Monterey Car Week ended two weekends ago, and as usual Porsche had a good presence at the events on the California coast. Porsche may not have had a display at Pebble Beach as they did just a few years ago, but at the annual Concours d'Elegance a very special Porsche was on display.
Coming off the marque's historic overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Porsche 919 Hybrid Le Mans Prototype car was on display. Situated on the popular "concept lawn" near many of the latest high-end and concept cars, it was a huge hit.
Speaking of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, another overall winner was also in the area. The 1982 Porsche 956 that took the overall win at Le Mans in 1983 was up for auction by Gooding & Company. The competition machine was driven by the likes of Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Vern Schuppan, Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood, and is just oozing with pedigree. The right buyer was in the room, and the car sold for a staggering $10.12 million, which was $1 million over the high-end estimate.
Historic race cars from the German performance car maker are not the only ones that sold well at auction in Monterey. Mecum Auctions offered the last 911 Turbo Carrera custom-ordered by Steve McQueen (pictured above), which came equipped with unique features that the actor/driver installed himself, including a taillight kill-switch that would have been used in the event of a high-speed chase. The special 930 went for a hefty $1.95 million. Obviously, being owned by McQueen increased its value, as Turbo Carreras of its vintage normally sell for a fraction of the cost.
There were also a few notable Porsches without racing pedigree or celebrity ties that sold well. At Mecum's, two Porsche Carrera GTs managed to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the $448,400 MSRP when the car was new. The less expensive of the two managed a strong $775,000. The car had just 1,481 original miles on it. From my research, that appears to be a fair price for the car.
The other Carrera GT had ultra-low mileage — only 252! Thanks to that and its stellar condition, it managed $1 million at the auction. These auction prices, less than 10 years after CGT production ended, could indicate an even stronger market for the German supercar in years to come.
Coming off the marque's historic overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 car was on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Porsches could be found at just about every event. At the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, formerly the Monterey Historics, plenty of historic racing Porsches took to the track, from early 356s to the dominant 962s of the 1980s.
Beyond the machines, there were plenty of legendary and current drivers at the event. This year these included the likes of Scott Pruett, Sir Jackie Stewart, Derek Bell, Brian Redman, Lyn St. James, Bob Bondurant, David Donohue, Bill Auberlen, Bobby Rahal, Parker Johnstone, Marino Franchitti, Patrick Long and Howden Ganley. The Motorsports Reunion is always a favorite. Akin to a rolling museum, it is one of the best events to see these classic race cars doing what they were meant to do.
On roads and in parking lots between events, Porsches were everywhere. As I drove down the street, a Porsche 918 Spyder passed by, and I later spotted a few early 911s. As I walked around downtown Monterey, I would see a 911 GT3 RS 4.0 and then a Boxster, then a Cayman, then a 911 Carrera S — and those are just the sports cars. Panameras, Cayennes and Macans were also all over the place, but they didn't quite have the presence of the company's pure sports cars and supercars.
If you are a Porsche enthusiast or an enthusiast of any car, Monterey Car Week is something you should attend at least once in your life. I go each year — and trust me, it is always worth it.
