While RM is selling a Carrera RS over at Lake Como in Italy, Bonhams will have 9 great Porsche lots available for sale during the Spa Classic weekend. While the Porsche lots are fantastic, Bonhams also has some pretty amazing lots from English and Italian manufacturers as well. As collector car auctions go, this one appears to have something for everyone, featuring everything from million-dollar Porsche specials down to some relatively budget MGs, and even a nice Carrera 3.2 that could be driven with little consideration for value and rarity.
Lot 119 – 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Targa ‘Rijkspolitie” (Est. $100,000 – 150,000)
If you’ve always wanted to own a Porsche police car, this one might be for you. An ex-Dutch Rijkspolitie highway patrol car, this Targa retains all of its police-specific trim, and the auction even includes an in-period uniform, full police road-side kit, plenty of documentation, and a gorgeous preparation. It’s one of those oddball pieces that every collection needs, and would make a great addition to pretty much any car show out there, be it in Europe or over on this side of the pond. The car features its original engine, interior, and bumpers, which is surprising, as a lot of these police Porsches got pretty beat up in the course of duty.
Lot 124 – 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort (Est. $790,000 – 1,000,000)
This 959 was originally delivered to the Glockler Porsche Center in Germany, where Mr. Otto Glockler fell in love with the Porsche and used it as his own personal car, even adding the stripes himself. The person selling the 959 is, in fact, the second owner, having purchased the Porsche from Mr. Glockler, and has retained it ever since. The Porsche was moved from Germany to Switzerland in 1991, making this one of only a handful of Swiss registered 959s. The 959 was never available for purchase in Switzerland, and their strict regs mean that the only way to import a 959 across the Swiss border is if you had already owned one before moving permanent residence inside the country.
The Porsche features only 25,000 kilometers, and is described as in “generally very good condition”. Based on the images of the car, I’d have to agree that it is generally very good. A recent service for quite a lot of Swiss Francs was performed only in November of last year. Bonhams expects this Porsche to get very near the one-million dollar mark. That seems to be the way 959 auctions have been going lately, but who knows if the right bidders will show up for this lot. We’ll have to wait and see.
Lot 131 – 1990 Porsche 962 C Endurance Chassis #962-155 (Est. $1,600,000 – 2,100,000)
Whenever a real-deal 962 comes up for sale, I start hyperventilating. A late production Porsche race car like this one is a rarity, as the legendary chassis had already started to be superceded by faster cars using F1-engines. It had earned it’s decade in the sun where it dominated almost everything, but that time had passed by the early 1990s. It was still competitive enough to keep around, mostly thanks to its legendary reliability, but others had gained a lot of ground.
This Porsche was campaigned from new by Obermaier Racing starting in August of 1991. In 1992, the 962 was campaigned in a number of European Interseries races. The car’s primary moment of glory had to have been when it was trotted out for the 1993 running of the Le Mans 24. With Jürgen Oppermann/Otto Altenbach/Loris Kessel at the wheel for that race, the Porsche finished an impressive 7th overall. That 7th place? It was only bested by a trio of factory Peugeots, and a trio of factory Toyotas, meaning that the Obermeier 962 was not only the highest finishing Porsche, but also the first of the privateer teams.
The engine in the Porsche offered has been treated to a recent factory rebuild, and has only been run for a handful of hours since that rebuild. Engines are usually expected to run 60 hours or so before being rebuilt, so the 11 hours on this one is paltry, for sure. Because this car was a late 962 production, it was fitted with carbon brakes, and a completely revised suspension package in addition to the short-tail bodywork and raised aerofoil.
This Porsche 962 was also the only car to ever compete at Le Mans in this ‘official’ 24-Hours livery. It caused a kerfuffle with the ACO at the time, and the Porsche was talked of having been disallowed from competing. I don’t quite understand why, but it’s the French, they do weird things. Unfortunately, this 962 does not have a very exciting racing career outside of that one Le Mans appearance. That said, it is a factory built racing prototype with interesting Le Mans history. How could you ask for more?
It should be noted that the car is offered with the Porsche factory bill of sale and further substantial factory invoices as well as several spare parts which include a front section, a rear wing, several sets of wheels, and carbon brakes. With a price estimation somewhere above a million dollars, it’s a bit high, but where else are you going to find one? This would make an excellent vintage racer, and with all of those late 962 updates, it’s probably quite competitive as well.
Lot 136 – 1980 Porsche 924 Carrera GT (Est. $85,000 – 110,000)
If you want to find someone who is enthusiastic about the much-maligned 924 lineup, just talk to one Magnus Walker. Ever since he picked up a gorgeous 924 Turbo from Craigslist for practically pennies, he’s been extolling the virtues of the car. It’s a simple, inexpensive, well balanced, lightweight Porsche platform that doesn’t get enough love. Shortly after the Turbo, he purchased a later 924S, and recently, he’s imported one of these, the gorgeous homologation-special 924 Carrera GT from Japan.
This beautiful red widebody coupe is one of the most rare Porsche variants ever, with only 400 built for worldwide consumption. This Porsche (chassis number 700071) is the 20th 924 CGT ever built. It features black ‘pinstripe’ interior, and was optioned with factory air conditioning and power electric windows. The 924 has 73,000 miles on its odometer, and while not 100% confirmed, it is believed to be true, based on the car’s excellent condition.
This car might seem pricey for a 924, but this is no ordinary 924. With 210 turbocharged horsepower, a 0-60 time of only 6.9 seconds, and a 60,000 Deutsche Mark pricetag when new, this Porsche was more powerful, quicker accelerating, and more expensive than a contemporary 911 SC (1981 911 SC featured 204 horsepower, a 0-60 time of 7.0, and cost 51,350 DM). If the right buyers show up, Bonhams expects this 924 to sell for somewhere around 6-figures. Worth it? I don’t know, but I’d sure love to have one.
Other Bonhams Porsche Lots
Lot 112 – 1971 Porsche 911S 2.4 Targa (Est. $120,000 – 160,000)
Lot 120 – 1971 Porsche 914/6 2.7 Liter Hot Rod (Est. $79,000 – 110,000)
Lot 121 – 1992 Porsche 911 (964) Carrera RS (Est. $210,000 – 270,000)
Lot 132 – 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Coupe (Est. $45,000 – 68,000)
Lot 137 – 1972 Porsche 911T 2.4 Targa (Est. $79,000 – 91,000)