Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.
This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
Newer 911s not your thing? For a long time in the 1990s and even into the 2000s, it was very popular to modernize older 911s with updated bodywork, wings and giant motors to make them more effective machines. More recently, though, we’ve seen a return to the original roots of the car; simplified, wingless designs with more narrow bodies, built in the style of the original cars. To me, they’re much more attractive versions of the 911, expressing the very pretty original silhouette; purposeful, compact, and aggressive. They’re even more neat when they’re in spectacular colors, and today’s 1971 is a shining example of just that:
While copying factory cars such as earlier’s RSR Tribute has become a popular pastime for Porsche race enthusiasts, the reality is that those cars have a semi-limited market because they’re not authentic. However, about 16 or so years ago buying real factory race cars became a lot easier as Porsche began to officially sell the then new 996 GT3 Cup version of the venerable 911. With an upgraded 3.6 race motor, full cage and race suspension, air jacks and center-lock BBS wheels, this was as close to the big leagues as you could get from the factory. Additionally, Porsche continued to run a single marque race series, call the Supercup, that is had run with previous generations of race 911s. The Supercup was a feeder series for more popular forms of endurance racing and still is, but the car has remained the same; outside it looks a lot like the 911s you can drop down to the showroom to buy; underneath, it’s pure race car. As with previous generations, every few years there are upgrades that effectively render the older cars obsolete and they become much easier to purchase; today’s 1998 is an example of just such a car. Though they may not be as fast as the current generation, usually these cars are still quite competitive in club racing and are considerably more affordable than new options. Additionally, factory race Porsches, especially ones with significant racing history, have proven to be a good investment long term. If you can gamble on the right one and stomach the high running costs, you’ll have an impressive and capable machine that will probably come out the other side worth more than you paid:
One of my favorite cars from last year wasn’t necessarily everyone else’s favorite; but that’s what makes this hobby interesting to me – that we don’t all like the same things. Truth be told, I prefer the more conventional RSR cars, but this 1971 911 RSR “Mary Stuart” Martini inspired car is pretty spectacular in its individuality. It’s floated around a few sites and is now up on Ebay with a “Buy It Now” price $30,000 less than last fall when I originally wrote it up. To be honest, it’s still priced high in my mind, but if you like the look and want a turn-key race car that will be sure to be fast and test your skills, this RSR tribute is a good option:
The below post originally appeared on our site September 9, 2013:
I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I think Martini Racing colors are just awesome. Some people insist everything looks better in “Gulf Blue”, but for me, it’s those Martini stripes that made some of the best looking race cars (and in a very few cases, even improved road cars). Case in point is today’s example; perhaps one of the strangest downforce attempts of the 1970s on a Porsche – the Mary Stuart tailed Martini Racing RSR. While a neat design in some ways, it certainly looks odd from other angles. Today’s 1971 911 is a recreation of the original, but you can’t deny that it looks fantastic in the proper Martini Racing colors of the 1973 RSR:
I almost threw up when I went through my saved eBay searches today and saw a stock Alpineweiss E30 M3 with 67k miles that was asking $59k and had been bid up over $40k. The ceaseless rise of the E30 is just crazy, folding values over on themselves and dollars into sellers’ pockets. I still love the M3 as a car, but the insanity surrounding them has tainted my love with disgust and disdain. As I tire of the creampuffs setting new records every time they come up, I become more interested in what I’ve grown to think the E30 M3 was about: making it into the Bimmer/racer you wanted. I’ve joined the scorn at removing the S14 before, but as I fall more in love with my S38 every day, I now see it as the ideal E30 swap. With more character, rarity, and power than the standard E36 swaps, getting an M3 (or any E30) with one of these beasts interests me greatly. Today’s E30 M3 comes fully redone after a big-mileage life, and looks extra awesome for it. A Sport Evolution bodykit backs up the significantly improved grunt on the outside, and the creator has made an awesome choice with a plaid interior on ///M seats. At this point in time, this is my ideal E30 M3.
With all the talk of BMW M-Cars over the past few weeks, it’s nice to remember that one of the most affordable options is still a great car; the BMW E34 is a good looking, seriously fast option that is often overlooked for the bookends on both sides. This particular example is back on the market; it’s no reserve but as of writing hasn’t gained any bids at an opening $20,000. That’s tall money for an E34 these days but we expect they’re heading up:
The below post originally appeared on our site March 23, 2014:
It seems that few M cars, save for a few later model examples, are escaping the collector craze that is driving prices up. The E30 M3 was the car that started the mayhem, and much like air-cooled 911s, everyone and their brother seem to be clamoring to get into one of these machines. One of my favorites of the early M genre is the E34 M5. While I love the original E28 M5 and the V8 brute that is the E39 M5, the E34 has a really reserved nature about it. It’s as if someone dressed an Olympic athlete up in a Savile Row sourced suit, especially when it comes to a black on black example like this stunning example for sale in Hawaii. The thought of taking a trip out to warmer climates and coming back with a souvenir like this is what I would consider a trip of a lifetime.