Group C racing cars were so beloved, fans protested furiously when the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), organiser of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours, announced its intention to replace them with Le Mans Prototypes. For many, the decade of Group C racing was almost a way of life, and the series itself rivalled Formula 1 in terms of popularity. The end of Group C was like the end of days.
Porsche was the dominant manufacturer in Group C; its mighty 956 was the most successful sports racing car in the world. Surely, therefore, the 956 was the product of tireless and diligent development over many years, as the company strove to repeat the success of the closed-top Porsche 935 Group 5 and open-top 936 Group 6 racers?
Far from it. The first Group C race was scheduled for May 1982, yet work on the 956 project wouldn’t commence until July 1981. It didn’t even get the official green light until 1 August 1981, the start of the firm’s financial year. This was despite Group C being a brand new set of regulations from FISA
