Fans of forced induction or Porsche Motorsports History, rejoice. Up for sale at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island auction this March are three of the most influential turbocharged racing cars to ever grace the Porsche stable. Estimates are all in the seven figure-range, and each of these important Porsches carry with them a special air, an unmistakable power—these cars shaped the way Porsche went racing for nearly thirty years.
1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.1 Turbo (Estimate: $6,000,000-$8,000,000)
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Mathieu Heurtault
The first, and most expensive of this group, is the ’74 Carrera RSR 2.1 Turbo. Not only was this the first production-based racing car from Porsche to sport a force-fed engine, but this particular car—R13—was the most successful of the RSR turbos. With superhuman drivers such as George Follmer, Gils Van Lennep, and Herbert Müller having steered the 911, as well as a second-overall finish at the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans, there’s an impressive provenance that comes with this historic machine.
What’s most important about this mile-wide RSR is that it showed that turbochargers could make a real impact in production car racing. Prior to the the design of this Porsche, few racing cars utilized forced induction to fire around the road course, and none of them sported full bodywork, a roof, and closed wheels. Additionally, this Porsche revolutionized the way road car powerplants were conceived, and without it, it’s unlikely we would’ve had the road-going Porsche Turbo.
Its Martini livery, wide haunches, gaping maw, and enormous wing give it an unmistakable sense of style and purpose, and the future owner of this gate-opening icon should rest assured knowing they’re in possession of a machine that changed the course of Porsche Motorsport for the rest of the century.
1976 Porsche 934 (Estimate: $1,200,000-$1,600,000)
With its clean lines, mesh wheels, Light Yellow paint, this 934 is a head-turner wherever it goes. Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Brian Henniker.
The racing version of the Porsche 930 Turbo, the 934, was the natural evolution of the RSR 2.1 Turbo, but kept a much tighter link with its road-going sibling. On both sides of the Atlantic, the 934 was immensely successful; winning both the European GT championship and the Trans-Am championship. This particular Porsche managed to win on both sides of the pond, as owner Angelo Pallavinci was able to compete in a slew of European events before contesting the 1976 24 Hours of Daytona, where he clinched 10th place overall and 4th in the GTO class. Serving as the building block for the dominant 935, this car marked the point in history in which the rest of the marques started trying to match Porsche’s turbocharged prowess in the world of the sports car racing.
1990 Porsche 962C (Estimate: $1,500,000-$2,000,000)
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Mike Maez.
The last of these featured gems might be the quintessential Porsche racer. If any one particular car defined the success Porsche Motorsport enjoyed with forced induction, it would have to be the 956/962. With its career spanning well over a decade, this Porsche enjoyed a lifetime of professional competition three times as long as most cars. Reliable, robust, immensely quick, and accessible to the gentleman racer as well as the seasoned pro, this car checked all the boxes and possessed a versatility that thoroughbred racing cars almost never have.
This particular 962, campaigned by Brun Motorsport GmbH, nearly won Le Mans in 1990; leading with several laps to go when the engine coughed its last. Considering the 962 was getting on in years then, it’s a testament to the Porsche’s incredible performance, especially at high speed, which kept it a formidable force even late in its life. Even today, the 962 manages to run with the best at any vintage racing meeting, and with those unmistakable lines and the mouth-watering Repsol livery, the combination is simply irresistible to anyone with a drop of motor oil in their veins.
The Amelia Island Auction
Date: Friday, March 9 at 11:00 AM EST
Location: Racquet Park, Omni Amelia Island Plantation
6800 First Coast Hwy
Amelia Island, FL 32034
Public preview: Thursday, March 8 through Friday, March 9
Auction catalogues: $75, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auction
General admission: $30, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auction
Live auction broadcast: www.goodingco.com
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