1968 Porsche 911 R Expected To Fetch 5 Million At Auction

There are literally dozens of different variations of Porsche’s famous 911 model, but one of the rarest is the coveted 1968 Porsche 911 R. Only 20 of these racers were ever built, with this specific model the sixth to come off the factory line. The design of the 911 R comes from Zuffenhausen’s early racing director Ferdinand Piëch, who tasked his team of engineers with transforming the 1967 Porsche 911 S Coupe into a lightweight racer that could compete in the FIA’s GT 2.0 category. Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s The result was the 911 R, a souped-up Porsche weighing just 1,810 pounds. To help reduce the weight, the steel fenders, doors, hood, rear decklid, and bumpers were replaced with fiberglass. The side and rear glass windows were also replaced by plexiglass while the interior was almost completely removed, with just Scheel racing seats remaining. Under the hood of the track-ready 911 R was a flat-six engine taken from the Porsche 906 race car capable of 210 hp. The Fuchs wheels were “Deep Sixes” in front and “Seven Rs” in the rear, with the cars finished in light ivory. This particular model left the factory in October 1967 and was first raced in the 1967 Tour de Corse. It competed in a number of other races and had multiple owners until a collector acquired the vehicle in the mid-80s and intended to restore it to its former glory. Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and the restoration was never finished, with the car sold to another collector in 2002. It wasn’t until 2014 when Belgian Porsche restorer and dealer Kobus Cantraine stumbled upon the car. Cantraine used new original stock parts and matched the original engine to the chassis number, returning the 911 R to its former glory. Now up for grabs as part of RM Sotheby’s three-day Monterey Auction, this unique Porsche 911 R is set to fetch between $4,500,000 and $5,500,000 million. rmsothebys.com

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The design of the 911 R comes from Zuffenhausen’s early racing director Ferdinand Piëch, who tasked his team of engineers with transforming the 1967 Porsche 911 S Coupe into a lightweight racer that could compete in the FIA’s GT 2.0 category.

Robin Adams/RM Sotheby’s

The result was the 911 R, a souped-up Porsche weighing just 1,810 pounds. To help reduce the weight, the steel fenders, doors, hood, rear decklid, and bumpers were replaced with fiberglass. The side and rear glass windows were also replaced by plexiglass while the interior was almost completely removed, with just Scheel racing seats remaining.

Under the hood of the track-ready 911 R was a flat-six engine taken from the Porsche 906 race car capable of 210 hp. The Fuchs wheels were “Deep Sixes” in front and “Seven Rs” in the rear, with the cars finished in light ivory.

This particular model left the factory in October 1967 and was first raced in the 1967 Tour de Corse. It competed in a number of other races and had multiple owners until a collector acquired the vehicle in the mid-80s and intended to restore it to its former glory.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and the restoration was never finished, with the car sold to another collector in 2002. It wasn’t until 2014 when Belgian Porsche restorer and dealer Kobus Cantraine stumbled upon the car. Cantraine used new original stock parts and matched the original engine to the chassis number, returning the 911 R to its former glory.

Now up for grabs as part of RM Sotheby’s three-day Monterey Auction, this unique Porsche 911 R is set to fetch between $4,500,000 and $5,500,000 million.

See more about - Immaculately Restored 1971 Lamborghini Miura Running for $2.2 Million

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