Barrett-Jackson auctioned cars for the first time at the NRG Center in Houston from September 16 to 18, 2021, and the auction was a great success. There was particularly high demand for American resto-mods, custom cars and cars with prominent previous owners. A total of USD 37.5 million was realized over the three days.
The biggest surprise, however, was a Porsche 928 from 1979 offered without a reserve price. Chassis 9289201213 changed hands for no less than USD 1.98 million (EUR 1.69 million, CHF 1.84 million). This is by far the highest price ever paid for a Porsche 928.
This was not due to the model itself, as it was originally a white-painted 928 with a 4.5-liter engine, manual gearbox and leather interior.
But it was exactly this car that Tom Cruise drove as Joel Goodson in the movie "Risky Business" (dubbed version: "Loose Business"). This movie made Cruise famous and the car didn't come off badly either, after all Cruise even recites the Porsche slogan "Porsche. There's no substitute".
The 928 was found in California many years after filming and then restored to the condition it had in the movie as one of three cars used. The car, which is now being auctioned as Lot 749, is said to have been used to shoot the most important scenes and it is also said that Tom Cruise learned to drive a manual gearbox in this sports car.
Nevertheless, the fact that so much was ultimately paid for what was actually a normal Porsche 928 is certainly surprising, even though the car was presented in very good condition and has been prominently exhibited on several occasions.
Further information about the car can be found on the Barrett-Jackson website.
