1968 911 R Expected to Bring in Over $5 Million at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale
This lightweight 1968 911 R with documented racing history is poised to become one of the most valuable Porsche cars ever sold.
If you think the 2016 Porsche 911 R is a rare and valuable 911, just wait until you see its daddy. The daddy of course is the 1968 911 R that was the inspiration for the 2016 model. Only twenty 1968 911 R models were made, so each and every one is special. And valuable. The car seen here is number six in the twenty-car production run. And it went to auction at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale, August 14. The pre-auction estimate is $4.5 to $5.5 million dollars.
Time to spend those GameStop proceeds.
The 1968 911 R was created as a competition car. Porsche took a Lotus-like approach to dropping as much weight as possible. Metal body panels were replaced with fiberglass, glass was replaced with plastic, even the turn signal housings were made smaller. By the time Porsche was done the 911 R had a dry weight of less than 1,800 pounds. That is roughly HALF the weight of a modern 911. And to go with the weight loss, power was increased.
The standard 911 S engine of the time produced a healthy 160 horsepower. However, that was ditched and replaced with the 210-horsepower engine from the 906 racecars. Porsche tried to convince the FIA that the 911 R was simply a variation of the 911 S, but homologation was refused. That meant the 911 R had to compete as a prototype. Most were then sold to private owners.
The car offered for auction was built in October of 1967. Four days after delivery to the original owner entered it in the 1967 Tour de Corse. Break in period? What break in period? In the next year, the car competed in five more rallies. In 1969 the car was sold. It continued to compete but was damaged at the Rallye de Rouen.
The engine and transmission were then sold, and the chassis was sold off to someone else. In 1971 the car was sold again. And then in 1980 the 911 R again changed hands. A couple years later a meticulous restoration began. However, after many years the project was never completed. In 2014 Porsche lightweight restorer and dealer Kobus Cantraine purchased the car with the intention of finally completing the much-deserved restoration.
Finally in late 2015 the project was complete. The car was rebuilt with great care and attention to authenticity. The original numbers-matching engine was found and reunited with the car. After the original engine was rebuilt, it was run on a dyno where it showed to be putting out a robust 216-horsepower. The car was finished in its correct 1967 Tour de Corse livery. NOS parts were used during the restoration wherever possible.
This is a fantastic example of a rare Porsche factory-built racecar. It will not be inexpensive to acquire. However, how often does a car like this change hands? If you have the means and are looking to acquire a signature piece for your car collection, this could be it.
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