There are several positive aspects to Risky Business. The legacy of the 1983 comedy provided the world the “Old Time Rock and Roll” scene and made Tom Cruise a movie star, but its greatest cultural contribution might be its restoration of the Porsche 928’s reputation. The 928 was redefined in the film as the ideal early 1980s performance grand tourer, the vehicle that could escape in a high-speed chase and was more than worth avoiding water damage after an unfortunate sinking. Although three vehicles were used during filming, one unique 1979 928 was used the majority of the time. Yesterday at a Barrett-Jackson auction, same vehicle brought in $1.98 million.
Even though the price for a 1979 base model 928 that would otherwise be considered a diamond in the rough on Craigslist would seem extravagant, the car’s cultural significance is greater than it first appears. In addition to being one of the two vehicles used to film the chase sequence, a producer revealed in a documentary about the vehicle that Tom Cruise learned how to drive a manual gearbox in this vehicle. That resulted in Cruise’s brief but illustrious racing career, his breakout part in Days of Thunder, and decades of iconic chase scenes in a variety of action movies. This 928 went on to have years of museum tours and an unrivaled pedigree as the most well-known 928 in the entire globe.
In 2011, the identical 928 that had been sought after for so long sold for $49,200. Even if legendary movie vehicles like the 928 and Risky Business haven’t necessarily gained in fame over the years, their values have increased dramatically. A automobile can currently sell for 40 times its most recent sale price, but that price may not be the top of the movie car market.
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At auction, the Porsche 928 from “Risky Business” sells for about $2 million.
At the inaugural Barrett-Jackson auction in Houston, Texas, a 1979 Porsche 928 featured in the “Risky Business” movie went up for auction on Saturday.
The car was the most expensive vehicle in the sale when it sold for $1.98 million after a frenzied bidding war.
There are many 928s for sale starting at under $20,000, according to a cursory search of the classifieds. It should come as no surprise that this car sold for much more given its history. After all, it’s the Porsche 928, not just a Porsche 928.
There’s a strong possibility you saw the movie in a theater if you were of moviegoing age in the early 1980s (and you’ve probably seen it by now on VHS or DVD). There’s a good probability that you’ll recall three things, even though the plot and story may have been changed in your memory banks.
First of all, it was Tom Cruise’s breakout performance; second, Rebecca De Mornay may have been the prettiest woman alive at the time the picture was shot; and third, the Porsche 928 was incredibly fast by early 1980s standards. Without a doubt, the movie contributed more to increased 928 sales than any auto review ever could.
Three 928s that could be driven were used to film Risky Business, while the one that rolled into Lake Michigan was a stripped-down version. The only known and verified Risky Business survivor was this one, which has the VIN 9289201213 and actually came from the factory painted green. It was used for the majority of the wide-shot driving scenes, including the infamous pursuit scene. Additionally, it bears the signatures of a few actors, such as Curtis Armstrong, Joe Pantoliano (Guido), and Bronson Pinchot (Barry) (Miles). After the shoot, it was sold, and Lewis Johnsen didn’t re-discover it until the mid-2000s. In the documentary “The Quest for the RB928 (Risky Business 928),” he went into detail about his search for the vehicle.
Used in the filming of “Risky Business” was a 1979 Porsche 928. Image source: Barrett-Jackson
Movie producer Jon Avnet said that this specific model was the vehicle in which Cruise learned to drive a stick shift in the sales listing. The vehicle has a 5-speed manual transmission that drives the rear wheels through a front-mounted, 4.5-liter V-8 engine. With 219 hp at its peak, the car can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 143 mph.
Following the filming, Cruise developed a love for Porsches. A 1986 911 Carrera Targa, which was one of his first Porsches, sold in August for $86,000.
A 2019 Ford GT that sold for almost $1.2 million and a 1966 Ford Shelby GT350 that Stirling Moss raced in vintage competitions in the 1990s were among the other highlights of Barrett-Houston Jackson’s sale. Costing $495,000.
For every Porsche 928 from any year, it currently holds the world auction sale record.
One can find examples of living Porsche 928s that are currently being bid on for roughly $20,000 by doing a quick search for them. This specific specimen, however, isn’t just any front-engine Porsche coupe; it was Tom Cruise’s co-star in the 1983 movie Risky Business and sold for $1,980,000 at the Barrett-Jackson 2021 Houston auction.
Notably, this outrageous price tag elevates this 1979 Porsche 928, which, according to Barrett-Jackson, is now the record-holder for the auction sale of any Porsche 928 from any year.
