The 20 Most Crazy Expensive & Rare Porsches Ever Sold
Updated: December 31, 2022
When it comes to breaking records for expensive cars, nobody comes close to Ferrari. It takes more than $4.5 million to even break into the top 100 most expensive Ferraris ever. Ferrari still dominates the classic market, yet Porsche has been rising steadily in the ranks for many years now, and doesn’t look to be slowing down at all. Porsche of all types have only benefited from the same thing that makes those Ferraris so expensive: pedigree.
That racing pedigree, and the race-car-to-road-car transfer of things learned on the track, has helped Porsches grow from what used to be low seven figures to eight figures in the past 10 years. It also helps boost the value of a Porsche in that unlike the cars from the prancing horse, they are actually drivable, sometimes 60 to 70 years after they left the factory. This legendary reliability, with some exceptions here and there for some race cars with their finely tuned engines, means that for the wealthy collector, not only do they get to look at their car, they can drive it to the concours d’elegance near where they live to put their car on display.
To collect any of the cars on this list, however, you’ll need to have a very, very large wallet, as the least expensive models here are still tickling at $3 million. That’s right, to get into the rarefied air of the top 20 most expensive Porsches ever sold at auction, you’ll need a bank account that probably has eight or even nine figures in it!
1. 1970 Porsche 917K
Sold for $14,080,000
One of the most iconic race cars ever seen, it should be no surprise that the inimitable Porsche 917 has not one, not two, but four entries on this list. However, this specific 917K, chassis 917-024, not only is the most expensive Porsche ever sold at auction, it is also the only 917K that ran in one race only, and it is the first 917 to have been entered into any competition.
That race was at the 1,000 KM of Spa in 1969, driven by Jo Siffert, in an original 917 body. Jo was not at all pleased with the car, as we know today the first 917s were dangerously unbalanced and were incredibly unstable at speed. He was so upset, in fact, that he raced the rest of the 1969 season in an older 908 Langheck.
Chassis 917-024 was revived, however, with a new 917K body due to a certain Steve McQueen wanting to make a movie about Le Mans. It was the star car of the movie, used for tracking shots, backgrounds, and the like, but did not turn a wheel during the actual race. It never took another checkered flag after Spa, but it nonetheless held the distinction of being the first 917 raced, the first 917 entered into a competition, and the only 917 to have run at just one event.
The car was property of Jo Siffert at one point, and it was sold by Gooding & Company at the Pebble Beach Concours and Auction in 2017 for $14,080,000 before fees.
2. 1982 Porsche 956 C
$10,120,000
The Porsche 956 C has a terrifying history, as it was designed in a time when safety was a consideration that came after top speed and winning everything in sight. One of the greatest race cars to come from Stuttgart and Weissach, this particular chassis, 956-003 is an extremely special car.
One of only ten Works 956 C’s made, this car holds the distinction of being not only a multiple runner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but also the overall winner at the 1983 edition, in the hands of Al Holbert, Hurley Haywood, and Vern Schuppen. In 1982, it came in second overall in the historical Porsche 1-2-3 sweep of the podium in the first year of running the 956.
Chassis 956-003 would go on to record overall wins at Spa, Fuji, Brands Hatch, and Kyalami. This car also turned laps in anger in the hands of such greats as Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, and John Watson. As can be seen, chassis 003 has one hell of a legacy, and when it was put up for auction in 2015 by Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach, the gavel fell at $10,120,000 including premiums.
3. Porsche 550 Spyder
Sold for approximately $6.225 million
The 1956 550 RS Spyder was the first purpose-built race car in Porsche’s model lineup, an idea hatched by Ferry Porsche himself after many customers had used their 356’s with mild modifications to enter into sports car racing. Made of steel, aluminum, and so low that you could literally step over the door to get into it, the first giant killer from Stuttgart left an indelible impression on the world.
This particular 550 RS Spyder, chassis 550-0090, is a prime example of a well used, but also well kept, unrestored original condition car. It is also the last of the customer-purchased 550’s before the newer 550A RS Spyder was made, with a 1.5 liter, 110 HP flat-four in the middle. Oddly enough, the car has never seen track use, as it was purchased by Willett Brown, then President of CBS Television, for road use. With just 634 miles on the odometer, it was sold to Posche dealer Vasek Polak, who put about 11,000 miles on the car. It was then sold on to Fred Sebald, who owned a race car repair shop in California and had wanted a 550 Spyder since he had first seen one.
