911 icon: Bruce Canepa
Racer of many exotic 911s, Canepa is also the saviour of the 959 in America and one of the most respected names in Stateside Porsche circles today
The man who gave America the 959, and then modified it: Bruce Canepa is intertwined in the history of Porsche’s uber 911
There are more than 5,750 miles between the home of the 911 and the home of our latest Porsche icon, but Bruce Canepa’s influence over the history of our sports car cannot be underestimated. Canepa is the quintessential petrolhead, with fuel running through his veins. Under the guidance of his father, who ran a successful car dealership, Canepa could drive
“almost anything” by the age of
12, citing a 1929 Model ‘A’ Ford to a ten-wheel diesel truck. His childhood infatuation with the motor vehicle stemmed beyond the driver’s seat too: growing up, Canepa was fully immersed in the family business at the dealership, learning mechanical, fabrication, body and paint, and it would certainly stand him in good stead going forward.
Canepa began racing from a young age, eventually finding himself in the seat of a Porsche 934.5 at Daytona in 1979. So impressive was his overall 3rd place finish, the Porsche factory supplied him with the upgraded 935 for the season’s remainder. Throughout the 1980s, Canepa would be a regular driver in Stuttgart sports cars, notably for the famous Momo-liveried 935, before closing out the decade at the wheel of his own Porsche
962 for west coast IMSA events. A 2nd-placed finish overall at
Pikes Peak in a custom, twin-turbocharged Porsche open wheeler in 1981 further cemented his competitive prowess.
However, Canepa’s influence over Porsche history is most recognised away from the race track. It was he who helped arguably one of Porsche’s most celebrated sports cars, the 959, get into the USA, a crucial territory for Porsche for decades now, after US authorities initially rejected the car for road use.
Alongside Bill Gates, who had ordered a 959 himself, Canepa’s battle with the authorities on behalf of
Porsche would last years, but it would pay off: Canepa was instrumental in the passing of the Show and Display law for exotic automobiles in 1998, which would finally allow the 959 into the country. Two years later, he would deliver the first Canepa 959, and in 2003, built the first California-compliant 959.
Meanwhile, Canepa’s eponymous business has carved out a reputation at the very top of the Porsche industry supplying, maintaining and restoring some of the world’s most exotic road and race cars. Housed in Norcal’s Scotts Valley since 2006, Canepa’s impressive commercial premises is also home to the ‘Reimagined’ 959 project, which seeks to upgrade the 80s super sports car for which Bruce’s name is so intertwined.