In 1968 Janis Joplin paid $3,500 for her used 1964 Porsche 356 C Cabriolet from the noted Beverly Hills dealer Estes-Zipper. Her friend and roadie Dave Richards, who passed away in 2000, covered the Cabriolet's factory grey with psychedelic images, and portraits of Janis and her Big Brother and the Holding Company band mates.
On October 4th, 1970, Janis missed a studio session, so her road manager went to the Hollywood motel, where she was staying. He noticed her beloved Porsche parked nearby before entering her room where he found her dead. It was revealed that she overdosed on heroin.
Joplin’s brother Michael, eventually took possession of the car, drove it daily and began restoring it, including the original grey paint. Regretful family members would later commission artists to re-create Dave Richard's original artwork. In 2015, the car broke all records for the sale of any Porsche 356 at public auction with a $1.76 million winning bid through Sotheby’s.
I was lucky enough to photograph Janis' beauty at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance where it was named Best Porsche in Show.
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