Which is more valuable? A completely original and very carefully maintained 1967 Porsche 911 S or its seemingly identical twin that has undergone a 1,500-hour restoration back to and perhaps even beyond factory specification?
We’ll find out March 29 when the two cars are offered up for bidding at H&H Classics auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England.
The 911s are only about 300 chassis numbers apart so they are nearly identical in age. Both were originally sold in the United States and both wear the same light-brown shade of paint.
H&H Classics expects the Porsches to sell for about the same price and has set a pre-sale estimated value of £220,000 to £250,000 ($270,000 to $305,000) on the unrestored car and of £220,000 to £240,000 ($270,000 to $295,000) on the restored one.
The restored Porsche was sold new in Texas in May 1967. A dozen years later, it was sold to a collector in Tallahassee, Florida and remained in that collection until 2015. The current owner sent the car through a nut-and-bolt restoration to better-than-new condition, H&H Classics reports, including “bodywork, cathodic dip coating bath for maximum rust protection, repaint using Glasurit products as close to the original specification as possible, all mechanic components, electrics and interior by a renowned German Porsche expert.”
The unrestored car was sold in August 1967 to a man from Dallas by a Pennsylvania Porsche dealership. The car was used for club events, including the 1969 Porsche Parade in California. The original owner sold the car to a friend in Florida in 1979. It was acquired from that friend by its current owner in 2014.
“The car is absolutely unique in that it’s completely original and unrestored,” H&H reports. “It still carries its original factory paint in very good condition. Slightly reduced in thickness through polishing over the years and with some touched-in stone chips but with an absolutely amazing patina.
“Likewise the interior is completely original.
“Perfect factory panel gaps. Naturally the car has matching numbers and comes with documentation, including Porsche Classic Certificate and service book. Its last owner regularly used and serviced the car, thus it was mechanically always in good condition.
“The current owner had the carburetors cleaned and adjusted together with the ignition, changed some of the rubber fuel hoses, rebuilt the brakes and part of the suspension and performed a good service. Other than that, the car needed nothing.
“It recently participated in a Porsche alpine tour of 1,000 miles without any issues.”
H&H termed the car, “probably unique and unrepeatable in the world.”
If I was in the market, I would choose the unrestored car. The car is original only once, and if there is nothing wrong with the car, then there is no reason to restore it. I bought a 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster expecting to restore it. But it was so beautiful as a survivor with its original paint, clean interior, and nearly perfect original vinyl top that I could not do anything with the car.
If the choice is an original survivor versus restored, I would always choose the survivor!
Only original once. Like the original owner driver it probably outlasted.
I normally would pick the survivor but in this case I would pick the restored. I think the restored 911 is poised to be the ultimate survivor in 50 years.
Hands down I would take the orignal, it will only be original once
Consider this extra special feature: If one has a great unrestored original car, prewar especially, atmost there may only be a handful of better original examples of that year and model. If one is lucky enough to have the best unrestored example, then all things being equal, no one in the world could ever have a better one, and all the money in the world could never create a better one.
restored if you’re going to drive it..original if you’re going to look at it and not use it
What did they go for?
Neither car sold. Bidding did not reach the owners’ reserve prices.