For its third and final season contesting IndyCar in 1990, Porsche Motorsport commissioned a brand-new chassis from March Engineering, which was explicitly built to accept the latest 161 cid turbocharged Porsche V-8. Porsche also increased its lineup to two cars, one driven by Teo Fabi, and the other driven by John Andretti. The 90P, as it was called, was intended to feature a groundbreaking carbon fiber monocoque chassis and would have been the first Indy car to use such a construction. However, the other teams, scared of how competitive it would be, protested that the chassis was unsafe and the driver seating position too low. March quickly built a new aluminum honeycomb chassis, as featured on the car offered here. It was later revealed that the carbon fiber 90P chassis was, in fact, much safer than the Lola and Penske chassis used by other teams.

When the 90P chassis finally debuted in Indianapolis, commentators praised its beauty. They also commented on how great it sounded at high speeds, thanks to its unique exhaust port and turbocharger layout, with the turbocharger located between the driver and the engine for better weight distribution.

This example, chassis 005, was driven by John Andretti in the 1990 season to many points-scoring finishes, including a 5th place at Vancouver, a 6th at Denver, and another 5th in Cleveland. Andretti competed in 14 races total in this car and finished 10th Overall in the championship. At Indianapolis, on the 140th lap, Andretti brushed the outside wall, sustaining minor rear suspension damage and the car was retired from the race.

Noted Porsche racer Carlos de Quesada purchased two 90Ps directly from the Porsche factory in 2017 and sold this chassis to the consignor. A full restoration at a cost of over $180,000 was undertaken by Indy car expert Greg Elliff of GE Autosports in Avon, Indiana, who was the former crew chief for Emerson Fittipaldi. The yearlong restoration was documented with copious photos, correspondence, invoices, and Porsche factory notes remain on file. Upon the completion of the restoration the car was run at the Indianapolis Historic Racing exhibition prior to the 2019 Indy 500 at speeds of up to 160 mph.

With Formula 1 levels of technology and innovation, the Porsche-March 90P was unlike anything IndyCar had ever seen. With its unique design, the 90P is also considered by IndyCar enthusiasts to be one of the most beautiful cars of the era. This example, with excellent provenance in the hands of Andretti, and benefiting from an exacting restoration, represents a rare opportunity to acquire an important piece of Porsche motor sports history.

*Please note that this lot is sold on a Bill of Sale.