Once he acquired it, the car was used gently, before it was placed into storage at the start of the 1960s and sat, unmolested, unused, unabused, for decades, still in almost factory new condition. It was sold twice between 1960 and 2016, first to collector Richard Barbour, and then to fellow collector George Reilly, before finally being offered for auction by Bonhams Auctions at the Goodwood Revival in 2016, where it sold for £4,593,500, equivalent to about $6,225,000 at the time including fees.
4. 1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar
Sold for $5,945,000
The story of the Porsche 959 is one of incredible technical achievement, as it was one of the, if not the, most advanced supercar created in the 1980s. The first true Porsche supercar, the 959 had originally been designed to run in Group B rallying, the top tier, nearly-unlimited class of the World Rally Championship that saw some of the greatest leaps forward in automotive technology. Unfortunately, by the time the 959 had been developed, the homologation version had started production, and the race cars were being built, Group B was canceled after several spectator and driver deaths, as the cars were too fast and too dangerous, so Porsche instead prepared the cars for the famous Paris-Dakar Endurance Rally.
Seven race-spec 959s were built, six of them for rallying and one circuit-racing prototype known as the 961. This car, chassis 959-010015, race entry #186, was specially prepared for the 1985 edition of the Paris-Dakar, and was driven by Rene Metge and Dominique Lemoyne. As this car did not have the 1986 car’s turbo engine, it was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.2L 911 Carrera flat-six, and won two stages before it suffered a ruptured oil line nearing the halfway point of the rally, forcing its retirement.
After its retirement, the oil line issue was repaired and the car went into the Porsche warehouse to be upgraded for later racing. However, after the 1986 Paris-Dakar campaign saw three 959s take first, second, and sixth, those cars with the turbocharged engine, the 959 program was deemed a success, since all of the homologation specials had also been bought up. Thus, chassis 959-010015 was sold to a private collector, one of only two cars that were not retained by Porsche. Stuttgart has four cars, one 959 was destroyed in a crash at the 1985 Rallye des Pharaons in Egypt, and the other 959, having been stripped down to components for a rebuild into a 1986 spec car, was sold to a private collector as parts and body shell and subsequently rebuilt.
As one of only two privately held cars, a 959 Rally is one of the rarest cars on the Porsche collector’s circuit, and was estimated in 2018 to sell between $3 to $4 million. However, at the Porsche 70th Anniversary Auction in Atlanta in 2018, RM Sotheby’s gavelled the car at $5,945,000 including fees.
5. 1972 Porsche 917/10
$5,830,000
Porsche’s 917 race cars have some of the winningest pedigree in history, a dominant model if ever one was made. They were the natural predators of the endurance circuit, devouring places like Spa, Le Mans, and the like. However, with rules and regulation changes about to make the 917 uncompetitive in Europe, and with several 917 chassis on hand, Porsche looked to North America and the CAN-AM series, a nearly-unlimited racing series that allowed for some of the most extreme cars of the 1970s to exist.
Powered by a monstrous 5.4 liter twin-turbo flat-twelve, the 1972 Porsche 917/10 produced over 1,150 HP in qualifying trim, and would clear 0 to 100 MPH (yes, 100 MPH) in under 3 seconds. That is modern day (2023) Formula One levels of fast, in 1972. This particular 917/10, chassis 917/10-003, is the most storied and famous of the 1972 cars, known as “The #6 L&M Porsche 917/10,” as it was the car that was run by Penske Motorsport, driven by both Mark Donohue and George Fullmer during the 1972 CAN-AM season, and won 5 of the 9 races of the series, earning it the title.
This is the car that won Porsche their first CAN-AM championship, and was the meanest, fastest, most brutal car they entered. After a successful 1973 season, run by Rinzler as the #16 car, it was sold to private ownership, and in 2012 at the Monterey Classic, it was gavelled by Mecum Auctions at a cool $5,830,000 including fees and premiums.
6. 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion
Sold for $5,665,000
The 1998 Porsche 911 GT1-98 is one of the great race cars that emerged from Stuttgart, meant to challenge and win at Le Mans. While the race cars eventually won overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, regulations stated that any GT1 car had to have 20 road-going homologation models, and thus one of the greatest supercars from Porsche was born, the 1998 911 GT1 Strassenversion.
