Janis Joplin's iconic Porsche heads to auction

The psychedelically-painted Porsche once owned by legendary singer Janis Joplin is to be sold at auction in New York in December. The car, a 1965 365C 1600 Cabriolet could fetch more than £250,000 when it goes under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Driven by Disruption sale before Christmas.

Originally finished in Pearl White, a friend of Joplin’s painted the car’s kaleidoscopic mural. Artist Dave Richards said his work represented the history of the universe. Joplin was frequently seen driving it around San Francisco during the late 1960s and remained in her family’s ownership after Joplin’s death in 1970.

The car was restored in the early 1990s before going on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland from 1995 until 2015.

‘Besides Janis's music and legacy, her Porsche is the most visual and important piece of memorabilia that exists,’ said Michael Joplin. ‘She drove it everywhere - and with everyone that was anyone in the San Francisco music scene - with the top down and her feathers flying. Her music, life and car are a part of rock and roll history.’

PHOTO CREDIT: Historic image of Janis Joplin and her psychedelic Porsche © Jim Marshall Photography LLC.