If you had the opportunity to own a car that literally had laws created to accommodate it, would you buy it?
You’ll have the chance to answer that question soon enough.
Crossing the block on August 14 is a 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort with just 4,717 miles on the odometer. It’s just one of dozens of impressive vehicles set to cross the block during the Quail Lodge Auction in Carmel, California, but its history might make it the most valuable lot available.
As its description tells us, this particular 959 was bought new by Yoshiho Matsuda, a well known enthusiast, and added to the collection at his Porsche Museum in Hakone, Japan. After approximately a decade on display, it was purchased and brought to the United States by Jamie Mazzota, a collector and vintage racer from Newport Coast, California, before changing hands once more and becoming a part of Tony Hart’s collection.
At the time Hart acquired the car, it had 3,600 miles on the odometer. He sent it to Canepa Design in Scotts Valley, California, where it underwent a lengthy modification process to ensure it met US homologation standards. The fact that Bill Gates’ 959 did not meet standards is the reason it was impounded in customs, and prompted him to create, campaign for and help pass the Show and Display law.
The last time we saw a Porsche 959 Komfort cross the auction block was November 2014. A 1988 model with 16,900 miles on the odometer, it sold for a total of $786,888. Since this upcoming lot has 12,000 fewer miles and an extra year of life, its estimated value is much higher. It’s expected to sell for somewhere between $1 million and $1.25 million.
Take a few moments to see this Porsche in closer detail in the gallery below, and visit Bonham’s website to find out how you can register to bid on this rare treasure. If the 959 isn’t quite for you, take a moment to browse our exclusive Porsche listings by hitting the button below.
Gallery
(Source: Pawel Litwinski/Bonhams)
