After a decade of dominance with the all-conquering 956 and 962, Porsche’s prototype racing prowess had waned by the start of the 1990s. In September 1988, the Porsche competition department disbanded, and the brilliantly creative Norbert Singer was consigned to road car development. If Singer were an undercover policeman, he’d been relegated to desk duties.

In 1991, the last 962 rolled out of Weissach and Porsche’s financial affairs weren’t as buoyant as they became in the 21st century. Furthermore, Porsche hadn’t won Le Mans since 1987 and the heady days of a Rothmans backed works effort. Times were bleak.

Whilst plodding away with road car design work, Singer scratched his competitive itch by assisting Reinhold Joest with aerodynamic developments on his ageing 962 prototype. However, Porsche’s hiatus from factory racing very nearly lost Norbert Singer’s services for good.

Peugeot’s world sports car boss and master politician Jean Todt sensed an opportunity to poach one of racing’s most wonderful minds to design the French firm’s new sports prototype for Le Mans. With nothing else on the horizon at Weissach, Singer entertained the negotiations which eventually reached an advanced stage. Yet, despite the attraction of going racing again, Singer’s loyalties lay with Porsche. Even in hard times.

Singer’s break from a career stalemate came in the form of a characteristic rulebook jumble for the 24 hours of Le Mans. For the 1994 race, the Automobile Club De L’Ouest (ACO) aligned their rules with the upcoming BPR series to allow road-based GT cars, whilst simultaneously strangling the current Group C prototypes.

However, the ACO left a loophole which Norbert Singer shrewdly exposed, much to the dismay of the French club. By the letter of the rulebook, only one road going example needed to be homologated to qualify for the favourable GT class.

In September 1993, ambitious fashion magnate Jochen Dauer wowed the Frankfurt Motor Show by unveiling a Porsche 962 with light modifications for road use. The Dauer 962 Le Mans boasted two seats, interior trim and, most importantly, number plates.

Dauer planned to build these space age machines at his facility in Nuremberg for the lucky few who could meet the colossal asking price of nearly a million US dollars. Despite the pizazz of his Frankfurt exhibition, Dauer’s financial ability to fuel this eccentric project was insufficient.

Meanwhile, Norbert Singer had been plotting a way to crack the latest Le Mans rulebook conundrum. Luckily, this involved Dauer’s wacky 962LM. In the end, both parties benefited handsomely from an unexpected partnership. Dauer received vital technical support from Porsche to homologate his 962LM for road use and comply with vital emission legislation. In return, Porsche could revive the 962 prototype, but with the generous allowances of a road-based GT car in the new Le Mans rulebook

Singer and Dauer’s delight was only exceeded by the rage of the ACO. Knowing they had been outfoxed, the Le Mans organisers tried to ban the Dauer 962LM. However, the car complied to the letter of the rulebook. In controversial circumstances, Porsche would go to Le Mans with a fighting chance to end a seven-year drought at La Sarthe.

Finally, Singer received a green light from up high that Porsche could go racing again and a works effort disguised as an ‘independent’ prepared for the race. Two cars would be run by Reinhold Joest’s eponymous outfit and piloted by the finest drivers on Porsche’s books. Hans Stuck, Thierry Boutsen and Danny Sullivan took the reins of the #35 Dauer 962LM. Hurley Haywood, Mauro Baldi and Yannick Dalmas drove the #36 sister car.

Singer, Joest and Dauer himself prepared for every strategical scenario across the 24-hour race. Furthermore, a brutal training camp led by Willi Dungl ensured the drivers were in peak shape. Nothing was left to chance.

As a blistering French summers day broke for the start of the day long classic, the Dauer Porsches sat around three seconds off the single lap pace of the prototype Courage. Nevertheless, the Porsche crew knew their machine could run much longer stints with a 50% larger fuel tank. Furthermore, Hans Stuck had been fastest through the speed traps in practice at 203.8mph.

A diverse forty-eight car grid passed the Tricolore to begin the endurance classic in soaring temperatures. Matching the Courage, Kremer and Toyota prototypes blow for blow, the Dauer 962s proved the pace was there to fight for victory.

With the track temperature sizzling, a treacherously slick surface caught several drivers out. As the first prototypes began to pit after forty minutes or so, the Dauer 962s roared on. By the end of the race, the Dauer machines would take only twenty-three stops compared to the Toyota prototypes thirty-five. A crucial advantage.

After a brief scare caused by running out of fuel on pit entry, Hurley Haywood hopped behind the wheel and settled into second place behind the leading Toyota. However, in the seventh hour, a half shaft failure on the #36 Dauer 962 cost five laps in the pits.

Haywood, Dalmas and Baldi slogged away throughout the night and recovered to second place by dawn. After a particularly long stint, Haywood slumped down in the garage, completely dehydrated from the exertion of driving the 962. Normally, Haywood would have a saline solution prepared to help boost hydration, but this was forbidden from the monk like attitude of the team trainer.

Heading into the final six hours, the leading Toyota still held a lap advantage in one of the closest Le Mans races in years. After eight attempts, the Japanese manufacturer looked set to emulate Mazda’s 1991 triumph.

With ninety minutes remaining, Singer’s masterstroke of rulebook interpretation appeared to have been thwarted by the might of Toyota. Yet, the spirits of La Sarthe can be fickle. Exiting the final chicane to start yet another lap, the red and white Toyota ground to a halt with Jeff Krossnoff at the wheel. Immediately, the American hopped out of the baking hot cockpit and sprinted to the rear of the car. Akin to stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey, Krossnoff reached into the abyss of the Toyota’s gearbox and wrenched the car into third gear.

Although this ingenuity and tenacity got the Toyota 94C running again, Krossnoff faced an agonising lap of Le Circuit de la Sarthe in third gear to reach the pits. While the stricken Toyota received treatment for the faulty gearbox linkage, the #36 Dauer 962 swept through to the lead. Despite an incredible final stint from future Ferrari F1 star, Eddie Irvine, Toyota would have to wait for that elusive first win.

Following over a decade of distinguished service, Norbert Singer’s career defining masterpiece had delivered above and beyond once again. For Hurley Haywood, a third win across three separate decades solidified the Illinois native’s place at endurance racing’s top table.

Following the unexpected Le Mans triumph, Jochen Dauer built a total of thirteen 962LM for a finite band of customers until closing the chapter of the 962 story in 1997. Immediately after the chequered flag, Reinhold Joest sold the winning car to his sponsor, F.A.T International.

Norbert Singer’s spark of genius to use an ageing platform and then optimise it, was pure Porsche. This ingenuity in tough times reignited the desire within Porsche to aim high at the world’s greatest motor race. Thank you, Mr Singer.