4 min read · Nov 28, 2023
Created by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931, luxury automaker Porsche produced its first model, the Type 356, in 1948. The company has since earned a reputation as one of the world’s premier car designers and manufacturers. The high-performance German automaker, named Best Luxury Brand by U.S. News & World Report in 2023, is known for iconic sports cars like the 911 and Cayman. In recent years, its selection has expanded to include SUVs and electric vehicles.
Newer Porsche models range in price from $63,000 (2023 Cayman) to more than $273,000 (911 Sport Classic). Older and more rare models, however, have been sold at auction for millions of dollars. Below is a look at five of the most expensive Porsches ever sold at auction.
1. 1970 Porsche 917K ($14.08 Million)
The 1970 Porsche 917 is among the best and most iconic race cars produced by any manufacturer and accounts for four of the top-13 most expensive Porsches ever sold. The most expensive example of this model, a 917K (the K is for Kurzheck, or “short tail”), chassis 917–024, was sold for a record $14.08 million at a Pebble Beach Auctions event in 2017. This Porsche garnered such a high sale price due to a combination of its performance capabilities, rarity, and racing history.
Boasting a 5.0-liter flat-twelve engine that produced 630 hp, the vehicle could achieve a speed of 62 mph within 2.7 seconds, which is still impressive by modern standards. It also had unparalleled stability, even at 200 mph, due to design features such as its lightweight chassis (93 pounds), vertical fins, and shorter upswept tail. Porsche only built 12 editions of the 917K.
Chassis 917–024 was the first 917 to be driven in an official race. Jo Siffert drove the car, which then had an original 917 body, in the 1,000 KM of Spa in 1969. However, he was so unimpressed with its lack of balance and stability at top speeds that he retired it after the race. It was revived shortly after with a 917K body for the Steve McQueen film Le Mans and used for background and tracking shots.
2. 1982 Porsche 956 C ($10.12 Million)
Porsche only made 10 editions of the high-performance 1982 956 C, which was built during a time when safety was a secondary consideration behind top speed. Chassis 956–003, one of those 10 vehicles, had a particularly decorated racing history with overall wins at Spa, Fuji, Kyalami, and Brands Hatch. Its greatest success, however, came at the 1983 Le Mans, where Al Holbert, Vern Schuppen, and Hurley Haywood drove it to an overall victory. It was second overall the year prior, when Porsche swept the podium.
The Porsche 956 finished the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a 12.93-mile track, in 6 minutes and 11.13 seconds, a lap record that was held for 35 years until beaten by the Porsche 919 Evo. The vehicle has a 2.65-liter turbocharged flat-six engine with 620 hp and a top speed of 217 mph. Chassis 956–003 sold for $10.12 million at a Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auction in 2015.
3. 1956 Porsche 550 RS Spyder ($6.23 Million)
A well-kept and unrestored original 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder, with the chassis 550–0090, sold for $6.23 million at the Goodwood Revival in 2016. Porsche’s first model built specifically for racing, the 550 RS Spyder was made of aluminum and steel and was so low to the ground that you could enter it by stepping over the door. The model sold in 2016, however, was never used for racing.
The vehicle was purchased by CBS Television president Willett Brown and used solely for road driving. Porsche dealer Vasek Polak later bought the vehicle and sold it to California repair shop owner Fred Sebald, who kept it in storage for many decades. The 550 RS Spyder was equipped with a 1.5-liter engine but capable of achieving a top speed of 137 mph and a 0–62 mph time of 10 seconds, both of which were impressive during the 1950s.
4. 1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar ($5.94 Million)
The newest model among Porsche’s top-five most expensive cars is the 1985 Paris-Dakar. When released, it was the fastest street-legal production vehicle, with a maximum speed of 197 mph. It was also among the first-ever all-wheel drive sports cars produced.
Chassis 959–010015, one of just seven prototypes, was sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction for $5.95 million in 2018. It was driven by Dominique Lemoyne and Rene Metge in the 1985 Paris-Dakar and later sold to a private collector. It was just one of two 959s that weren’t retained by Porsche, making it among the rarest vehicles in the world.
5. 1972 Porsche 917/10 ($5.83 Million)
With a 5.4-liter twin-turbo flat-12 engine with the ability to achieve 0–100 mph in an unheard-of 2.9 seconds (similar to modern F1 race cars), the 1972 Porsche 917/10 won five of nine races in the 1972 Can-Am season, winning the German manufacturer its first Can-Am title. It was sold to a private collector following the 1973 season and garnered a $5.83 million sale price at the Monterey Classic in 2012.
