Why Amelia Island is the best auction to score a rare Porsche

The auctions held in conjunction with the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance have become a mecca for Porsche collectors. At the catalog auctions this year there are 66 Porsches offered, which in the past 11 years, is only second to the 73 offered in 2018. In percentage terms, the 66 for sale represents just under 20 percent of all lots, which is also below the 27 percent share of 2018. However, fully 1/3 of those 66 are models have a counterpart of the same year and model either at the same auction or a competing auction. Amelia Island is an excellent place to go if you want to comparison shop Porsches.

What then if you’re looking for something different? Amelia Island has that too. The concentration of Porsches on offer, and interested Porsche buyers, means that there are always some special cars for sale that you don’t see very often. Some Porsche aficionados appreciate a factory model that still contains all the familiar qualities of excellence – but in a different form. Here are eight that will most likely find new homes early next month.

1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI

Lot 222 (RM Sotheby’s)

Estimate: $175,000–$225,000

Unlike the 911s of the mid-1970s that came to the U.S., the rest of the world got a Carrera with a 2.7-liter six-cylinder fitted with mechanical fuel injection (MFI) rated at 210 hp. The North American market got a 911 with the continuous injection system (CIS) 2.7-liter rated at 175 hp. Lot 222 is one of 1011 MFI coupes produced for 1974 and features the ducktail, which was discontinued late in the year. However, the car has some incorrect details, which may or may not have a significant impact on the sale of this desirable high-performance impact-bumper 911.

1976 Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo

Lot 156 (RM Sotheby’s)

Estimate: $175,000–$225,000

Early 911 Turbos were exceptionally hot between 2013 and 2016 when the #1-condition (Concours) value increased 470 percent to a peak of $352,000. Prices have since come down a little with the #1 value currently at $299,000, but that’s because supply caught up with demand. Lot 156 has an unusual combination of dark blue (Albert Blue) over Light Grey. With just over 57,000 miles, it appears to be a well-preserved original car. With the estimate between the #3 value of $148,000 and the #2-condition (Excellent) value of $232,000, this car’s originality and options may help it when it crosses the auction block on Friday, March 8.

1979 Porsche 935

Lot 58 (Gooding & Company)

Estimate: $2,550,000–$3,000,000

When Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo Carrera road car, it also took it racing in the form of the 934 and 934.5. The 935 was a further development of those two racing cars but took advantage of the silhouette format of Group 5. Lot 058 is one of seven 1979 models delivered to U.S. customers. This car went to Porsche racer and publisher of the L.A. Times, Otis Chandler, who had it painted to match his Sunoco-liveried 917/30. With the highest estimate range of all the Porsches offered at auction in Amelia Island, expect it to get a lot of attention.

1987 Kremer Porsche 962C

Lot 69 (Gooding & Company)

Estimate: $1,000,000–$1,250,000)

The 956 and 962 variant continued Porsche’s dominance of endurance in the 1980s. Helped by privateer teams that often developed their improvements, lot 069 is a 962 that the Kremer brothers of Cologne Germany purchased in 1987 and then rebuilt its aluminum sheet chassis tub out of stronger aluminum honeycomb. It only made two race appearances, the best being a 4th place at Le Mans in 1987, but the car is described as very original. The combination of its distinctive “Miami Blue” color of the Leyton House sponsor, original condition and unremarkable competition record makes this Kremer Porsche 962C look like an appealing bargain for a 962 type racer.

1997 Porsche Boxster “The Dean”

Lot 225 (RM Sotheby’s)

Estimate: $50,000–$70,000

When people think about a modified Porsche, they usually think of 911s. Often stripped of non-essentials, with wide fender flares, and potentially hiding much more powerful engines beneath that rear-deck lid, the modified 911 is a well-established genre. Lot 225 is a 1997 Porsche Boxster that takes the idea of a modified Porsche in a different direction. Based on a 2.5-liter Boxster in the appealing combination of silver over red, the car features many performance upgrades from TechArt and Ruf. However, its most distinctive features are the custom front fenders fabricated by Mark Schlachter, of Metalkraft Coachwerkes of Cincinnati, which give the car a round-headlight look inspired by James Dean’s 550 Spyder. Despite the notoriety of many show and magazine appearances, the car remains a unique creation, and that’s something every modified Porsche owner aspires to.

1984 Porsche 911 SC/RS

Lot 65 (Gooding & Company)

Estimate: $500,000–$700,000

In 1984 Porsche built 20 examples of the 911 SC/RS for Group C rallying, and much like the 1987 Kremer Porsche 962C, sold them to privateer teams who raced or rallied them. Featuring the iconic Rothmans livery, this car is one of five that were sold new to David Richards, founder of the rally team Prodrive, who won the 1984 and ’85 Middle East Rally Championship and the ’84 European Rally Championship. Lot 065 has a factory replacement tub, which was commonly done for rally cars but was later assigned a VIN corresponding to a RHD Carrera 3.2 around the time it was sold to an owner in Japan. With rally-spec 911s of this era becoming the latest craze among Porsche fans, the opportunity to buy the real-deal might prove irresistible to some. Especially if the VIN doesn’t set off any alarms at the DMV.

1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GTS Clubsport

Lot 73 (Gooding & Company)

Estimate: $250,000–$300,000

While the standard smooth-sided 924 has been overshadowed in the collector car market by the more muscular looking 944 that followed, the 924 Carrera GT (406 built), and the much rarer 924 Carrera GTS Clubsport (15 built) share the box-flares of the Porsche 944. Lot 073 features a turbocharged single-overhead cam four-cylinder engine rated at 270 hp and a factory aluminum roll cage. It also features 935 style seats—possibly included in case the view over the hood leaves the driver unsure they’re driving a Porsche. Short of the factory-entered Le Mans 924 GTPs, this Carrera GTS Clubsport could set an auction record for the 924.

1998 RUF 911 Turbo R

Lot 214 (Bonhams)

Estimate: $650,000–$850,000

When Porsche was still attempting to convince customers in the late 1970s that the 928 was the replacement for the 911, RUF stepped in to supply discerning drivers with higher-performance models based on the 930 (911 turbo) and the 911SC. Becoming a manufacturer in its own right in 1981, the company gained worldwide fame in 1987 when it won Road & Track’s fastest production car competition with a 211 mph RUF CTR “Yellowbird”.

Lot 214 is a 1998 RUF Porsche 993 (the 911 of 1995-1998) Turbo R, with a 3.6-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine rated at 520 hp and painted in a distinguished shade of Oak Green Metallic. The aerodynamic enhancements and the additional 118 hp over a stock 993 Turbo help this car reach a 217 mph top speed. Any questions about what Porsche thought about RUF and what they did to its cars can be answered by the fact that this car was originally ordered by a member of the Porsche family. With its performance and provenance, this car could set an auction record for the company’s air-cooled models.