2018 RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale (Porsche 908 K Announcement)

A 1968 Porsche 908 Works Short Tail Coupe racing car is the first lot announced for the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018 classic car auction.

1968 Porsche 908 K Front — Robin Adams © Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s announced a works race entry 1968 Porsche 908 K racing coupe for the Monterey 2018 classic car sale in August in California, USA. The Porsche 908 K raced for Porsche System Engineering at the 1968 Spa 1000 KM race but slipped off the track in the rain. It never campaigned competitively in period again but has been a regular at historic races in the USA during the past decade.

RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018 Classic Car Auction

1956 Aston Martin DBR1 Sold — Remi Dargegen ©2017 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018 classic car auctions are scheduled for 24 to 25 August 2018 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California, USA.

In 2017, RM Sotheby’s earned $132,993,810 with a sell-through rate of 88%. RM Sotheby’s sold 32 cars for over a million dollar. The top result was $22,550,000 paid for a 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 – a marque and British-made car record.

Highlights from The Pinnacle Portfolio — Patrick Ernzen © 2015 courtesy RM Sotheby’s

In 2016, RM Sotheby’s grossed $118 million from just over 100 cars – 21 cars were sold for over a million dollar including three that sold for over $10 million and setting new marque records: a 1955 Jaguar D-Type, 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo Spider and a 1962 Shelby 260 Cobra CSX2000 – the most-expensive American car ever.

The world’s single auction record remains RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2015 when three days of auctions grossed $172.7 million and million-dollar results for 35 cars.

1968 Porsche 908 K Works Team Racing Coupe

The 1968 Porsche 908 K, chassis 908-010, announced for the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018 sale is a rare surviving short-tail prototype. This “short-tail” coupé (K was used as abbreviation for Kurzheck) was powered by a 3-liter, flat 8 engine producing 350 hp.

Rather disappointingly, chassis 908-010 competed only once in period. Porsche System Engineering entered the car as a works entry into the 1968 Spa 1000 KM race. It raced as car no 6 with Vic Elford leading multiple times during the first 32 laps. However, co-driver Jochen Neerpasch slipped off the wet track and crashed on his second lap.

Robin Adams © Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

The 1968 Porsche 908 K, chassis 908-010, would not raced again in period. It was sold to private hands and remained unseen for two decades in Switzerland.

In the late 1990s, the Porsche was sold in the USA and restored by John Corsen for Bill Ferren in time to participate in the 2004 Rennsport Reunion at Daytona. Since then, the 908 frequently raced in historic and vintage events in especially the West Coast including Rennsport Reunion II, III, IV and V.

1968 Porsche 908 K rear side — Robin Adams © Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

Details on the car are still scarce but the 1968 Porsche 908 K, chassis 908-010, retained its original chassis repaired after the Spa accident. It is powered by a “fresh, recently serviced factory 908 engine” so it presumably not the original.

RM Sotheby’s has not released any price estimate yet but the last two Porsche 908 sold at auction achieved around $3.5 million but these were completely different body styles from chassis 908-010 and of course with completely different histories.

Monterey Classic Car Week Auctions 2018

Monterey 2018 Auction Results

List of the 69 Cars Sold for at Least a Million Dollar at Monterey 2018 (and 47 unsuccessful million-dollar highest bids).
2018 RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale Auction Results
2 018 Mecum Monterey Sale Auction results
2018 Gooding Pebble Beach Sale (Auction Results)
2018 Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale (Auction Results)
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – Most-Expensive Car Ever Sold at Public Auction
1935 Duesenberg SSJ – Most-Expensive American and Most-Valuable Pre-War Car Ever Sold at Public Auction

Auction Previews:

Pre-Sale Announcements

Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018:

Golden Age Automobiles: 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport, 1931 Bentley 8-Liter Saloon and 1911 Mercedes 28/60 Tourer
1928 “W.O. Model” Bentleys: 6 ½ -Liter Open Sports Tourer by Barker & 4 ½-Liter Open Tourer by Vanden Plas
1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta

Gooding Pebble Beach 2018:

1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II: the only Ferrari factory team entry not to have raced in red!
Unrestored Icons – the first production Bentley R-Type Continental, a Gullwing and garage-find Ferrari Lusso.
Competition Ferrari Berlinettas: a 275 GTB/C, a 250 GT Tour de France, and a 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta Le Mans.
1935 Duesenberg SSJ – ex-Gary Cooper, ex-Briggs Cunningham
Porsche Spyders – including a one-off 911 by Bertone.
Coach-Built Italian Cars – Maserati A6GS/53 Spider, A6G/54 Berlinetta, Ferrari 330 GTC Special, Dino Berlinetta GT Prototype.

Mecum Monterey 2018:

1958 Porsche 550A Spyder

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3413 GT – Patrick Ernzen © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018:

Pebble Beach Winners – 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Victoria by Dietrich & 1927 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A S Roadster by Fleetwood
1956 Maserati A6G/2000 Zagato Berlinetta
1968 Porsche 908 K Works Racer
1966 Ford GT40 – third place at Le Mans
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – expected to become the most-expensive car ever sold at public auction
1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype – possibly the most-expensive Aston ever.
Top Ferraris – 12 of 29 on offer have estimates above a million dollar.
German racing cars: Mercedes Benz AMG CLK GTR & Porsche 550A