You wouldn’t be wrong to assume that a Porsche Taycan, the first purely electric sports car from the maker, is pretty special in its own right. But this one that’s about to cross the auction block next month is even more so.
At the end of 2020, during a live event held at a pop-up restaurant in Zürich, Switzerland, internationally acclaimed artist Richard Phillips completed his second project with Porsche. The one-off art car is called Queen of the Night, after the name of the 2010 work by the artist, which was transferred to the body of a brand new 4S.
Phillips is famous for his hyper-realistic and photographic portraits, but Queen of the Night is all about the beauty of nature, rendered in a manner inspired by another artist: Swiss landscape artist Adolf Dietrich. To transfer the work of art to the body of the Taycan, German SIGNal Design printed the full-size work onto vinyl and then applied the separate pieces to the body with heat guns.
Ever since completion, the car has been on display at the restaurant where it was brought into existence, Leuehof. Current restrictions imposed by the ongoing health crisis mean that the restaurant will not open soon, so the car will continue to be on display at various Porsche Centers in the country until the time comes for it to be auctioned off.
Speaking of which, the auction will be held by RM Sotheby’s between April 6 and 13. All proceeds from the sale will go directly to Switzerland’s non-profit association Suisseculture Sociale, in a move meant to illustrate Porsche’s commitment to offering whatever financial relief possible to local artists affected by the health crisis.
“Porsche’s first purely electric sports car, the Taycan, represents a new chapter in the company’s history. We wanted to capture this achievement by working together with a leading artist,” says Michael Glinski, CEO of Porsche Schweiz AG. “The result is this creation, which reflects the guiding principles of sustainability and electromobility and of course also places a strong focus on nature in Switzerland. By auctioning the work and donating the proceeds we want to help the Swiss cultural landscape, which has been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Porsche has set a confident course through this crisis and we are eager to give something back to the community.”
Queen of the Night has some 150 km (93 miles) on the odometer because it’s been moved between displays and for photoshoots. It sells as-is, where-is. That said, in addition to being a rolling Richard Phillips work of art, it comes with other customized touches by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, like illuminated door sill panels inscribed with the name and door projectors that illuminate the artist’s signature on the underfloor.
The Taycan Artcar is already listed with RM Sotheby’s, but no estimate is offered. However, interested parties can reach out to the auction house for details.
Phillips is famous for his hyper-realistic and photographic portraits, but Queen of the Night is all about the beauty of nature, rendered in a manner inspired by another artist: Swiss landscape artist Adolf Dietrich. To transfer the work of art to the body of the Taycan, German SIGNal Design printed the full-size work onto vinyl and then applied the separate pieces to the body with heat guns.
Ever since completion, the car has been on display at the restaurant where it was brought into existence, Leuehof. Current restrictions imposed by the ongoing health crisis mean that the restaurant will not open soon, so the car will continue to be on display at various Porsche Centers in the country until the time comes for it to be auctioned off.
Speaking of which, the auction will be held by RM Sotheby’s between April 6 and 13. All proceeds from the sale will go directly to Switzerland’s non-profit association Suisseculture Sociale, in a move meant to illustrate Porsche’s commitment to offering whatever financial relief possible to local artists affected by the health crisis.
“Porsche’s first purely electric sports car, the Taycan, represents a new chapter in the company’s history. We wanted to capture this achievement by working together with a leading artist,” says Michael Glinski, CEO of Porsche Schweiz AG. “The result is this creation, which reflects the guiding principles of sustainability and electromobility and of course also places a strong focus on nature in Switzerland. By auctioning the work and donating the proceeds we want to help the Swiss cultural landscape, which has been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Porsche has set a confident course through this crisis and we are eager to give something back to the community.”
Queen of the Night has some 150 km (93 miles) on the odometer because it’s been moved between displays and for photoshoots. It sells as-is, where-is. That said, in addition to being a rolling Richard Phillips work of art, it comes with other customized touches by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, like illuminated door sill panels inscribed with the name and door projectors that illuminate the artist’s signature on the underfloor.
The Taycan Artcar is already listed with RM Sotheby’s, but no estimate is offered. However, interested parties can reach out to the auction house for details.