As far as movie-car tributes go, the Porsche 911 Sally Special from Pixar’s Cars is a pretty good one. With matching paint, incredible attention to detail, and being only one of one, it was indeed something to collect. On Saturday night, it sold for a record $3.6 million at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction—the highest price for a new Porsche ever sold at auction.
The final offer came via an unknown telephone bidder, according to a company press release. In addition to the car, the buyer will also receive a matching, one-of-a-kind, custom-made Porsche Design watch, a “Sally Special” car cover, a book that retells the car’s creation process (which includes original Porsche and Pixar sketches), and a second set of wheels.
The nice thing about all of this is that all proceeds from the auction will be donated to two charities: Girls Inc.—a girls’ empowerment advocacy—and USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency that is providing support to displaced refugees as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The Sally Special wears the exact shade of blue that Sally the 911 wore in the 2006 film. Based on a 992-generation, seven-speed manual Carrera GTS, the car has the 996-generation wheels that Sally wore, as well as the same pinstriping detail she had under her rear engine cover. There are even Cars-inspired valve caps. Inside, there are Cars badges and details everywhere, even on the car key. The inserts on the door cards and seats are finished in a very beautiful black-white-blue quilted pattern. I’m sure this was the part the Porsche designers used some more imagination for, as we never got to see the inside of the cars in the movie. I’m not sure we’d want to.
Regardless, I love this thing—and its creative process is even cooler to behold—but I do have one nitpick: The headlights should have been the iconic 996 runny-egg shape. That would have really driven the point home. This small detail aside, though, I think the Sally Special is one of the cooler projects Porsche has done in recent memory. Most of its special-edition cars only serve to prop up its own heritage; it’s nice to see the company let loose a little bit and do something more fun.
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