Ostensibly a Type 996 911 underneath, pretty much everything about the car is bespoke. It is longer, wider, lower, has extreme aerodynamic splitters, underbody guide vanes, and a massive spoiler and wing combination at the rear. It carries a 3.2L twin-turbo flat-six, barely downtuned from the race version, that produces 544 HP, propelling the lightweight car from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds.
When it was sold in 2017 at the Amelia Island Auction, it only had 7,900 KM on the clock, or just over 4,908 miles. It crossed the block under the care of Gooding & Company, and the gavel hit the podium at $5,665,000 to a private collector.
7. 1960 Porsche 718 RS60 Werks
Sold for $5,400,000
After the success of the 550 RS Spyder, the car evolved into the 718 RSK series of pure, unadulterated race cars. Carrying the same aluminum body shape that its predecessor did, a very select few 718’s were built as the RS60 model.
This chassis, 718-044, was the last of only four RS60s, and was the ultimate, most powerful iteration of the RSK platform. Considering that it was raced for two seasons only, 1960 and 1961, both seasons for the Porsche Works factory team, when the list of drivers who sat at the wheel of the car is read out, you can understand why this is the 718 to own.
Those names? Stirling Moss. Graham Hill. Dan Gurney. Jo Bonnier. Bob Holbert. Hans Hermann. These legends took the car around places like Le Mans, Sebring, the Targa Florio, and the Nordschleife during the 1,000 KM of Nurburgring.
Two seasons, a pedigree that is approaching mythical. The most expensive 718 RSK model ever sold, it crossed the auction at the Monterey Classic Auction in 2019 under the care of RM Sotheby’s for a massive $5,120,000, which came out to $5,400,000 after fees and premiums.
8. 1955 Porsche 550 RS Spyder
Sold for $5,335,000
As we’ve already covered why the 550 RS Spyder is an exceptionally special car, this particular 1955 example, chassis 550-0060, is here because of two things.
The first is that it is completely unrestored. Original condition, original paint, original everything. It is fully numbers matching between engine, transmission, and chassis, with only 10,500 miles from new on the odometer. The second reason is that this car has had just three owners, all of whom knew that the car was something to be kept as original as possible. Before it went to auction, this car was part of comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s extensive classic car collection, as one of the centerpieces.
The car went on the auction block in 2016 at the Amelia Island Auction under the care of Gooding & Company, where it was eventually sold for $5,335,000 after premium and fees.
9. 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder 5
Sold for $5,170,000
This 1958 550A Spyder 5 is possibly one of the most iconic and important cars that Porsche ever made.
Part of the Works team for the 1958 season, chassis 550A-0145 has multiple reasons for its legacy and pedigree. It was the second to last 550A Spyder made, of only a total of forty cars. It has the desirably 135 HP, 1.5L 547/3 flat-four engine, benefitting from being a later car in the production line to receive all the previous years’ upgrades. It has only been mildly restored, meaning it is as close to original as possible.
What makes chassis 550A-0145 stand out, however, is its pedigree. This car was raced all over Europe in 1958, including a second place in class, fifth overall, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won its class, 6th overall, at the 1,000 KM of Nurburgring. It was owned and raced by the eccentric Carel Godin de Beaufort, a nobleman that became a gentleman-racer of high repute.
It was sold in 1959 to Peter Ryan and Jim Muzzin based out of Ontario, Canada, and due to having this car, Ryan was crowned the 1960 and 1961 Canadian Sports Car Champion. It was retired from full-time racing in 1962 when Muzzin bought out Ryan’s stake in the car, and it ran multiple hill climbs and exhibition races in North America. It was sold on to Bill Sadler of California in 1967, then to Dick Werkman in 1974. Throughout this entire period, as the car was never in an incident or crash, it was still in original condition at this time, although the body was starting to degrade. It was mildly restored, receiving only the bare necessary body repairs to keep the car as original as possible.
After passing through collectors hands a few more times, it arrived in the hands of Italian collector Bruno Ferracin, where it would take part in 10 consecutive Mille Miglia Storica historical races. After it was retired, noted and respected Porsche historian Andy Prill was given the opportunity to inspect the car and its pedigree, with the result being that he deemed it one of top 3 finest examples of the 550A Spyder in the world. The engine is numbers matching to the chassis, and the car does still have its original transmission, although it is crated, with a newer transmission installed at the time of sale.
