In addition to the Porsche 956 overall winner in 1982, three others designed by the German manufacturer, including two entered by the factory team, are up for auction this weekend by the Gooding company. Fans of the 1960s will be greeted by two cars entered officially: a 1960 718/RS60 and a 1964 904 Carrera GTS.

The first is one of four units built by Porsche, in line with the famous Spyder. Entered at Le Mans in the S 2.0 class by the official Porsche KG team, the 718-044 chassis was even the top car, in the hands of Jo Bonnier-Graham Hill, which would go on to win at the 24 Hours in 1972. Unfortunately, the engine gave out just as the duo was retaking the lead after having been delayed early in the race, and the 2-liter class was won by the Ferrari 250, the Porsche's main rival. The German manufacturer did however win in the other two classes in which it was officially involved, and then kept one of the four modelss, which still exists, of the 718/RS60. The model presented, driven by Stirling Moss and Graham Hill at the Targa Florio in 1961 after the 12 Hours of Sebring (retired), is estimated between 5.5 and 7 million dollars.

The estimation is slightly lower - between 2,250,000 and 2,750,000 dollars - for the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS while the duo Gerhard Koch-Heinz Schiller reached the third step on the podium in the GT 2.0 class and finished 10th overall at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. The special characteristic of the 904-006 chassis up for auction is having finished second overall in the...Rallye Monte Carlo in 1965! It held the same spot the previous year at the legendary Targa Florio.

Both cars have participated in the Le Mans Classic, which would be a bit premature for the last Porsche to have taken the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans up for auction this weekend: the Porsche 996 GT3 R of 2000. Unlike its two predecessors, the WP0ZZZ99ZYS692067 chassis was not entered officially by Porsche who, in the 2000s, preferred placing its trust in private outfits supported by the factory, namely by lending out drivers under contract with the German manufacturer. So, the 996 sported the colours of Dick Barbour Racing, but Dirk Müller, Bob Wolleck and Lucas Luhr shared the wheel. They won in the GT class, but were disqualified after the race for a non-compliant fuel tank. The car pursued its career in the American Le Mans Series with several class podium finishes for the duo Dirk Müller-Lucas Luhr, just like at the 1,000 km of the Nürburgring. If everything gets better with age, such is not always the case for collection cars since the 996 is only estimated between 400,000 and 600,000 dollars while its two predecessors are valued much higher...

Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, JUNE 25-26 1960. The No. 33 Porsche did not reach the finish line at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans.