Porsche, Pixar And RM Sotheby’s Raise $3.6M With ‘Sally Carrera’ Sale To Benefit Charities

“Sally Special” at the RM Sotheby’s auction

Porsche Cars North America

An exceptional Porsche 911 sold for a record $3.6 million at an R.M. Sotheby’s Monterey Auction in California this past weekend, with all the proceeds going directly to the charity. The “Sally Special” sports car – a modern fully-functional interpretation of the iconic “Sally Carrera” character in the celebrated animated Disney and Pixar film series, Cars – was painstakingly created by Porsche to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the original film and to raise money for two worthy organizations.

The project, which was first announced earlier this year, brought together the team of original members who created the film and its beloved Sally-Carrera character. This included Jay Ward, Creative Director of Franchise at Pixar Animation Studios, and Bob Pauley – the talent credited with sketching Sally for the first time 20 years ago. The team also included Bonnie Hunt (the voice of Sally Carrera), Kjell Gruner (President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America), and Alexander Fabig and Boris Apenbrink – two outstanding members of Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur’s Sonderwunsch team.

“Sally Special” in the Porsche Museum in Germany

Porsche Cars North America

Porsche used a mechanically stock 992 Series Porsche 911 Carrera GTS with a 7-speed manual gearbox as a starting point for the “Sally Special” coupe. Still, it was considerably tailored by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur in the company’s Zuffenhausen, Germany, factory. The unique Sally Blue Metallic paint is most notable – a particular, one-of-a-kind exterior color. In addition, there are bespoke alloy wheels and plenty of impressive graphics and badging. Overall, the execution looks attractive – I bet enthusiasts will be begging Porsche for the color and spoked wheel design in the future.

According to Porsche, every dollar of the sale price for the one-of-one 911 Sally Special will be donated to Girls Inc. and USA for UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, to support children and families. “I’d like to express my gratitude and profound congratulations to the winning bidder,” said Kjell Gruner, PCNA’s President, and CEO. “This generous act has made a difference for two important charities and to the lives of those they’ll help. In return, I hope the bidder is very happy to have secured a special and unique piece of our and Pixar’s history.”

“Sally Special” in the Porsche Museum in Germany

Porsche Cars North America

“I know I speak for the whole Pixar team when I say how proud we are of not only the auction result but that the 911 Sally Special also raised awareness of the work of two incredible charities – Girls Inc. and USA for UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency,” said Jay Ward, Creative Director of Franchise of Pixar Animation Studios. “The reaction has been nothing short of amazing. A really special moment. The money raised will go directly to them, providing life-changing educational programs to young girls in the U.S. and relief for Ukrainian refugees affected by the war.”

“The car attracted unprecedented interest,” said Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions for R.M. Sotheby’s. “We saw a significant number of inquiries in the week before the auction, but this really accelerated as the final hours leading up to the event – driven by the incredible social media interest in the car. It’s been a real honor to have been a part of the project and to work with both Porsche and Pixar over the past months to facilitate the sale. We’d like to congratulate the new owner on their purchase and thank them for the contribution they’ve made to Girls Inc. and USA for UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency.”