Porsche built exactly one 935/78 for the 1978 racing season. Chassis 930 890 0014 extended the standard 935 concept into entirely new aerodynamic territory, stretching the bodywork to a total length of 5,146 mm and fitting water-cooled cylinder heads to what remained an otherwise air-cooled flat-six. CMR now renders that singular machine as a 1:12 scale model — a format that does genuine justice to the car's elongated proportions.
A One-Off Factory Prototype Built to Win
The 935/78 was conceived by Porsche's racing department as a full factory development of the homologated 935, not a customer evolution. Its 3.2-litre air-cooled flat-six, designated Type 935/71 and equipped with twin KKK turbochargers, produced approximately 750 hp — placing it among the most powerful Group 5 competitors of the period. The dramatically extended tail section, which prompted engineers and press alike to nickname the car 'Moby Dick', was engineered for high-speed stability rather than mere visual effect. Only one was ever built.
Car No. 43, Le Mans 1978: The Sole Surviving Entry
At the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, car No. 43 was entered by Team Martini Racing Porsche System and assigned to Rolf Stommelen — a German veteran of both Formula 1 and endurance racing — and Manfred Schurti, a Liechtenstein-born GT and endurance specialist. The pair brought the car home 8th overall and first in class, a notable achievement against prototype machinery. The sister car, No. 44, shared by Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx, retired; No. 43 was the only Moby Dick to finish. The white bodywork with red, blue, and green Martini stripes remains one of the most photographed liveries in endurance racing history.
CMR at 1:12: The Right Scale for a Whale
This replica is produced by CMR (Classic Model Replicars) at 1:12 — a scale that remains uncommon for competition cars of this era and is particularly well matched to the 935/78's defining characteristic: its sheer length. The real car's 5,146 mm body, divided by twelve, yields a model that conveys the sweep of the tail section in a way that smaller scales simply cannot. CMR reproduces the No. 43 Martini Racing specification, capturing the full graphic identity of the 1978 Le Mans entry.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is the Porsche 935/78 'Moby Dick'?
It is a one-off factory prototype built by Porsche for the 1978 season, extending the standard 935 with a new long-tail aerodynamic body, water-cooled cylinder heads and a 3.2-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six producing around 750 hp. Chassis 930 890 0014 is the only one ever made.
What was the result of car No. 43 at Le Mans 1978?
Driven by Rolf Stommelen and Manfred Schurti for Team Martini Racing Porsche System, the car finished 8th overall and first in class. The sister entry, No. 44, retired from the race.
Who makes this 1:12 scale model and what specification does it reproduce?
The model is made by CMR (Classic Model Replicars) at 1:12 scale. It reproduces car No. 43 in the Martini Racing livery — white with red, blue and green stripes — as raced at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Why is 1:12 scale particularly relevant for this car?
The real 935/78 measures 5,146 mm in length because of its elongated tail bodywork. The 1:12 format captures that proportion far more effectively than smaller scales, making the whale-tail profile — the car's most distinctive feature — immediately legible on the shelf.
