Porsche Classic Cars

How often do you see an ex-works Porsche race car hit the auction block? It rarely happens and this is one of the few that were sold publicly in recent history. This is a 1960 Porsche 718 RS 60, member of the 718 RS family of open-top sports cars built and raced by Zuffenhausen for half a decade beginning with the RSK in 1957. The RS 60 appeared at a time when sports car manufacturers started realizing that mounting the engine behind the cockpit might be beneficial to the performance of the car after witnessing Jack Brabham muscling his way to the title in F1 in 1959. Porsche was already doing it and had been doing it for years, beginning with the 550 Spyder, a car infamous for having an important part to play in actor James Dean’s death but one that was, more importantly, a successful car in road racing.

The RS 60 Spyder raced everywhere around the world, following the trek of the World Endurance Championship and, along the way, ticking starts at Le Mans, the Nurburgring, and Targa Florio. Only 18 were built in period and the factory kept for its own use a mere four examples and this, according to RM Sotheby’s, was "the only to likely become available". Powered by a four-cam engine - first a 1.6-liter mill and, in 1961, a 2.0-liter one - the car you see in the pictures, chassis #044, doesn’t boast with the most enviable of racing records having retired out of both the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans race and all of the three major races it contested in 1961: the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1,000-kilometer race at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife and the Targa Florio in Sicily. Having said that, it must be said that the car was fast, taking pole position outright in the Italian road race before being raced extensively by Bob Holbert, father of Porsche legend Al Holbert, an amazing driver in his own right - both behind the wheel of Porsches and, later, Cobras. It is, then, no wonder that chassis #044 sold for over $5.0 million back in mid-August during the Monterey sale. That’s one expensive aluminum Spyder!

RM Sotheby’s is in a world of trouble after its auction of a 1939 Porsche Type 64 went off the rails. Confusion and embarrassment reigned as the auction turned into a farce over as an upset crowd booed the attempted sale of the high-value model. In the end, the Type 64, otherwise known as Ferdinand Porsche’s “Nazi car’ failed to meets its reservation price. It is currently marked as “still for sale” on RM Sotheby’s online auction catalog, though given everything that transpired during the actual auction, it’s unlikely that anyone’s going to touch the Porsche Type 64 anytime soon. As for RM Sotheby’s reputation, well, that’s up in the air, too.

The 1939 Porsche Type 64 is the first automobile to carry the iconic "Porsche" script. Based on the Volkswagen Beetle, also developed by Ferdinand Porsche, the Type 64 is the oldest surviving Porsche. The coupé was developed in a time when Porsche offered vehicle development work and consulting, but wasn’t building cars under its own name. The Type 64 debuted almost 10 years before Porsche launched its first official car, the 356.

80 years later and the Type 64 went under the hammer at a public auction for the very first time. Despite its age and the many owners it had, the Type 64 is as original as it was in day one. It doesn’t look as pristine as some classic cars do, but that’s because its previous owners went with sympathetic restorations that preserved its aged finish and unique patina of its silver paint. How much did it change hands for? Well, it remained unsold, mostly because RM Sotheby’s auction didn’t go as planned. But the we know that the coupe is estimated to worth at least $20 million.

The Porsche 911 is a lot like wine. The older it is, the more desirable it becomes. That appeal has stretched bounds that we previously thought didn’t exist. No more is that clear than in the aftermarket tuning world, for example. There once was a time when the mere thought of modifying an original Porsche 911 was tantamount to automotive treason. But now? It’s not only become a big business, but it’s also evolved into a what-you-can-do-I-can-do-better competition among aftermarket companies. Take this 1989 Porsche 911 Targa 3.2, for example. Traditional convention suggests that this classic 911 Targa should be kept in stock condition, preserved in its OG state for all eternity. German tuner DP Motorsports had other plans. It’s not the Porsche 911 Targa 3.2 anymore. It’s the Porsche Phantom Speedster, and guess what, it looks spectacular.

