Janis Joplin was a musical legend who exuded vibrant colors; so naturally, she drove a colorful car. Sorry, I mean a 1965 Porsche 356C 1600 Cabriolet complete with painted psychedelic mural, to be exact. Joplin’s family recently decided to put the car up for sale, and this little number is expected to fetch more than 260,000 pounds (that’s $400,000) at at Sotheby’s in New York on December 10.
Joplin bought this car in 1968 when it was pearl-white, and her friend Dave Richards went to town on it to give it Joplin-esque flair. This customized paint job rendered the car so recognizable that there was an attempt to steal it in 1969 and disguise it with grey spray paint, but no one got the goods.
Speaking about the car, Joplin’s brother Michael told The Guardian, “like most people and their car of choice, her Porsche is a direct link to Janis. She drove it everywhere… with the top down and her feathers flying. Her music, life and car are part of rock ‘n’ roll history.” Joplin’s sister Laura weighs in, “Wherever Janis went in the car, her fans recognized it. When she parked it and returned, there would always be at least one note under the wipers.”
I must say, I feel silly calling this a car, and so does Richards himself. He described his brilliant artwork as a “visual history of the universe”, and I think that sums it up perfectly.
You can watch a brief history of Joplin’s car here, via the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
What do you think of the car? Show it some love in the comments below.
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HT: The Guardian
IMAGE: Reuters/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum
