Richard Hamilton’s Vintage Porsche Hits the Auction Block

The 'father of British pop art' Richard Hamilton's was a well-known motorhead. Photo: Bonhams

Richard Hamilton’s 1973 Porsche 911S is going under the hammer at Bonhams’ Festival of Speed Sale in June.

The artist owned the car for almost thirty years before leaving it to his son. In 2013, the car underwent an extensive two year restoration at one of Europe’s leading auto-restoration companies.

Given the vehicle’s superb condition and illustrious provenance, it has been estimated to sell at £250,000 to £300,000 ($391,295 to $469,554).

Tim Schofield, Head of Motor Cars at Bonhams UK, said in a statement, “For a great artist to see such synergy between fine art and the design of a motor car is a wonderful endorsement of the craftsmanship, style, and design involved in their creation.”

He added, “Richard Hamilton was one of the greatest British artists of the 20th and 21st century and we’re delighted to be offering for sale a car that he adored. The car is exceptional and correct in every detail, and is one of the finest right-hand drive examples in existence today.”

Hamilton was a well-known motorhead. The British artist was influenced by his father who worked as a demonstration driver for a London car dealership. His love for automobiles even impacted his artistic practice. Works such as Hommage à Chrysler Corp. (1957), Hers is a Lush Situation (1957) and Carapace (1954) all reflect Hamilton’s motoring passion.

The collectible car market is one of the fastest growing segments of the luxury asset market, and collectors are paying higher prices than ever for rare vehicles. In August 2014, the vintage car market overtook art for the first time (see Vintage Cars Overtake Art on Luxury Asset Racetrack and Records Fall at Bonhams Classic Auto Auction).

Bonhams’ Festival of Speed Sale takes place in Goodwood, England on June 26.


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