Every so often, a car surfaces that rewrites the collector playbook - and right now, it’s chassis 910001, the very first Porsche 910 ever built. Currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer, this prototype holds significance well beyond its early build number.
From Stuttgart with speed
This car marked Porsche’s evolutionary leap from the 904-era prototypes to the mighty 917. First built in the mid-1960s, the 910 introduced a closed-cockpit, mid-engined layout that would become Porsche’s race car template.
Though only around 30 examples were ever produced, this one - 910001 - is the original. Factory-built, raced, and later street-converted, it’s had a life rich with competition and provenance.
Among its accolades: a class win and fourth outright at the 1968 1000km of Monza. It later passed through privateer hands, continuing its racing career well into the historic circuit. Its magnesium-cased 2.0-litre flat-six - shared with period 911 competition cars - delivers a uniquely resonant soundtrack that aficionados still rave about. Later 910s may have moved to more powerful flat-eights, but the early six is a purist’s favourite.
Old bones, new tricks
Following a painstaking restoration geared for FIA historic eligibility, the car now looks as it did in its glory days - only this time, with the reliability and prep to be track-used again.
And it’s no museum piece: the listing encourages proper driving, not static display.
As of writing, bidding had surged past NZ$2.5m with three days to go. The final figure? Anyone’s guess. But price aside, this 910 represents a pivotal chapter in Porsche’s motorsport rise.
For collectors with the means and a keen sense of history it’s the kind of car that justifies its own legend.
