PORSCHE 917K - The Spirit of LeMans Sculpture by Richard Pietruska
Item Details
- Seller: Essence-of-Speed2
- Location: Los Angeles County, California 90405
- Lot #: M-0020737-DT
Available for auction is one of Richard Pietruska’s largest sculptures featuring the Porsche 917K. This stunning example measures 72" x 22" x 24" and is made of fiberglass and painted in the Gulf Oil colors of blue and orange. The base is powdercoated aluminum with a textured finish. The photo behind the sculpture is the #20 917K from Steve McQueen's movie and is etched into aluminum. There are stainless steel tubes behind the sculpture to which the photo is attached. This is a one-of-a-kind, original hand-crafted sculpture that has been exhibited at Pebble Beach and has not been shown since. This sculpture was featured in the November 2017 issue of Porsche Panorama.
Michael Jordan wrote: "Think of this sculpture as a portrayal of the 917K as it passes by at speed, a cascade of color, turbulent air, and even the yet-unheard noise that will follow in a microsecond or so". The photo behind the sculpture shows the car at rest for contrast and detail.
Richard has been teaching at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena in the Transportation Design Department for over 40 years. Many of his former students are heading up design studios in the major car companies around the world. Grant Larson, one of his former students, working at Porsche is responsible for the Porsche Boxster, the Panamera, and worked on many other models since. Richard is also a member of the Automotive Fine Arts Society and has exhibited at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Amelia Island Concours, Automotive Museums, and collections around the world. His work has been featured in various magazines including Road&Track, Automobile Magazine, the Robb Report, AUTOficionado, Rosso Ferrari, Showcase Magazine, Pilota, Octane Magazine, Garage Magazine, and others.
He also produced a cartoon book called "PERPETUATING PORSCHE PARANOIA" in the 1980's and which is now a collector's item. This book makes light of those fanatical Porsche owners and is still somewhat true to this day. A signed copy of this book will go to the winning bidder.
This sculpture is quite large as mentioned and would look great in any Porsche collection or environment. The buyer is responsible for shipping, handling, and fees.
Auction Results
- Sold for: $8,200
- Auction End: Jul 21, 2022 03:55:41PM UTC
- Number of Offers: 1
Comments (33)
Sold for $8,200
Offer in the amount of $8,200
Sorry, thanks for bidding, but the reserve was higher.
Bid in the amount of $8,200
Bid in the amount of $7,500
Bid in the amount of $6,700
Bid in the amount of $6,200
Bid in the amount of $6,000
Bid in the amount of $5,510
Bid in the amount of $5,500
Bid in the amount of $5,000
My son was just born over the weekend so this book would be perfect for you. Try to get him started as young as possible getting into cars. Lol
Bid in the amount of $4,100
My favorite Porsche book ever!
It's hard to show the care and craftsmanship that went into this sculpture. It's an extensive time consuming process goes from concept sketching to rough scale prototype to mold making to fiberglass parts to prep and paint. The base, stainless steel tubes and photo added to the final results as you see it now . Good luck with the bidding. Thank you.
Bid in the amount of $4,010
I just added a few pages from PERPETUATING PORSCHE PARANOIA to the photo section...
@Dkouseller Hi, the sculpture weighs about 100-125 pounds. The aluminum base is the heaviest part of the piece.
Bid in the amount of $4,000
@HalamoreDoug The incorrect bid has been retracted, you may now enter the correct bid. Thank you
@Essence-of-Speed2 I absolutely agree with you. I will have a custom shelf made should I win the auction. Do you know the approximate weight of the sculpture?
Sorry. I meant to bid $4k
Bid in the amount of $40,000
@Dkouseller Greetings, this is a one off or the only one that I have done of the 917K. The fiberglass molds for this piece have been destroyed so this piece will never be produced again. This is not an edition. There are no different sizes as well. Because this sculpture is 6 foot long it would need a very special space to show it off. The black base would have to sit on some kind of table or counter or you'll have to build a special pedestal to put it on.
Hopefully we can reach the reserve...
Thank you for you bid.
Bid in the amount of $3,200
This is beautiful!. Have you made this same sculpture in smaller sizes or editions?
Bid in the amount of $3,000
Bid in the amount of $610
Bid in the amount of $600
@evokes Thanks for the comment, that's what I try to do in most of my sculptures.
Wow, what an amazing sculpture! You can see and feel the movement!
Welcome everyone viewing my 917K sculpture and I hope you enjoy it as well. Please let me know if you have questions about the sculpture and I'll be happy to answer them. The 917K is one of my favorite Porsche racing cars and I tried to capture the feeling of this great car in the sculpture. Thanks, Richard
Bid in the amount of $500