Pablo Escobar’s Porsche 911 RSR is up for sale

A Porsche 911 racer once owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is up for auction in the United States.

The 1974 3.0 RSR IROC is one of 15 built for the inaugural International Race of Champions, and was purchased by businessman and racing magnate Roger Penske.

7

Driving duties were handed to Brazillian Formula 1 hero Emerson Fittipaldi, who steered to pole position against the likes of Bobby Unser, George Follmer and Richard Petty. Fittipaldi finished seventh overall across the four-race series.

The car was then sold to John Tunstall, who campaigned in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Sebring 12-hour, and several other IMSA meetings.

7

Tunstall sold the Porsche to Escobar some time later. The late cartel boss owned a number of collectable cars – ranging from an Al Capone-esque Cadillac V8 Town Sedan to a Mercedes S600 Pullman limousine, as well as several Porsche sportscars.

Escobar launched his racing career in a local series called the Copa Renault 4 Championship. He failed to dominate the field, though he is rumoured to have paid off local police to stop faster drivers from reaching the track.

7

As his finances grew, Escobar graduated to Porsches. He raced the RSR in 935 bodywork, before it was returned to the US in the early 1990s.

7

In 2007 a full restoration was launched on the car, with much of the work being completed by North Carolina’s RennGruppe Motorsports. The 911 shell was put back in place, and finished with the original Sahara Beige paint and period livery.

Other IROC touches include a unique decklid spoiler, matte black headlight covers, and quick-release bonnet catches. Perhaps most importantly, the correct three-litre, Type 911/75 flat six is in place – with its characteristic ‘high-butterfly’ throttle body assembly.

7

Work on the RSR wrapped up in 2010, and the car debuted at Rennsport Reunion IV at Leguna Seca Raceway to a number of accolades.

Collecting Cars describes the racer as being in great shape with “minimal scuffs and scratches” to the exterior finish. The auction house says it “should be eligible for any number of historic races with a few minor safety-related updates”.

7

According to The Drive, this particular car sold for $US875,000 (AU$1.2million) in 2012. Earlier this year, it was listed by a dealer for US$2.2m (AU$3m).

As of October 6, the auction has drawn 17 bids and sits at US$850,500 (AU$1.1m). Bidding will close on Friday.