This 1984 Porsche has been raced by some of the world’s leading pilots, including Bob Akin, Hans Stuck and Bobby Rahal, and it finished second in 1983 at the Daytona Three Hour Finale. This car was a formidable contender in its day and remains an amazing survivor as an intact racecar.
Despite considerable success in the 1970s at Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring and the Nürburgring with the 935, Porsche abandoned its former track titan for the 956, leaving independent race teams to take up the gauntlet and continue the legacy of the 935. The charismatic and eclectic Bob Akin raced a couple of iterations of the 935, including a K3, in 1982 and 1983 with reasonable success. Eventually, however, he turned to Dave Klym of Fabcar in Tucker, Georgia, to build the ultimate 935 concept—a contender that adhered to the new Class 2 IMSA weight restriction of 2,060lbs, but could meet the rigors of top-level competition.
Christened the 935/84, the new concept was based around the mechanicals of the wreckage of Derek Bell’s 935 L1, with modifications that shaved 100lbs off aeroquip lines alone and became one of the fastest GTP cars on track in 1983-1984. Akin’s new 935/84 used a lightweight space frame which significantly reduced overall weight compared to the K3 and met the IMSA minimum weight limit. It employed standard K3 suspension in the rear and 935 Moby Dick suspension in the front. It was powered by the standard 3.2 liter, twin plug, twin turbo engine used on the K3. Meanwhile, the original aluminum Kremer K4 body was reworked and then remolded in fiber-glass.
The day of reckoning came in November 1983, at the Daytona 3 Hour Finale where the 935/84, wearing its highly-recognizable Coca-Cola livery, qualified third, beat all the other 935 contenders, including the K3s, and finished second overall on the lead lap. In 1984, with fellow drivers John O’Steen, Bobby Rahal and Hans Stuck, the Akin 935/84 won excellent grid positions for many of the major races, including third at Sebring, where it also achieved its best finish in fifth, amidst a competitive field.
With a newfound recognition that he could be a serious contender on the international circuit, Akin acquired a Porsche 962, which became his premium seat. Meanwhile, the 935/84 was entered in the Daytona 24 Hour endurance race wearing its silver Polo Ralph Lauren livery and driven by Jim Mullen, Kees Nierop, and Ray McIntyre. The Porsche 935 finished in fifth overall, just two laps behind Akin and Stuck in their factory new 962.
The swansong for the 935/84 came at the 1986 Sebring 12 Hours, driven by Jerry Kendall, who crashed out and DNF. Bob Akin took first overall in his 962, followed by two other Porsche 962s, finally bringing the 935/84 to the finale of its in-period racing career.
In 2007 this special Akin racer was restored by marque specialists and went on to race in various historic events, including the Monterey Historic Races of 2008 and 2009. At Rennsport V, Porsche factory pilot Patrick Long drove the 935/84 at Laguna Seca.
The storied history of this unique Porsche, known fondly in close circles as ‘The Last 935’, is fully documented and makes this race car a highly collectible piece. Owned, built and driven by world-famous Bob Akin, and piloted by some of the era’s most iconic track stars, it held its own in the fiercest race competition of the 1980s.
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