Porsche 959 Sport Sells for $7 Million
A 1989 Porsche 959 Sport sold for $7,045,000 at an RM Sotheby's auction, surpassing the price of a historic Paris-Dakar rally car.
A 1989 Porsche 959 Sport sold for $7,045,000 at an RM Sotheby's auction. This price comfortably beat the $5,945,000 paid in 2018 for one of only three works Paris-Dakar rally cars, which raced across Africa in the legendary Rothmans livery. For six decades, racing history was the trump card in the collector car hobby. Not this week.
This result signals a profound change. The road-going version of Porsche's Group B-derived supercar has now surpassed the value of its legendary, race-proven sibling. The market's focus appears to be shifting.
Record-Setting Sales Across the Board
The pattern of high prices held across the rest of the RM Sotheby's catalogue. A 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8, one of just 55 built, sold for $2,040,000. It was delivered new to a racing outfit in Aachen before spending 20 years in Japan.
That price is roughly four times the amount a standard 964 Carrera RS sold for the same week. Other notable sales included a 993 Turbo S in Zenith Blue, the last air-cooled 911 Turbo ever built, which sold for $967,500. Two standard Turbos sold for $500,000 each. A factory Flat-Nose Targa, described as the definitive symbol of 1980s excess, made over half a million dollars, roughly on par with a 964 RS.
| Model | Sale Price | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 Porsche 959 Sport | $7,045,000 | Road-going version |
| Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar (2018 sale) | $5,945,000 | One of three works rally cars |
| 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8 | $2,040,000 | One of 55 built |
| 993 Turbo S (Zenith Blue) | $967,500 | Last air-cooled 911 Turbo |
| 993 Turbo (standard) | $500,000 | (Two sold at this price) |
The Case of the Identical 911 Rs
The most useful evidence of the week came from two nearly identical 2016 Porsche 911 R models. One had only 168 miles on the clock. The other had accumulated almost 6,000 miles - a decade's worth of driving between them.
Both cars sold for exactly $830,000. The market didn't blink. This indifference to mileage on a modern collectible is a significant data point.
Analyzing the Market Shift
According to the report from Classic Driver, these results challenge long-held assumptions. The traditional premium placed on racing provenance has been overturned, at least in this instance. The sale suggests that for certain modern classics, road-car status and exclusivity can now command the highest prices. For more on collector car trends, see our stats and standings pages.
The report poses a critical question for owners. It asks whether the first few thousand miles on a car like this are essentially 'free' from a value perspective, given the identical sale prices of the high- and low-mileage 911 Rs. Furthermore, it questions where the market for Porsche's Rennsport models stops being priced fairly and starts looking like a potential bubble. For further context on vehicle condition, our injuries page offers related insights.
The final detail rests with the two 911 Rs. Their identical sale price, despite a vast difference in use, leaves the market's logic open for interpretation.
