BaT Auction Success Story: Bigmotorssmallcar’s Transatlantic Sportomatic Triomphe You Should Know
BaT member Bigmotorssmallcar last wrote to us about his love for Fjord Blue BMWs —specifically his 1974 3.0CS. He’s back with another Success Story, this time on the 1973 Porsche 911S Sportomatic coupe that he won from quuentinleblondmecanicus in a June 2025 BaT auction; he recently took delivery of the car from France.
I was not in the market for another project. Like many do, I was perusing BaT late one June evening when I was struck by the color combo on this F-body 911S—Gemini Metallic Blue over a beige leather interior. And it was a Sportomatic. If it were a five-speed car, I would’ve ignored it, but a Sportomatic? It was a wounded bird that I simply couldn’t resist. I immediately drilled into the gallery and went straight to the undercarriage photos—always where the truth is told.
Chassis images confirmed the structural integrity of the body, and I could see where maintenance work had been completed. These inspections were more revealing than looking at the paint or upholstery, where it can be easy to hide decades of poor workmanship and damage. This car had never been molested by the various 1980s and 1990s mechanics who typically hacked away and installed sub-standard aftermarket parts. This car had 100% Porsche parts. No butchered suspension parts and headers, or crushed seams on the lower sills—amazing after 50 years of service. Yes, there were paint issues, along with oil leaks. The front footwell carpeting was also gone, but all I could see was potential. I emailed my closest car buddies and asked them not only for their opinions, but also what my max bid should be. Of course, the biggest risks included the costs of importing, tariffs, licensing, and mechanical (engine) conditioning.
I scheduled an early morning walk-around via FaceTime with the selling dealer. We verified the VIN and the numbers-matching engine, and did lots of zooming in on the interior for wear and the exterior for paint issues. About half the exterior sheetmetal wore its original paint, which veterans know tends to be horribly checked, with a cracked clear coat. This plagued every German manufacturer during the period, and there would be no “saving” this paint. A more detailed test drive confirmed that the motor ran well, and there was zero smoke on heavy deceleration. The service records were from “Porsche Distribution,” the Porsche-owned service facility in Vélizy-Villacoublay. My confidence in the car’s mechanical condition increased significantly after reading through the dealership receipts, which noted “Depose (remove) Motor” and “Depose Pompe a Injection.”
A key element in my bidding was having confidence in shipping. I have a long and successful friendship with @ivochristov. We’ve done business trading unobtainium vintage BMW parts, partied together, and been on a series of SoCal vintage drives in the past decade. Ivo has a sterling reputation for providing North American buyers with complete delivery service and comprehensive support in the registration process. Ivo immediately went into professional mode, giving consulting advice on a number of factors, including reviewing the “Carte Gris’’ registration document from the French government for correctness.
As soon as the auction closed, a representative from the seller contacted me. There were several exchanges, and we agreed on a simple bill of sale, how to transfer documents, and the pickup. The team at Mecanicus was extremely professional and responsive. I am extremely cautious with sending any wire transfer, even more so when it’s an international transfer. I performed an independent verification of the selling dealer’s bank information, including their account numbers. We did a four-way conference call between my bank, the selling dealer’s bank, the seller, and me. The wire transfer went through without issue.
Getting the car out of Paris and to the port in Antwerp was no small task. Ivo’s partner is Eric Bunte, the owner of Germany Exclusive. Since this car spent nearly its entire existence in Paris, I wanted to capture some “Leaving Paris” pictures. The only way of doing so was beginning super early in the morning, hours before the June tourists invaded the city. Eric and the Mecanicus agent went above and beyond, capturing some fantastic shots of the car at the very center of Paris. The 911S was then loaded and taken directly to the port in Antwerp.
The ship was a roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier named the Glovis Challenge. In early July, I began tracking its progress across the Atlantic, then toward Florida, through the Panama Canal, and up the West Coast into the port of San Diego. The car traveled on water for seven weeks before arriving in San Diego on August 23.
