The astonishing set of cars - dubbed “the ultimate Porsche collection” by many observers - was the result of one enthusiast who spent years sourcing the highest-quality examples, with a particular focus on rare Porsche ‘RS’ models.
The Leonard Collection auctions attracted more than 54,000 viewers over three hours of closing sales on Collecting Cars on the evening of 16 May, with winning bidders from the UK, mainland Europe, Asia, and the United States.
A video introducing the collection, presented by Chris Harris, secured more than 3.6 million impressions, and the exceptional cars featured among the lots helped to generate significant global coverage.
Highlights among the results included the unique Porsche Carrera GT, with a winning bid of £765,500 (a new European auction record); an exceptionally rare right-hand drive 997 GT3 RS 4.0 with just 713 miles from new, which sold for £430,000; and an outstanding 911 Carrera 3.2 Club Sport, perfectly preserved with 6,416 miles, which saw the hammer fall at £220,000.
In total, the 38 vehicles in The Leonard Collection achieved £7.5 million in winning bids, equivalent to an average selling price of £197,368. With the buyer’s premium capped at £5,000, the average commission paid by the winners across all lots was just 2.7%.
The highest-grossing lot was the 2006 Porsche Carrera GT, finished in Fayence Yellow with a bespoke interior by Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur department, which was sold to another enthusiast in the UK. The buyer’s premium for the winner was equivalent to just 0.7%.
Another star car was the ex-Jay Kay 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. One of just 11 examples known to have been finished in Aubergine from the factory, more than £115,000 had been invested in its restoration, and it sold to a new home for £430,000 - with a buyer’s premium equivalent to 1.2%.
Hosted online in a dedicated ‘Collection’ page to present all the lots as a group, viewing figures for The Leonard Collection broke all previous records on the platform, including notching up more than half a million page views across the 38 detailed listings. You can view the full list of cars and final figures here.
Founder and CEO of Collecting Cars, Edward Lovett said: “It was a huge team effort to bring together this outstanding collection for sale, and the results we achieved shows the power that Collecting Cars now wields in the market. The average buyer’s premium paid on the night was just 2.7%, which highlights the benefit for winning bidders; while the new European auction record for a Porsche Carrera GT underscores the attraction for sellers.”
Having established itself as the market leader in 2020, Collecting Cars has now sold more than 2,700 lots, generating total sales in excess of £94 million. It is on track to achieve £100 million within just two years of auctions.
As a Club partner, Collecting Cars will reimburse the photographer’s fee (around £150 per car) for Club members if your Porsche goes on to sell using their online platform. For more information, visit collectingcars.com, call 020 7167 4365 or email info@collectingcars.com