When you think of the first Porsche, you probably have in mind the 1948 Porsche 356/1 also known as the "Porsche No. 1". Indeed, that was the first car to wear the Porsche badge, but you’d have to go back almost a decade to find the first Porsche-named car, and that is the streamlined vehicle that stands before your eyes now. It’s called the Type 64, and three were built precisely 80 years ago of which two survive now, and only this one has the original sheet metal on it. Mechanically, it is a strengthened and tuned Beetle but, as far as looks are concerned, it has the 356’s DNA written all over it. Now, it’s up for auction, and if somebody other than the Porsche Museum buys it, I’ll be shocked.

Porsche’s crazy about its history. The German company has built its reputation via winning races - much like Ferrari has - and it can’t stop reminding everyone about its landmark moments. There are multiple events dedicated to the history of Ferdinand Porsche’s company, such us Luftghekult or the Rennsport Reunion. If you arrive in Stuttgart, the first thing you stumble across is the Porsche Platz, and there, on one side of the roundabout at the entrance of the city, there’s a futuristic-looking building. That’s Porsche’s own museum that’s filled to the brim with everything Porsche both new and old. But Porsche doesn’t currently own this car, the Type 64 chassis #38/41. It was designed by Ferdinand Porsche as a marketing ploy to showcase that you can extract genuine performance from the unassuming platform of the Beetle. If Porsche wants it back, it’ll have to join the crowd at the RM/Sotheby’s auction in Monterey, California, that’s scheduled for August 15th through to the 17th.

The Porsche 911 is unarguably one of the most famous sports cars the world over. It’s also impossible to argue that the design of the 911 is legendary to the point that it doesn’t really move with the times, it stays the same while everyone else hurries to change every so often. By 1965, the 911 was already three years old, and the company finally dedicated itself to the 911 after halting the production of the venerable 356.

Unveiled at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Porsche 901, later renamed 911 after Peugeot intervened, is Porsche’s most successful model and an icon all on its own. The design, penned by Ferdinand Porsche’s son ’Butzi’ Porsche with help from Porsche’s Head of Body Construction Erwin Komenda, was instrumental in shaping all of Porsche’s future products. In fact, Porsche never really strayed away from the design language introduced by the original 901 in the Fall of 1963. The latest 992-generation 911 still features a pair of round headlights in the front, a sloping tail with narrow taillights, and everything else in between. The only thing one can say about the modern 911 is that it’s much larger than its forefather, but you should blame that on both the quest for performance and the quest for safety.

You may remember that back in early 2016 we covered Jerry Seinfeld’s announced auction of several of his classic Porsche models - all of which eventually sold for some $22-million in total. One of the cars he sold then has been proven to not be authentic and he’s now being sued for $1.5-million.

We all know that protecting your vehicle is of paramount importance. Especially if your car is a decades-old Porsche that you’ve acquired after years of hard work and dedication. Now, owning one of these rolling masterpieces has become a little less stressful with the launch of the Porsche Classic Vehicle Tracking system that allows owners to track their cars and be notified if the batter has been disconnected or if the car has left a certain area.

Porsche is working tirelessly to please the customers that are lining up to buy the new 992-generation Porsche 911. But that’s not the entire business Porsche’s in. The company from Stuttgart also caters towards the owners of vintage Porsche models and beyond parts and expert servicing, Porsche now offers a smartphone app that will allow you, the owner of such a car, to be on top of where your car is at all times.

The Porsche 928 was the company’s first production car with a V-8 engine and the only coupe powered by a front-mounted V-8 as of today. Developed in the 1970s as a replacement of the 911, the 928 was eventually sold alongside the rear-engine sports car. Production lasted from 1977 until 1995.

Porsche’s only luxury grand tourer up to date, the 928 was sold in various configurations. In addition to the base model, Porsche offered an S variant and later on changed the badge to the 928 S4. Club Sport (CS) and GT versions followed while the final four model years saw the 928 sold as a GTS only. While it wasn’t as popular as the 911, the 928 developed a following, and it’s now considered a classic.

Continue reading to learn more about the Porsche 928.

Porsche is throwing another wrinkle to its 70th-anniversary celebrations by creating a limited edition timepiece called the 1919 Daytimer 70Y Sports Car Limited Edition. The commemorative watch is limited to just 1,948 pieces, a nod to the year the German automaker was founded. Each watch costs €2,948, or close to $3,500 based on current exchange rates.