Business Not So Risky: Porsche 928 Movie Car Sells for $1.98M
While the automobile world may have had its attention focused on the Goodwood Revival this past weekend, those who weren’t would have been stalking the Houston, Texas, Barrett-Jackson auction.
The 1979 Porsche 928 driven by Tom Cruise in the 1983 film Risky Business sold for $1.98M at the end of the auction (including buyer commission).
That is a new world record for any Porsche 928 of any year and in any condition, which you probably don’t need to be informed of. A 1979 928 in #1 condition and Concours-quality, which we refer to as “the best in the world… unaltered, in the appropriate color, driving onto the grass at the finest concours,” is currently valued at $79,500.
The Goldfinger DB5 sold for $4.6 million in 2010, and the Bullitt Mustang fetched $3.74 million in 2020, but the 928 sale was still noteworthy given that it wasn’t one of the most recognizable vehicles to appear on screen.
The car featured in Risky Business was a number of 928s, which was the choice of writers and director Paul Brickman. The car at Barrett-sale Jackson’s that received the most media attention—and which didn’t wind up in Lake Michigan—was not the one that did. (That was a 928 that had been depowered.) Additionally, it was the focus of a documentary about Lewis Johnsen’s search for the vehicle. Interestingly, it was the vehicle in which Tom Cruise first learned how to use a manual transmission.
Since the time of the filming, it has been in a private collection and has since been spotted at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and in the collection of Porsche Cars North America, which is ironic given that Porsche is said to have distanced itself from the movie at the time of production.
With the exception of the history, it is a typical 1979 928, replete with the original telephone-dial wheels and 4.5-liter naturally-aspirated V-8. The car has seen a few color changes. Originally white, it was painted gold for the camera, then returned to its original white color before being painted to movie specifications when Johnsen subsequently came upon the vehicle.
If there’s one more startling statistic from Houston, it’s that the 928 was the only non-American car in the top 10 sales, coming in first place above two 2019 Ford GTs and a 1966 Shelby GT350 racer that once belonged to Stirling Moss.
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At the Barrett-Jackson auction in Houston on Saturday, a 1979 Porsche 928 utilized in the production of the Tom Cruise smash “Risky Business” was sold for $1.98 million, setting a record for the model.
One of four V8-powered coupes that were photographed was the gold one that was used as the “hero car” in the exterior scenes with Cruise at the wheel.
He had to work a little to get there. According to the documentary “The Quest for RB 928,” the 20-year-old Cruise had to be taught how to operate a manual transmission in this same vehicle by producer Jon Avnet. The movie details the hunt for the vehicle, which had vanished into private hands before being found again and becoming a renowned Hollywood artifact.
The vehicle’s exterior had been repainted both for the manufacturing and multiple times following, but it has since been given its original color and inside. It contains the autographs of “Risky Business” actors Bronson Pinchot, Joe Pantoliano, Curtis Armstrong, and Francine Locke, but the new owner will have to seek down Cruise to get his.
If not for its origins, the Porsche would probably be worth less than $80,000. It had previously been sold in 2012 for for $49,000. The highest bid at Barrett-Jackson was $1.8 million, however the actual sale price was $1.98 million due to auction costs.
One of the other three cars from the movie was long since sold overseas, another has been lost to history, and the last one—the one that, spoiler alert, ended up in Lake Michigan—was just a body without an engine or transmission.
What happened to the Porsche from Risky Business?
Vijayenthiran, K. 20 September 2021 Observe Now! At the inaugural Barrett-Jackson auction in Houston, Texas, a 1979 Porsche 928 featured in the “Risky Business” movie went up for auction on Saturday. The car was the most expensive vehicle in the sale when it sold for $1.98 million after some ferocious bidding.
Which Porsche was featured in the film Risky Business?
The Porsche 928 was featured prominently in the film as well as on promotional posters and stills. One design was a straightforward shell automobile without an installed engine or transmission. In the scene where the car crashed into the lake, it was used.
For all the promotional images, posters, and stills, another model was bought. In one incident, the prostitute Lana knocked a 1978 Porsche 928 5-speed out of gear, which is what caused the vehicle to crash into the lake. A
Then there were two makes that were regarded as the movie’s hero vehicles. One was an automatic from 1981, while the other was a 5-speed manual from 1979. Both participated in the movie’s driving and chase scenes. Cruise learnt to drive a stick in the manual version. A