Smashed in transit, this Porsche 959 still sold for $467,500
It’s one of only 294 produced. OK, so at the moment it’s actually a bit less than one of 294. But all’s well that front-ends well, right?
A Silver Metallic 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort with heavy nose damage sold for $467,500 at Mecum’s Monterey Auction over the weekend, well below its #4 (Fair) condition value of $659,000. That seems like a bargain, but is it really?
“Even after the thousands and thousands of dollars it will take to get the car straight, it will be impossible to hide the fact that it had once been in a big wreck,” says Hagerty auction editor Andrew Newton. “And cars that have been wrecked are naturally worth less.”
The way the Porsche suffered the damage is heartbreaking. According to Mecum, “While the car was being transported in a single-car enclosed trailer, the trailer detached from the truck while driving on the interstate, at which time it exited the interstate and was stopped by a tree.” Ouch.
The less-than Komfort-able supercar will require a lot of work, of course. Mecum posted a video of it running and slowly driving. By the looks of it, the damage is extensive. Good thing the engine and important drivetrain bits are out back. (Score another for mid- and rear-engine cars.)
Originally selling for about $225,000, a 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort model in #1 (Concours) condition carries an average value of $1.3 million. The ’80s supercar was a marvel of technology and performance in its heyday, featuring a twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter engine that generated an amazing 444 horsepower. Equipped with six-speed manual transmission, the 959 could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 197 mph.
Of course, this one won’t be going that fast anytime soon. If there’s any bright side, it’s that the odometer won’t roll past its current 3657 miles for a while either.