The Porsche 911 video magazine really is something else. It’s essentially an episodic web series that talks about Porsche. Each episode runs nine minutes and 11 seconds long because, well, that shows up as 9:11 on the time bar. Beyond the cute allusion to the 911 name, the episodes are rich in stories about the German automaker and everything about it.

Volume 5, or episode 5, of the 911 Magazine is no exception. The episode carries the theme, “Dreams,” and is divided into five different sub-episodes, beginning with Patrick Dempsey taking a trip to the island of Sylt in northern Germany with a 911 Carrera. The episode mostly features Dempsey taking in the scenery of the island and enjoying the picturesque sights with one of the finest Porsche 911 models ever built. From there, the episode dives into the racing success of the Porsche 956, the creation of the most improbable Porsche in history, a Porsche drifting in the snow, and an inside look at the TraumWerk, Hans-Peter Porsche’s incredible toy museum.

The third and fifth sub-episodes are the best ones of Volume 5. The former talks about the story of two twins — Knut and Falk Reimann — who lived in the communist-run GDR and, against all odds, managed to build their own homemade Porsche with some assistance from no less than Ferry Porsche himself. The latter is a treat to watch itself as it features Hans-Peter Porsche showcasing one of the most expansive and incredible toy collections in the world. Take the time to watch this episode of the 911 Magazine. You’re not going to regret it.

Between 2016 and 2020 the list of supercars will include the Ford GT, the Mercedes-AMG Project One, the Aston Man Valkyrie, and at least one new car from Ferrari. But what are sports cars fans with smaller wallets supposed to do? We have some great cars like the Miata and BMW is bringing a Z4 replacement soon, but so many great cars don’t exist anymore. Especially in the “affordable” range.

So we started talking in the office about what sports cars we want to see revived, and we settled on a pair of classic sports cars and one car that is officially dead, but not out of showrooms yet. The Porsche 944, Honda S2000, and the Dodge Viper are all in our dream garage of dead cars we want to return. Keep reading to find out why!

Do you have half a million bucks laying around? Looking to spend it all in one place for a Ferrari or maybe a Lamborghini? Why not buy pair of cool vintage cars wrapped in the iconic Martini livery then? You can do just that a Bonhams’ Spa Classic Sale on May 21st and it will get you a rare 1976 Porsche 934/5 Kremer race car and a 1977 Volkswagen T2 transporter in matching colors to haul all those spare parts at the race track.

The Porsche 934 needs no introduction if you’re a racing enthusiast, but in case you aren’t, you should know that it’s one of the most iconic race cars of all time. Based on the 934, which in turn was a racing version of the 911 Turbo, the 934/5 won Porsche the World Championship in 1977. The Martini-sponsored Kremer took part in this victory too by winning the Hockenheim round with the No. 69 model pictured here. Following its racing career with Kremer, it had two more owners and also spent a few years in storage. Restored to its original livery, it’s estimated to fetch €320,000 to €400,000 (about $356,110 to $445,290) at auction.

Continue reading for the full story.

Remember that Petrolicious episode that featured legendary British racer Derek Bell driving the 1960 Targa Florio-winning Porsche 718 RS 60 around the famous Italian circuit? Well, it appears Petrolicious hasn’t forgotten that memorable episode because it has just released a video of one of Bell’s drive runs around Targa Florio.

The video is completely uncut and there’s no narration either. It’s just one camera, positioned from the rear of the 718 RS 60 facing Bell’s back as he drives the car around the circuit with the expertise of someone who has three Daytona titles and a couple of World Sportscar Championships in his sparkling resume.

Even though Petrolicious says that no speed records were attempted during this run, it’s clear by the way Bell is driving the 718 RS 60 that he was pushing it to its limits. The throaty roar of the car’s engine is clearly audible and just as it’s exhilarating to listen to that sound, watching Bell’s drive from this specific angle makes it fell like you’re actually in the car and having your hair your blown up by the wind.

As far as weekend videos are concerned, this one is as good as any video you’ll watch. Who knows, you might even be inspired to go on a joyride or two after watching it.

