To get behind the wheels of a Porsche is probably every petrolhead’s dream. Having served the industry for over 93 years, the luxury automobile company has built an everlasting legacy defined by lightning performance and a trademark aesthetic.
The company used to serve the German government by manufacturing a commercial car for the general public, now known as the Volkswagen Beetle. After World War II, the chairman of Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche, was arrested for war crimes. At this juncture, his son led the company and built his own car, which would go on to become the 356 – this car is largely known as the first official car by Porsche. Over the next two decades, Porsche’s cars began performing extremely well on the race tracks, which laid the building blocks for the company’s long-term success.
From formidable sports cars with impressive lap records to posh sedans and SUVs for affluent families, Porsche has crafted a roster of wheels that are a class apart – indeed, a Porsche is for those with unabashedly superior sensibilities.
As always, there’s a creamy layer even in the most exclusive niches – read on to find out about the most expensive Porsche cars of all time.
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1970 Porsche 917K: $14 Million
The Porsche 917K was developed to adapt to the new rules set by the Commission Sportive Internationale, which put a cap on the fuel capacity of the cars racing at the Le Mans – in an effort to shift the focus to endurance racing, cars were forbidden from having a capacity greater than five litres.
The 917K was created in 1969 and failed to perform well on the track. However, persistent redesigning and experimentation moulded the car into a force to be reckoned with. Equipped with a type 912 five-litre flat-12 engine, the 917 achieved a thumping victory at the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The design was refined even more, and the 917 once again emerged victorious at the 1971 Le Mans.
The accomplishments ceased to halt. The 917 brought Porsche victories at the 1972 and 1973 Can-Am championships, as well as at the Interserie championships, through the years of 1969 to 1975.
The 1970 Porsche 917K was immortalised in the Steve McQueen-starring film, Le Mans. A celebrity in its own right, the 917K has gone down in history as the most expensive Porsche ever sold. It was valued at $13 million to $16 million at the Gooding & Company sale and went for $14,080,000 at the hammer drop.
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1982 Porsche 956: $10 Million
The Porsche 956 is iconic in racing history for holding a staggering 35-year-long record of lapping 20.8 kilometres on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in six minutes and eleven seconds.
28 Porsche 956s were built between 1982 and 1984, all fitted with a 2.65-litre type 935/79 twin-turbo flat-6, powering the car with 611 HP.
Notwithstanding its competitive top speed of 218 mph, the 956 was a car of many firsts for Porsche. It was the first Porsche whose chassis was built with single-shelled aluminium. It was also the first ever model that boasted astonishing downforce, owing to innovative ground-effect aerodynamics – in fact, there’s a model of the 956 positioned upside down at the Porsche Museum to demonstrate its unbelievable downforce.
By the end of 1982, the Porsche 956 won the World Sportscar Championship, a triumph achieved the following year as well. It also secured a momentous victory at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The car went for $10.12 million – one million higher than its estimated value – at a Gooding and Company sale in 2015.
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1953 Porsche 550 Rennsport Spyder: $6 Million
The 550 Rennsport Spyder was a robust racing car in the 1.1-1.5-litre leagues.
The 550, with its short and compact build, was inspired by the 356, Porsche’s very first car. Its defining feature was its "Fuhrmann Engine” (an aluminium, naturally-aspirated, air-cooled four-cylinder mechanism). It was designed as a mid-engined vehicle, enabling balanced weight distribution. Sleek, elegant, and sturdy, the 550 is one of Porsche’s most replicated cars.
Only 90 550s were built from 1953 until 1956, during which it accumulated several accolades, such as the Nürburgring Eifel Race win and an exceptional track record at the Le Mans.
With its illustrious tenure and commanding presence, a Porsche 550 Rennsport Spyder went for about six million dollars at a Bonhams auction in 2018.
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Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion: $5.65 Million
The 911 GT1 Straßenversion is one of Porsche's rarest cars, making it an invaluable collector’s item today.
The 911 GT1 was born of Porsche’s desire to be the top dog in track racing during the mid-1990s when global sportscar racing was being revived through the BPR Global GT Series. The GT1 Straßenversion was a “street-legal” version of the 911 GT1.
20 units of the Straßenversion were built, mainly in Arctic Silver and in Fern White, donning the 996-styled headlights. Given that it was the street version, the engine had to be stripped of a substantial amount of rigour. It was fitted with a 996-inspired, water-cooled, twin-turbocharged engine, arming the car with a power of 600 HP. In spite of the alterations, however, the 911 GT1 Straßenversion was still a remarkably agile roadcar that could sprint from 0 to 50 kilometres per hour in 2.1 seconds.
The Amelia Island Auctions of 2017 saw a silver Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion go for a mighty $5,665,000.
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Porsche 917/30 Spyder: $4.4 Million (approximately)
Built in 1973, this harlequin 917/30 Spyder has been referred to as “one of the strongest racing cars of all time.”
Porsche’s eminent 917 had to be dropped from racing due to rule changes in the World Championship of Makes, leading to the development of the 917/30 Spyder. Porsche seized this opportunity to push the boundaries and attached two exhaust-driven turbochargers to the 917’s original flat-twelve engine. As a result, the car was empowered with a whopping 1084.9 HP, making it one of the most powerful cars at the time.
This flashy open-topped beauty shined brightly at the 1973 CanAm championship. It also went on to bag an iconic record of speeding at 355.85 kilometres per hour around the Talladega Oval in Alabama, with Mark Donohue behind the wheel.
A 917/30 Spyder sold for $4.4 million at a 2012 Amelia Island Auction, adding yet another million-dollar jewel to Porsche’s kitty. Another 917/30 Spyder is currently up for auction on R.M. Sotheby’s website, and it is valued at $2.3 million to $3.2 million.
Porsche is for the skilled track racer. It is also for the discerning automobile enthusiast. Either way, a Porsche oozes panache, wealth, and refinement. A set of wheels stamped with a rearing horse is sure to embolden any luxury car collection – it’s time to consider gracing your driveway with one.