Finally, the 911S was before me in the flesh. It was exactly as described in the BaT photos. Every gutter, jamb, and inner body cavity was covered in 52 years’ worth of dirt and grime. It’s going to be a long and enjoyable preservation effort. The clearcoat was cracked on the roof and rear decklid, and there were plenty of minor dents. The brightwork was in excellent condition. Full electrical functionality included the radio, window lifts, wipers, and all lighting and hazards. The tires were as old as 2000, which spoke volumes about how much the car had not been driven since there was almost no tread wear. The door panels and pockets, and other interior panels were in excellent condition. The dash was free of cracks except for some warpage on the speaker grille. If only it would start.
It was a running and driving car at loading in Antwerp, but would not start when it arrived in San Diego. We had a few diagnostic tools, but our time on the dock was running short. The dockhand assigned to escort us was extremely helpful and lent us his tow rope to get the car out of the enclosed yard and onto a public road. From there, AAA Platinum saved the day with an 89-mile tow back to my garage. The failure was traced to a bad CDI module. It was an easy fix, and the car is now up and running.
My driving impressions: ultra-tight and solid feel with zero unibody flex or groaning. It was really impressive, but my reference point was the BMW 3.0CS, which has the unibody rigidity of a flexi-flyer. Worn-out Koni shocks were at all four corners, and the car had a strong brake pedal feel with a small fluid leak under the front axles. Overall, it had a very good throttle response, and pulled smoothly throughout the entire RPM range.
Now, the Sportomatic. First gear is ridiculously tall—I can get to the grocery store and never leave first, and I can also cruise on the Pacific Coast Highway and never leave second gear. When you only have four gears to get up to 130-plus mph, you gotta start with a really tall first gear. The torque converter was the performance equivalent of putting an Olympic athlete (i.e. the 911S) on opioids. It’s been decades since my last Sportomatic experience, so I was fully prepared for the no-touchy-gearshift driving feature. The issue lies with the flywheel mass(es). There’s both the weight of a conventional clutch combined with the weight of an oil-filled torque converter. The motor wants to rev, but it has to overcome this massive flywheel weight at low rpms, along with the tall gearing. Once past 3k rpm, it pulls really hard. I think you see where this is going.
The condition of the engine was a huge relief. I purchased this car for three reasons: known ownership history (one family since new), the color combo, and the fact that Porsche Classic in Paris had done a massive service, including an injection pump rebuild. That paid off. While on the test drive, I performed two severe deceleration tests, and there was zero smoke when returning to the throttle tip-in. It pulls very hard and has a stable idle (if a bit too low). I will begin monitoring any oil leaks. A compression test is next, along with a valve and throttle linkage adjustment, a tune-up, replacement plugs, and a deep cleaning. I am indebted to both Eric and Ivo for their experience shepherding this car successfully into California. The car is now registered in the state of Idaho without issue.
There have been two large surprises with this purchase, making it even more enjoyable. First was learning the car’s history post-sale. I asked the selling dealer to approach the registered owner, asking if they would be open to a series of questions about the family’s ownership and the car’s history. Most fortunately, the owner was not only willing, but spoke (and wrote) impeccable English. This simple question has resulted in, dare I say, a friendship. I received a massive treasure trove of history from the prior owner, along with stories from his grandfather, who purchased the car new from Sonauto in Paris in 1973. We’ve exchanged numerous emails, and he’s been incredibly gracious in sharing this family history. This new relationship has redoubled my enthusiasm for this long preservation journey. I am in the process of documenting this family’s ownership history. The second bonus item was that this is a true Porsche from Sonauto—Dr. Porsche’s French distributor and the famous privateers who won their class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1964, 1967, and 1970—a key partner in Porsche’s “giant killer” era of racing.
The goal of this project is preservation, within reason. The paint shows many issues, and it really needs an exterior respray. It will need brakes, shocks, and tires, and will take every cleaning chemical that I own to bring back the original finishes. The biggest question is the transmission. I’ll leave it here. We will let the Sportomatic be that conversation starter in the comment section. This has been an immensely pleasurable purchase, broadening my friendships in Europe while increasing my knowledge of Porsche history.
As an automotive “project,” it does not get any better. A new five-speed manual transaxle swap is underway!
If you have a Success Story about a car you’ve bought or sold on BaT, please send a few lines and pictures (or a video) to community.content@bringatrailer.com, and we’ll send you a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store when your story posts to the site.
We love to hear from satisfied BaT buyers and sellers, and a Success Story feature is a great addition to any car’s history when you’re ready to sell.
