My next building project is knocking down our old lean-to garage to build a new extension, so I had a good Stephen’s Day clear out in the current garage today, dragging some stuff out for eBay, including some Carrera 3.0 bits and pieces which I don’t think I’m going to need on my car.
Flicking around eBay at various 911 bits and bobs to get an idea on selling prices, I found this: a 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Coupe for sale with just 93,000 miles, which may have been driven by Sir Elton John. The first Elton John Porsche I have ever heard about.
Owned by Sir Elton’s Limited company – William A Bong Ltd – from 1976 to 1981, the silver Carrera 3.0 went to its second owner at 57,000 miles. It’s had three more owners since, and is not exactly factory fresh, with a few wrong bits and various shades of silver suggesting some work has been done on the body over the years.
On eBay at £34k, it’s advertised elsewhere for under £30k and has been around for a few months, so might be bought cheaper. I doubt it owes the dealer anything like £30k, and for sure there is work to do to bring it back to A1 condition. Nevertheless, it may be worth a follow up.
Whilst not a diehard fan, I like a lot of Sir Elton’s music (Songs from the West Coast – brilliant) and find his wit, career and performance ethic quite inspiring. No doubt Sir Elton has been a key player in pop culture since the early 1970s. Perhaps more associated with British cars – Rolls Royce, Jaguar and Bentley – an Elton John Porsche is a rare beast. Given the amount of spare time Elton has to go driving around, I find it difficult to believe that he clocked up 57,000 miles in this 911, so maybe it was an MDs car or similar.
With investment in mind, it’s perhaps a better idea to look at this as a lowish-volume air-cooled 911 hardtop in need of some work and price accordingly. Finding a RHD C3 Coupe still with the right engine is rare enough, but those miles and the possibility of a celeb owner for the first five years of life do give it an extra spoon of Stuttgart sugar.
Is the pictured car really a 3.0? Some of the interior and exterior features – seats, centre console, steering wheel, and front fog lamps, are indicative of a 1985 3.2l. Perhaps it’s been “updated” somewhere during the past thirty years. As you say, it’s definitely in need of some TLC.
Most C3s have been mucked about with by now, so no doubt there are a few bits to find to bring back the ’70s. I’m a bit more interested in the metal which may fallen off or been replaced over the years 😉