It eventually ended up in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2018 for The Scottsdale Auction, under the care of Bonhams Auctioneers. After a reportedly fierce bidding war, the gavel came down at $5,170,000 including premium and fees.
10. 1979 Porsche 935
Sold for $4,840,000
The Porsche 935 was one of the most dominant cars in GT racing in the second half of the 1970s, so it only makes sense that one with an amazing history would be among the most expensive Porsches ever auctioned.
This specific example, chassis 009-0030, was owned by Dick Barbour, and raced by Paul Newman for the 1979 World Sportscar Championship in the GT class. That year, the car placed first in class, second overall, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in a stroke of fate that cemented this car as a legend. Barbour had been trying out another Porsche 935 that he owned when he crashed it off the track and damaged the car. He needed a replacement quickly, and so sight unseen bought chassis 009-0030 new from Porsche. It barely had time to be prepped for racing before it was on the track and began its storied winning streak, but it was the latest and greatest version of the 935, with a twin-turbo engine and the “upside-down” transaxle that gave it exceptional handling.
As the car kept racing, it came in first overall at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona, and once again stood on the top step of the podium in 1983 at the 12 Hours of Sebring. It raced for a few more years, still owned by Dick Barbour Racing, until it was eventually retired. It sat idle for many years, before it was brought out of storage and underwent a meticulous, finest-details restoration that was so complete and perfect that it won several awards at Concours d’Elegance. Part of the lot for this car was also every scrap of paper, be it a registration tag, a scrutineers ticket, even the entry forms for each race it entered, all in original order and provenance.
Under the care of Gooding & Company, this awesome example of Porsche’s racing legacy was sold at the 2016 Pebble Beach Classic Auction, where it sold for $4,840,000 including premiums and fees.
11. 2007 Porsche RS Spyder
Sold for $4,510,000
The Porsche RS Spyder is one of the most underappreciated of all of Stuttgart’s racing machines. Appearing in only a few races each season, it was a very strong competitor with an astoundingly powerful V8 engine that, with a little redesign, became the 918 Spyder’s power plant. The one thing about them, however, is that they were all Porsche Works cars, sold either to teams that agreed to Works restrictions, or run by Porsche themselves.
All except one. This RS Spyder, chassis 9R6.706, is the the last of six cars built in 2007, the last year the RS Spyder was made. In an odd move, the car was sold to CET Solaroli Motorsports based out of Jacksonville, Florida, as a customer team car, not a Works car. It saw limited track time, not even receiving a full livery, before the regulations came into effect for the 2008 season of the ALMS and IMSA series, which meant as an LMP2 car of the previous generation, it was not legally allowed to race.
As such, this is the only RS Spyder that has appeared at public auction, when it was put on the block under the care of Gooding & Company at the 2018 Pebble Beach Auction. Presented as is in its original bare carbon body with aluminum-magnesium alloy wheels, many collectors knew that this was literally a once in a lifetime chance, and when the final bid was finally accepted, it was at $4,510,000 including fees and premiums.
12. 1973 Porsche 917/30
Sold for $4,400,000
If the 1972 #6 917/10 that was fifth on this list is the ultimate original, this 1973 917/30, the evolution model of the 917/10, is about as close as you’ll get to a perfect sequel. This car is often regarded to be the single most powerful race car ever built by Porsche for Works teams. This is courtesy of its 5.4L twin-turbo flat-twelve that, in qualifying trim, roared out a barely believable 1,580 HP.
In race trim, it still put out 1,100 HP and would obliterate a standing start to 60 MPH in 1.9 seconds, and would continue to defy physics up to 200 MPH in a hair under 11 seconds. Yes, 0 to 200 MPH in 11.9 seconds. It could top out at 260 MPH, which even by today’s standards is ungodly fast, and faster than any modern Formula One or WEC LMP1 car has ever gone.
What makes this specific car, chassis 917/30-004, unbelievably special is that it never entered a single CAN-AM race. One of only six ever built, it was intended to be a replacement for the 917/30 that Mark Donahue crashed and suffered injuries from, to be his car for the 1974 season as part of the Penkse-Sunoco team. Rule changes in 1974 curtailed that, so instead, the car was sold to Australian importer Alan Hamilton, which became the centerpiece of his showroom. It remained there until 1991, when Porsche bought out all the independent Porsche dealers in Australia, with the 917/30-004 being part of Hamilton’s buyout.
