era. A rare masterpiece, this jewel in the crown of Porsche was so far ahead of its time, it was almost surreal.
On an autumn morning in Auckland in 1989, I was with the late Trevor Hudson in a red 959 with matching red interior, the only one of its kind in New Zealand at the time. A cancelled order bearing chassis number 241 and one of the last to be built, this 959 was bound for the Middle East, and Porsche distributor Colin Giltrap was able to have the car diverted to our shores.
Hudson could trace his motor-industry experience back to 1947, working as a young lad in his dad’s Austin franchise dealership in Levin. He moved to Auckland 20 years later and began working for Ross Jensen’s BMW dealership, before his appointment as managing director of European Motor Distributors in 1980, handling the VW, Audi, and Porsche brands. His long-time special love of Porsche was obvious as he introduced me to the 959.
It was early morning on Auckland’s waterfront Tamaki Drive, long before commuters had begun wending their way towards the city in