Widely known as Porsche’s last road-going sports prototype, the Type 906, also known as the Carerra 6, celebrates its 50th birthday in 2016 and, given its importance in Porsche’s racing history, a look back is by all means necessary. While not innovative in its own right, the 906 put the brand on a road that led, to the launch of the astounding 917 which, like many success stories, had somewhat humble beginnings.

The beginnings lay in Porsche’s Type 904, which was the last to contest the 2.0-liter GT championship in 1964 and 1965. It was rendered obsolete in only its second year by Ferrari’s Dino 206S. Porsche was forced to step up to the challenge and answered with the 906, which, under different guises, ran in the 2.0-liter class for either sports cars or prototypes. It was also the first Porsche to accommodate a long-tail (lang-heck in German) configuration for the Le Mans race alone. A number of updates kept the 906 popular among privateers up until the dawn of the 1960s at which time it was still competitive in the 2.0-liter class as the championship’s focus had shifted toward the 5.0-liter sports cars and the 3.0-liter prototypes, respectively.

Following Porsche’s ethos of learning from the past and applying it to the future, the 906 carried over the suspension and brakes from the 904. Otherwise, it was a completely new car down to its tubular space frame. In racing terms, the 906 was a success, scoring big from its debut onward, a highlight being the victory in the 1966 edition of the famed Targa Florio, which was run in pitiful conditions with rain and fog all the way.

Continue reading to learn more about the Porsche 906.

There are certain episodes of Petrolicious’ incredible web series that just hits you right in the sweet spot. This particular one counts as one of them because it shines the spotlight on the original Porsche 718, the open-cockpit race car that Porsche built from 1957 and 1962. Just as important is the man on the video. For those who don’t know, that is Derek Bell MBE, the iconic British racer who has won the Le Mans 24 hours five times, the Daytona 24 three times, and the World Sportscar Championship twice. That’s quite a resume, huh?

The episode is as much about him as it is the 718, or to be more specific, the 718 RS 60, the same race car that won the Targa Florio back in 1960. And as fate would have it, Bell had never raced in the iconic Italian race track until he got a chance to do it with the 718 RS 60. Truth be told, this is probably one of the most important episodes Petrolicious has ever developed.

Here you have one of the most iconic British racers in history and one of only a few to actually be bestowed with an MBE title for his contributions to British motorsport and here he is driving one of the most successful race cars Porsche has ever created. It’s the kind of episode that gives you goosebumps, knowing the kind of achievements both the driver and the car have had in motor racing lore. The fact that Bell was driving around Targa Florio only adds to the incredible story of this episode.

I could go on and on, or I could just leave it to the episode to steer you through the whole viewing experience. It’s 11 minutes long and if you make it to the end – as you should – you’ll realize why the Porsche 718 is so important to Porsche, or at least important enough to be revived in the guise of the new 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster.

Back in January 2016, Jerry Seinfeld announced he decided to part with no fewer than 16 Porsches and two Volkswagens from his massive collection. Described as "one of the finest Porsche collections ever assembled" by Gooding & Company, the selection included many rare models that Seinfeld claimed to be “the best examples that exist in the world”. The collection hit the auction block at the Amelia Island Auction in Florida on March 11th and sold for a whopping $22 million.

The star of the auction was a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, which sold for $5.35 million. The 1973 917/30 Can-Am race car changed hands for $3 million but, while it may seem like a lot, the Sunoco-liveried racer was actually estimated to fetch $5 million. A 1959 718 RSK also failed to meet expectations, selling for $2.86 million instead of $4 million. On the other hand, the 1974 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR went for $2.3 million, over the initial estimate of $1.2-$1.5 million. Three more vehicles sold for seven-figure amounts: a 1990 962C race car for $1.65 million, a 1958 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster for $1.54 million, and a 1994 964 Turbo 3.6 S Flachbau for $1 million.

As for the two Volkswagens, Seinfeld got a $99,000 check for a 1964 Microbus and received $121,000 for a 1960 Beetle. The latter broke the record and became the most expensive Beetle ever auctioned.

One vehicle, the 2000 GT Prototype, failed to sell. One of only two built by Porsche, the non-drivable prototype was estimated to trade between $1.5 million to over $2.2 million. It looks like Seinfeld will have to keep it a bit longer.

Continue reading for the full story.