The car returned to Stuttgart, where it was finally given a livery, having being sold as a body-in-white car. That livery was its original intended Penske-Sunoco red, yellow, and blue. It was entered into a few exhibitions, where it was finally allowed to unleash its full fury to the delight of onlookers, before it was sold privately in 1994 to American collector David Morse. As part of that sale, Porsche Motorsport fully rebuilt the engine, using the last engine block in their archives to do so.
It ran at the 1998 Monterey Historic exhibition, before it was sold to Matthew Drendel in 2001. This car has a special place in many Porsche enthusiasts’ hearts, as it was Drendel who contacted Roger Penske, and arranged for Penske to drive the car for a few exhibition laps as one of the headlining cars of the very first Rennsport Reunion.
The car, as part of the estate auctioned by Gooding & Company at Amelia Island after Drendels untimely death, was auctioned in 2012, where it was bought by Jerry Seinfeld for $4,400,000 after premiums and fees. It was auctioned again in 2016, where it sold for $3,000,000
13. 1970 Porsche 917K Interserie Spyder
Sold for $3,967,000
As discussed earlier on, the 917 was one of the most dominant racing machines ever made. This specific car, originally chassis 917-026, was one of the first 917K models, but after a heavy crash at the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, it was brought back to the factory and rebuilt as a newer 917K Spyder. Because the rebuild was so extensive, it received a new chassis number, 917-031, and an upgraded engine, also registered to 917-031.
Part of that upgraded engine was its power, which was the 4.9L flat-twelve pushing out 600 HP. This meant 0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds, and a top speed of 242 MPH (390 KPH)… for a Spyder. This specific car was driven in anger by Enrst Kraus, Jurgen Barth, David Hobbs, and Mike Hailwood, the first two in its original -026 closed top form, and the latter two in its -031 Spyder form. After being retired from racing, it was sold to a collector, and was presented at the 2010 Quail Lodge Auction by Bonhams. With a numbers matching engine for the -031 version, this car, with its history as a rebuild and the famous drivers that have sat at the wheel, sold for $3,967,000 including premiums and fees.
14. 2022 “Type 996” Porsche 911 Sally Special GTS
Sold for $3,600,000
In reality a Type 992 911 Carrera GTS, the Sally Special is a one-off car that Porsche produced to celebrate the inclusion of a Type 996 911 Carrera in the Disney-Pixar Cars movies. Build by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s Sonderwunsch team, the car received a one-time-only paint shade mixed exclusively for the car, as well as special stitched details on the interior, a one-off timepiece to accompany it from Porsche Design, and a body that mixed both the Type 992 and Type 996 aesthetics.
Sold as part of RM Sotheby’s Monterey Classics presentation in 2022, many special guests appeared on the block to give the car its special send-off. These included actress Bonnie Hunt, who voiced Sally Carrera in Cars, and Pixar production designer Bob Pauley, who sketched Sally Carrera’s final design 20 years before the auction. As part of the sale, Porsche and RM Sotheby’s both did not collect anything off the sale, with every cent being given to Girls Inc and USA for UNHCR, the American arm of the UN Refugee Agency helping underprivileged and refugee girls worldwide.
The bidding was quite exciting, as this was a bespoke, never-to-be-made-again car, and when the gavel finally fell, it was for $3,600,000 hammer price. As no fees or premiums were collected, this was also its final sale price.
15. 1970 Porsche 908/03 Spyder
Sold for $3,575,000
This 908/03 Spyder, chassis 908/03-003, is one of the rarest and most special versions of the 908 to exist. The entire reason for that is that this chassis was built by Porsche as a prototype for the 908/03 program at Weissach, one of only three that were made before the 908/03 entered into production for both Works and customer teams.
Since it was the closest to an actual production 908/03, the car was never upgraded or refitted, meaning that it is literally a one-of-three test car, and the only test car that was sold to the public. This was the car that Porsche Motorsport used to pre-run the Targa Florio, to determine the best setup for the actual car that entered that race. This is a documented fact as test driver and Porsche historian Jurgen Barth, along with Jo Siffert and Brian Redman, lapped the 72 KM (44.8 miles) 14 times to get the best possible setup.
