It had all the makings for a Hollywood story to match anything either of its major custodians had come up with. One of three Porsche 917Ks used by Solar Productions for the 1971 Steve McQueen film Le Mans, currently owned by Jerry Seinfeld, offered for sale for the first time in a very long while.

In the run-up to Mecum’s Kissimmee Auction, there were feverish guesses as to how much it could go for: $40m, $50m, $80m? Come January 19, 2025 however, and it was all rather more muted. Bidding for chassis 917-022 started at $25m, but soon dropped to $15m. It rallied back to $25m, but Seinfeld did not accept the offer.

The Porsche 917 then is a rather rare beast, and worth an awful lot of money. There’s no doubt that the Porsche 917 is one of the most important racing cars in the manufacturer’s history. Introduced in 1969, the 917 transformed Porsche from a cash-strapped builder of lightweight sports cars into the titan of international motor sport we know today. Back-to-back victories at Le Mans in 1970 and 1971 were followed by success in the American Can-Am series and set the stage for the marque’s prolific successes in sports car racing throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

And one of those thunderous Can-Am Turbopanzers which swept all before them and so dominant in racing that they were outlawed is coming to the 2025 Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance. Regarded by some as the greatest racing machine combining brawn and beauty ever built it so overwhelmed the opposition with its five-litre 12 cylinder engine that the FIA decided to change the regs and to ban it.

Now based in the UK 917/30-005 has appeared in the last decade at Retromobile, and regularly at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Member’s Meeting. We are very fortunate that its Australian owner has brought this amazing unicorn especially to be shown at the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance where it will be seen and importantly heard in the Fast & Loud class along with other selected rarities.