Porsche 911 Enthusiasts Get Rare Opportunity To Bid On Classic Vehicles
For more than 50 years, Stuttgart-based Porsche AG has thrilled the performance automobile market with its seminal Porsche 911 high-performance sports car. Early production models of the Porsche 911 are coveted by collectors around the world, who now have an opportunity to acquire one of the 27 vintage or late-model Porsche 911s that are going on the auction block.
The sales agent, Live Auctioneers, will open online bidding for the Porsche 911s on April 14 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The entire collection was assembled by an unidentified Porsche enthusiast over a period of several years.
One of the highlights of the Porsche 911 collection is a 1974 Carrera Coupe that is styled in a classic black lacquer finish. Fans of the Porsche 911 consider the 1973 and 1974 Carreras to be the most classic of the model line. Porsche adopted the “Carrera” name after the car won a series of races in its class during the Mexican Carrera Panamerica races in Mexico during the 1950s.
The 1974 Porsche 911 model has thinner metal plate panels and a stripped down interior to make it lower in weight less than its progenitors. Bidding for the 1974 Coupe will open at $110,000. This car will likely command a final sale price of over $160,000.
Opening bids for many of these classic vehicles are in a range of $40,000 to $60,000. The collector’s market for Porsche 911 has seen substantial growth over the past several years and all of the cars in this collection are expected to hold or increase their value over the next several years.
The Porsche 911 inevitably makes heads turn. Even though it is more user-friendly than many other sports cars in its class, it is not a vehicle to be trifled with. Early model Porsche 911s were built on a shorter wheelbase. Those models forced the driver to sit in a more erect posture to better put forth the effort required to handle their manual steering and braking.
“For the public at large, the consistent favourite was the 911. Unveiled in 1963 as a 2 liter producing 130 bhp, by 1978 it could extract 300 bhp from a 3.3 liter turbo power unit – a truly astonishing climb. Both on road and the track, the engine continued growing – from 2 to 2.4 to 2.7 to 3 to 3.3 liter. Most popular in the late 1970s was the 911 SC, with its flat-6 air-cooled 3 liter giving a punchy 180 bhp.”
All Porsche 911s feature a rear-engine design that shifts weight displacement to the back of the car. The combination of that weight displacement, the car’s total power, and its tight handling make oversteering a real risk for a novice driver. Drivers who are looking to grow with the Porsche 911 will have their patience rewarded as they learn to push the car to its limits.
Collectors who are more concerned with beauty or value over performance will be equally thrilled by the variety of Porsche 911s in this collection. Two 1997 Carrera Cabriolets, for example, are each being offered with starting bids at $45,000. Many collectors perceive the 1997 and 1998 Porsche 911 models to be the best looking of the crop.
All of the Porsche 911s in this collection are currently in northern Virginia. Successful bidders will have the option of picking up their prizes or having them shipped to a designated location.
A three percent buyer’s premium will be added to the price of each car. All of the Porsche 911s offered in the auction have reserve prices. Bidding will increase in increments of $2,500 to $5,000. Interested Porsche 911 bidders can contact Live Auctioneers directly to arrange opening and maximum bids.
[Image via Flickr/nakhon100 | Resized]
