T he car represents a singular vision of what a Porsche 911 could be. The 911 Classic Club Coupe is a one-of-one Sonderwunsch (special wishes) project completed by Porsche Classic in collaboration with the Porsche Club of America (PCA). That this is a unique car will not surprise anyone who sees it, but a “No. 001/001” badge on the dashboard underscores its scarcity. A ducktail spoiler reminiscent of the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7, a double-bubble roof, 18-inch forged aluminum Fuchs wheels, and unique paint combine to create a striking resemblance to the Type 997 911 Sport Classic. Those looks are only part of the story. It was inspired by the 2010 Porsche 911 Sport Classic and the current 911 Sport Classic and designed by Style Porsche Director of Special Projects, Grant Larson, in collaboration with the Porsche Club of America. The two groups discussed what could have occurred had Porsche’s special manufacturing unit and the PCA worked together in previous decades. They looked back at the 2010 911 Sport Classic, Porsche’s first Exclusive Manufaktur series production model. That inspiration led to a question: What would a prequel to the 2010 911 Sport Classic look like? Larson, designer of the Carrera GT Case Study, the 2012 911 Sport Classic, and the 2023 911 Sport Classic while serving as director of special projects at Style Porsche, involved himself from the beginning. Larson sketched out his vision of a proto-Sport Classic from Style Porsche in Stuttgart. At the same time, PCA Executive Director Vu Nguyen searched for the right donor vehicle. Ultimately, a 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe was located in Virginia. Shortly thereafter, the 911 Coupe was flown back to Stuttgart- Zuffenhausen to begin the transformation from “just” a classic 911 to a 911 Classic Club Coupe. Revealed in 2022 at PCA’s Werks Reunion gathering on Amelia Island, the 911 Classic Club Coupe toured the country that year, visiting PCA events such as the Porsche Parade in the Poconos, Porsche Sports Car Together Fest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Werks Reunion Monterey, and ünStock. Based on a 1998 911 Carrera, the chassis, brakes, and engine are taken from the 996.2 911 GT3, the first such model homologated for sale in the U.S. Accordingly, the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter flat-six generates 381 horsepower. The donor car, which PCA Executive Director Vu Nguyen found in a state of neglect in Colombia, Virginia, traveled to the Porsche Classic workshop near the main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where it was originally built. There, it underwent a complete restoration, including total disassembly and strengthening of the body-in-white using original and newly developed parts. One question in car collecting circles is, how much does celebrity ownership add to the value of a car? Auto auction experts can point to a Jerry Seinfeld effect based on previous sales. When Seinfeld sells cars from his collection, they bring, on average, 47 percent more than the average Porsche of a comparable example. Seinfeld spent several times more on this car than similar cars, but who can put a price on a one-of-a-kind? COMEDIAN JERRY SEINFELD, A NOTED PORSCHE COLLECTOR, MASTERED HIS DOMAIN — AGAIN — WHEN HE WON THE HIGH BID FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY PORSCHE.
Photos courtesy of Broad Arrow Auctions
43 | HELLER JEWELERS MAGAZINE
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