$1 Million Benefit for United Way COVID-19 Relief

23/04/2020

Porsche Cars North America matches $500,000 winning bid in auction of final Porsche 911 (991).

Following a seven-day bidding period and 32 bids, an online auction hosted by RM Sotheby’s for the last Porsche 911 (991) to enter and pass down the serial production line has raised $500,000 (auction hammer price). Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) has decided to match the winning bid to raise the total proceeds to $1 million. The money will be donated to United Way Worldwide, less taxes and fees, to directly aid its work for COVID-19 relief in America.

The winning bidder will receive the 911 Speedster at a special event hosted by Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. With the car comes a unique package of experiences and gift items, including an exclusive tour of Porsche’s engineering and design headquarters in Weissach, Germany, as the guest of Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser and Andreas Preuninger. There is also a bespoke Porsche Design timepiece complete with the chassis number of the 911 Speedster etched onto its casing, accompanied by a specially created single-edition book charting the construction of the last 991 as it entered and passed down the serial production line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

Last Porsche 911 of the 991 generation comes off the production line

Pioneer, millionaire, bestseller: the 991 series has been the most comprehensively-developed generation of the 911 to date.

Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of PCNA, said: “When we began this project, I wanted to use our voice to help raise awareness and funding for the incredible work of United Way. I’m pleased to have helped draw attention to their efforts and I’m deeply appreciative of the generosity and kindness of all the participants and the winning bidder. We are joining in that spirit by making our own donation on top of the winning bid for this special part of our history. We can now look forward to the funds raised making a direct difference to those who need it most right now.”

“Porsche’s generosity will make a real difference as we fight COVID-19 and prepare for the recovery phase in the communities that we serve,” said Brian Gallagher, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide. “United Way is focused on supporting those who need it most right now, and the money raised by this unique sale will go to local healthcare services, food banks, and to providing care and triage for impacted communities. We appreciate the speed and enthusiasm by which Porsche has made all of this possible.”

Kenneth Ahn, President, RM Sotheby’s, commented: “The collaborative spirit and urgency with which this sale was arranged really brought out the best in each of the organizations involved – all with the aim of quickly and efficiently raising awareness and funding for the important work of the United Way. We’re proud to have been part of the sale – and thank PCNA for entrusting us with the process for an important cause. The bidding proved to be every bit as exciting and intense as we’d hoped, with seven bids logged in the final minutes of the auction alone. It’s always fantastic to witness the generosity of the collector car community and we’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to all bidders and our congratulations to the eventual winner.”

The 911 Speedster is intended to be presented to its new owner at a special event hosted by Klaus Zellmer, which is yet to be scheduled. The winning bidder will be able to visit Weissach at a time of their choosing.

The U.S.-based auction was open to U.S. residents only. Bidding began on April 15 and closed on April 22 at 1:00 pm EDT. There was considerable web traffic over the seven-day period, with more than 48,500 unique page views resulting in significant bidder interest and a total of 32 bids, more than the average number of bids on RM Sotheby’s typical Online Only lots. The final price of the auction lot was $550,000, including buyer’s premium. RM Sotheby’s will donate a significant portion of its buyer’s premium to the UW COVID-19 Fund.