This car’s only true race was at the 1970 1,000 KM of Nurburgring, one of the two tracks it was designed to dominate. In the hands of Hans Hermann and Richard Attwood, it came in second overall, being beaten only by a production 908/03 driven by Vic Elford and Kurt Ahrens Jr. It was sold privately in 1973, and changed hands a few times between noted collectors and private collections. It underwent a full “return to original condition” restoration in the early 2010s, a restoration that won it a coveted Masterpiece First In Class at the 2017 Concours d’Elegance at Schloss Dyck.
It was put up for auction at the Monterey Classics Auction in August 2017, accompanied by a 100+ page report of its pedigree and history by Jurgen Barth, where the hammer fell at $3,575,000 including premiums and fees.
16. 2018 “Type 993” Porsche 911 Turbo Classic Series “Project Gold”
Sold for $3,415,000
This was one of the most anticipated lots at the 2018 Porsche 70th Anniversary Auction in Atlanta, under the care of RM Sotheby’s. This is, in all official records and production, the final air-cooled 911 Turbo ever made, built specifically for the 70th Anniversary Auction by Porsche Classic. Using original blueprints and molds, but with modern materials and manufacturing facilities and an intact Type 993 production body found in the factory warehouse in Zuffenhausen, “Project Gold” was a powerhouse showcase of just what Porsche Classic could do, as well as showing that some cars just never go out of style.
Using the original molds, an all-new 3.6L twin-turbo flat-six was built, but with modern variable vane turbochargers giving it a grunty 450 HP, 42 HP more than the original Type 993 Turbo. Those same turbos also allow for the car to put down its 432 lbs-ft of torque across the entire mid-range of the power band. The chassis was also made from both original 993 parts at Porsche Classic for restoration work, or newly machined/manufactured to original design specs, making this car truly handbuilt.
As it was the first (and last) air cooled 911 Turbo since 1998, a vicious bidding war between nine different bidders was fought for nearly half an hour, before the gavel finally met the podium. With every cent going to the Ferry Porsche Foundation in Germany for charity use, the winning bid of $3,415,000 did not have any fees or premiums.
17. 1968 Porsche 911 R
Sold for $3,360,000
Very few people influence Porsche in their unique way of building cars, but if anyone was able to make a dent, it was Lotus Cars’ founder Colin Chapman. His mantra of “simplify, then add lightness,” spoke to the usually stubborn Ferdinand Piech in Stuttgart, and so he had Porsche make 20 cars that did exactly that in 1968, the 911 R.
Taking a 1967 911 S Coupe, Piech had the designers and engineers shave every single gram they could from the car to make it as light as possible. The goal was to be highly competitive in the FIA’s GT 2.0 category. Through a series of four prototypes, chassis 305876 (R1), 306681 (R2), 307670 (R3), and 307670 (R4), Piech supervised the fine tuning and testing of the car until it met his exacting specifications. Coachbuilder Karl Baur was contracted in to build 20 examples of the car, to the precise measurements demanded by Piech, and production resulted in chassis numbers 118990001R thru 118990020R.
This specific Porsche 911 R, chassis number 11899006R, was the 5th car built as part of that production, is special in that it retains its original, magnesium-cased flat six engine, as well as the original steel unibody and all original fiberglass body panels. It was raced and rallied extensively throughout the 1960s and 1970s, so some restoration was needed. That restoration lasted from 1986 to 2006, as parts needed to be reconditioned, and the car changed hands twice during those two decades.
Finished in its original first race livery, the 1967 Tour de Corse Rally, and certified an authentic 911 R with original parts restored, not remade, but Kardex, this car was sold under the care of RM Sotheby’s at the 2021 Monterey Classics Auction for $3,360,000 including premiums and fees. This also marked the first time in the new millennium that an original Porsche 911 R was available at auction, an exceedingly rare occurrence as they most often change hands in private meetings between collectors.
18. 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Evo
Sold for $2,946,000
At the 2016 Monte Carlo Classic Auction, the rare chance to own a 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Evo occurred. This car, chassis GT1 993-117, with engine number M86/80-109 and gearbox G96/80/117, is special because it has had a very interesting life.
It was originally sold as a bare tub body and chassis as parts to repair a 1996 GT1 that was damaged in North America after a crash. As the original car, a 1996 GT1, could not be salvaged, Byztek Motorsports, the team involved, instead used the original 1996 car as a donor car. Suspension, engine, and drivetrain were all moved over, and when offered, Byztek also purchased the Evo upgrade package, which is where it got the matching -117 transmission.
