A 1979 Porsche 928 driven by Tom Cruise in his 1983 breakthrough movie Risky Business is estimated to sell for less than it did three years ago.
In 2021 the car fetched $1.98 million (£1.44 m) at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Houston, Texas but now Bonhams believes that it will sell for $1.4-$1.88 million at its Quail sale, potentially losing the owner $100,000 or more.
The Platinum Metallic 928 has been kept in storage since its last sale, but had a much more exciting early life on set where, not only was it one of two cars featured in the film’s key chase scene in Highland Park, Illinois, but it also played a crucial role in developing Tom Cruise’s automotive obsession.
The 928 was rented for the production but at the time of filming the 21-year-old actor couldn’t drive a manual, so producer Jon Avnet reportedly volunteered to teach him in the 227-hp V8 powered Porsche. When Cruise uttered the famous line “Porsche, there is no substitute,” he really meant it.
Following filming the car was returned to its California home and passed through several owners before being tracked down by Colorado-based documentary-maker Lewis Johnsen. For his film The Quest for the RB928 Johnsen interviewed the film’s producers and eventually traced the 928 to Cathedral City, California where the owner was unaware of the car’s star past.
The Porsche was later restored by a keeper on the East Coast before it was sold for its blockbuster price of in 2021, but selling it again in 2024 might be a bit…risky.
