Minichamps Porsche 956

Minichamps originally put out a total of twelve versions of the 956. One is a repeat of the a car in the Porshe Dealer Le Mans set. The regular catalog version comes without the tobacco logos, but most models were shipped with decals in a small bag that the buyer had to apply.

The model numbers are signifigant in the following ways:

• First three digits: Always 430, signifying 1/43 scale, except for the Ayrton Senna collection model which gets a 540 prefix.
• Second two digits: Year code (non-Y2K compliant!)
• Third two digits: Casting code. All minichamps porsches have a 6 in this position, and a 65 refers to a 956L for langheck (long tail). A 66 refers to a 956K or kurzheck (short tail). Note that all langhecks were from Le Mans, and all kurzhecks were from other races.
• The final two digits are for the car's racing number.

The fact that you've read this far tells me that you weren't listening before. So I'll say it again, and I'll prove it with pictures. THE QUARTZO VERSIONS ARE BETTER!!

Most of these cars were issued en masse in 1998. Since then the've occaisionally spurted out new liveries of these same two moulds. In 2000 six new versions came out, the "Marlboro" car came in non-tobacco livery, which may or may not be accurate.

Most are also available in the superior Quartzo flavor, and I'll make a cross-refernce column in the near future. There are even more in the inferior Vitesse flavor

Quick 956 facts

• The 956 raced sucessfully until its repalcement by the 962C. The last time a 956 raced in intenational competition was 1986
• The Chassis numbers of the works cars begin with 001. A total of 18 customer cars were also built beginning with 101.
• The Porsche works team did not show up for Le Mans in 1984 due to a dispute with the FIA

Get it right, Dammit

Nothing irks me more than seeing people butcher the the name of the Nürburgring. First, remember that the Nürburgring is NOT in Nürnburg, where the Nazi war crimes trials were. Never, ever say or write "Nurnburgring". Next is the "umlauts". Whenever you see a "ü" you can be completely proper and replace it with a "ue".

Secondly, Nürnberg is the location of the Norisring street circuit. It has a very quaint little downtown section, and I highly recommend spending an afternoon there.

Minichamps Porsche 956
Place	Car Sponsor	Car # Class	Model	Ref. #	Image
Rothmans Porsche Works Team
1	Porsche 956L (002) '(Rothmans)' Jacky Ickx Derek Bell	1 C	Le Mans 1982	430 826501
1	Porsche 956L (002) 'Rothmans' Jacky Ickx Derek Bell	1 C	Le Mans 1982	Porsche Dealer WAP 020 046 97
1	Porsche 956L (003) 'Rothmans' Vern Schuppan Al Holbert Hurley Haywood	3	Le Mans 1983	430 836503
DNF	Porsche 956 (007) 'Racing' (Rothmans) Derek Bell Stefan Bellof	2	Nurburgring 1983	430 836602
7	Porsche 956 (010) 'Racing' (Rothmans) Jochen Mass Jacky Ickx	1	Nurburgring 1984	430 846601
Team Joest
1	Porsche 956 (104) (Marlboro) Bob Wollek Stefan Johansson	8	Mugello 1983	430 836608
3	Porsche 956 (104) 'Warsteiner' Bob Wollek	1	Norisring 1983	430 836601
1	Porsche 956L (117) 'New Man' Henri Pescarolo Klaus Ludwig	7 C	Le Mans 1984	430 846507
8	Porsche 956L (104) 'New Man' Stefan Johansson Henri Pescarolo Ayrton Senna	7	Nurburgring 1984	Lang Senna Collection 540 844307
6	Porsche 956 (105) 'Bad Aachen' Schornstein Volkert Merl	12	Monza 1984	430 846612
1	Porsche 956L (117) 'New Man' Klaus Ludwig Paolo Barilla "John Winter"	7	Le Mans 1985	430 856507
1	Porsche 956 (117)'Blaupunkt' Klaus Ludwig	7	Norisring 1986	430 866607
DNF	Porsche 956L (117) 'taka-Q' Klaus Ludwig Paolo Barilla "John Winter"	7 C1	Minichamps	430 866507
3	Porsche 956 (104) 'Stars & Stripes' John Morton George Follmer Kenper Miller	8	Le Mans 1986	430 866508
Team Brun
3	Porsche 956 (116) 'Jaegermeister' Stefan Bellof	1	Norisring 1984	430 846691
DNF	Porsche 956 (116) 'Schiesser' Thierry Boutsen Stefan Bellof	19 C	Hockenheim 1985	430 856699
DNF	Porsche 956 (116) 'Schiesser' Thierry Boutsen Stefan Bellof	19 C	Spa 1985	430 856619
Richard Lloyd
3	Porsche 956 (106) 'Canon' Keke Rosberg Jan Lammers Johnathan Palmer	14	Nurburgring 1983	430 836614
Team Kremer
3	Porsche 956L (101) 'Kenwood' Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Philippe Alliot	21	Le Mans 1983	430 836521
2	Porsche 956 (115) 'Liquimoly' Manfred Winkelhock	10	Norisring 1984	430 846610
Fitzpatrick Racing
5	Porsche 956L (102) 'Skoal' John Fitzpatrick Guy Edwards Rupert Keegan	16	Le Mans 1983	430 836516
DNF	Porsche 956L (110) 'JDavid' John Fitzpatrick David Hobbs Dieter Quester	11	Le Mans 1983	430 836511
Obermeier Racing
5	Porsche 956 'Boss' Keke Rosberg	12	Norisring 1983	430 836612
DNF	Porsche 956L (109) 'Boss' Jürgen Lässig George Fouché John Graham	47 C	Le Mans 1984	430 846547