Janis Joplin Porsche: ‘Lord, Won’t You Buy Me A Half-Million Dollar Piece Of Rock History?’

Janis Joplin might forever go down in music history for belting out her desire for a Mercedes Benz, but it is her iconic psychedelic Porsche that is going up for sale with an expected price of more than $400,000. Janis originally purchased the Porsche 356c 1600 Cabriolet for a mere $3,500 in 1968.

Global auctioneer RM Sotheby’s will sell off the Porsche this December at the behest of the Joplin family. Managing director of RM Sotheby’s West Coast division Ian Kelleher noted to Reuters that the car was not only symbolic of the the singer herself, but also of the era in which Janis rose to popularity.

“It’s a fantastic automobile that transcends art, pop culture and social movements and is as groundbreaking and stunning as the renowned singer was herself.”

Joplin was so heavily associated with the wildly detailed paint job on her Porsche that she could hardly go anywhere inconspicuously. In the Sotheby’s press release where the auctioneer called Janis “perhaps the most important singer of her generation,” sister Laura Joplin recalled the draw the Porsche had wherever it transported the volatile songwriter.

“[Joplin] drove everywhere, all around San Francisco and down to Los Angeles when she was recording there… Wherever Janis went in the car, her fans recognized it. When she parked it and returned, there was always at least one note under the wipers.”

Vibrantly psychedelic, the Porsche was painted by Joplin roadie Dave Richards to reflect “the history of the universe,” reported Messy Nessy Chic. That paint job, however, was never quite the honest original after the car was stolen and painted over to hide the widely recognized mural. Richards later restored his artwork before the car went into the possession of Janis’ longtime manager, Albert Grossman. Eventually, it worked its way back into the hands of the Joplin family, where it was brought back to the closest original condition possible before landing the Cleveland Rock n’ Roll History Museum.

As Janis’ Porsche was a strong countercurrent punch to convention, so was the artist behind the wheel. A lifelong outcast, Joplin was known for shunning the spotlight and breaking traditional roles for women in music. On a 1969 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show, she offered some insight into why women like her were such a minority in the industry.

“It seems so natural to me. It’s not feminine maybe, that ‘s why. I mean to get out and really get into music, get into the bottom side of the music instead of float around on the top on the melody like a lot of chicks do instead of getting into the feeling of the music.”

How much cash would you throw down at the Janis Joplin Porsche auction?

[Image via Neil Kramer / Flickr]