A Porsche 356 is always a noteworthy car in any auto collection or at any public event. A very special Porsche 356 was recently sold at RM Sotheby's Driven for a fabulous price of $1.76 million. According to the auction house, that's a new record for a Porsche 356 sale at auction.
The concerned 1964 Porsche 356C Cabriolet stands out for two main reasons: first of all it was owned and regularly driven by Janis Joplin before her tragic death in 1970, and secondly its unusual paint scheme makes it really unique. Joplin asked a friend of hers David Richards to apply a wild mural dubbed "History of the Universe," with brightly colored butterflies, jellyfish and rolling hills on her new Porsche.
Joplin's family kept the car after her death, and in the 1990s it was treated to a full restoration before being exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, for 20 years. Wherever Janis went in the car, her fans recognized it. When she parked it and returned, there was always at least one fan note under the wipers. Now the famous Joplin's Porsche is no more a museum piece.