The car was raced extensively in North America, including winning the Canadian GT Championship three years back to back, from 1999 to 2001. Of all the 1997 GT1 Evos, chassis 117 is believed to be the most successful, as from 31 entries, it won 13 races. It was sold to Lanzante Motorsports out of the UK being retired in 2004 from competition, and was subsequently restored to from-the-factory condition over the course of 2014 and 2015. Since that restoration, it has had less than two hours total running time, instead being a showpiece car for concours such as at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it was shown alongside the 2015 Porsche 919 LMP1 Hybrid.
The car was sold to a private collector under the care of RM Sotheby’s in Monaco, with a final price of €2,772,000, or $2,946,000 in 2016 dollars.
19. 1988 Porsche 959SC By Canepa
Sold for $2,920,000
As already mentioned before, the 959 was Porsche’s first true supercar, a car that was so far ahead of its time that it stunned the established supercar world with just how fast and high tech it was. However, it was not legally allowed to be driven in North America, despite interest and even two original 959s being bought through Porsche specialist Bruce Canepa by a pair of company founders named Paul Allen and Bill Gates.
Canepa was instrumental in allowing the 959 to finally be allowed onto US roads under the “Show or Display” loophole, and subsequently became the foremost 959 expert globally outside of Porsche themselves. This dedication and devotion led him to find any and every way a 959 could be improved, which resulted in the 959SC by Canepa upgrade package.
While the 959 was already ridiculously powerful and fast when new, this car, one of the original 207 Komfort models with chassis number WP0ZZZ95ZJS900214, was brought in by a private owner who wanted to have Bruce’s 2015 959SC upgrade done to the car. The third such car to have the full upgrade done, it was given the serial number 003, and was stripped back to the bare chassis. Meticulously, it was rebuilt with over 4,000 man hours going into the upgrade, which included a pair of new turbos from BorgWarner for the 2.85L flat-six, a bespoke and fully tested ECU tune for the car, a one-of-one emerald green shade of paint that will never be used again, dark green leather interior, and a set of bespoke Canepa 18 inch wheels finished in graphite grey.
After the upgrade, the 959’s 444 HP was bumped to a monstrous 825 HP by using a recirculation system between the sequential turbos as well as an electronically controlled internal wastegate. Just before the car was sold at the 2022 Miami South Beach Auction, it underwent a reportedly $172,000 upgrade to the latest, 2022 specification version of the 959SC. Under the care of RM Sotheby’s, the 959SC By Canepa, serial number 003, sold for $2,920,000 including premiums and fees, making it the most expensive non-racecar version of the 959 to be sold.
20. 1961 Porsche 718 RS61 Spyder
Sold for $2,750,000
While not as rare as the RS60, the RS61 variant of the 718 RSK Spyder is still a highly desirable collectors car, as there were only 14 ever made. Using a 1.6L flat-four, this ultra lightweight cousin of the RS60 had 178 HP thanks to its use of dual-downdraft Weber carburetors, a five-speed close ratio manual, and a stiff, torsion-bar supported independent four corner suspension setup.
Chassis 718-066 was originally bought by racer Bob Donner for use in American endurance events. Partnered with Don Wester, the RS61 was entered into the 1961 12 Hours of Sebring, where it finished 2nd in class, 7th overall, on debut. Wester bought the car outright in 1963 from Donner, and the original 1.6L engine was replaced with an updated 1.7L one for more power and torque. He campaigned the car in 1963, reaching the podium eight times in SCCA and USRRC competitions.
After 1963, the car was sold, and passed hands many times. The owner that put it up for auction had the car meticulously restored to original condition, including removing any parts that were not RS61 originals, including the 1.7L engine being replaced with an original 1.6L one from 1961. It is not the same engine that came with the car, which is the only detractor to the car’s overall value as it is not numbers matching.
Still, when it crossed the block at RM Sotheby’s 15th Annual Auction in Arizona in 2014, the chance to own one of only fourteen RS61’s drew a lot of attention. When the final bid was accepted, it was for $2,750,000 including premiums and fees, and while the buyer remains confidential, chassis 066 has reportedly become the centerpiece of his/her collection.
