Who knew that buying one of the most technologically advanced supercars of the 1980s was going to frustrate a billionaire like Bill Gates to no end?
The problem wasn’t money, of course; it was the United States Government’s safety and emissions regulations that made his purchase of a Porsche 959 pointless, at least for 13 years.
The tragic case of Bill Gates’ car that sat in storage for 13 years
Bill Gates’ luxury sports car did not comply with American safety and emissions regulations and was thus banned from public roads. However, this didn’t make Gates give up on his car. For almost 13 years, it sat in a Port of Seattle Foreign-Trade Zone warehouse, with storage fees accumulating at $28 a day, totaling roughly $133,000.
The 959 was ahead of its time when it launched in 1986. It could automatically shift power between its wheels, adjust its suspension at the touch of a button, and use computer systems to control its twin turbos — technology that few road cars possessed back then.
By 1999, a new rule called the “Show or Display” exemption allowed Gates to legally keep and drive the Porsche in the U.S., though only in a limited way. Due to years of sitting unused in storage, its complex systems — including its hydraulics, twin turbos, magnesium components, and early computer controls — required major repairs.
This is when Bruce Canepa came to the rescue and helped reconfigure the 959 to meet American standards. The original sequential turbo setup was replaced with parallel turbochargers, along with catalytic converters, updated engine management, contemporary electronics, and stainless-steel headers. The car wasn’t just restored; it was rejuvenated.
Performance improved as well, with power climbing from 444 horsepower to roughly 576 horsepower in early upgrade iterations, making the 959 significantly quicker than it was when it left the factory in Germany.
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Bill Gates remained steadfast about driving the car, so much so that he was willing to pay 13 years of storage fees and fund a makeover of Porsche’s most ambitious machines — turning a grounded, legally stranded supercar into a compliant and more formidable version of the original. In doing so, he transformed a regulatory setback into a statement of patience and belief in a capable engineer’s excellence.
Perhaps it was that same doggedness and refusal to bow down to unfortunate circumstances that enabled him to become one of the most successful and formidable leaders in the tech world and beyond.
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