On one fateful day in 2003, at an auction, a man from Leeds named Raj Sedha purchased a Porsche 928 S — a staple among the Stuttgart manufacturer’s classic models.
But his intention wasn’t to drive it and enjoy its excellence; he planned to use it as a parts car to restore other Porsches.
However, when his wife reviewed the ownership records, as one does before buying a car, she discovered that from August 1980 to 1984 the vehicle had belonged to George Harrison of The Beatles.
The Porsche Lived To Fight Another Day
The 4.7-liter V8 was a key selling point, and Harrison drove the car for approximately 11,000 miles during his ownership. When Sedha discovered its history, he decided to fully restore it rather than use it for parts, a process that reportedly cost a mammoth $125,000.
What was once destined to be stripped for spares instead became a carefully revived piece of motoring and music history. It’s remarkable to think how close this car came to losing the memories attached to it by a musical genius, preserved only because someone took the time to look a little deeper into its past.
Sold to the Highest Bidder
Years after nearly being dismantled for parts, the fully restored 928 S later appeared at RM Sotheby’s 2022 Monterey auction, selling for $100,800.
This model, in particular, marked a stark departure from Porsche’s 911, with the 928 benefiting from the introduction of an enlarged 4,664cc V8 engine producing 300 brake horsepower.
No profit was made, but some restorations aren’t all about seeking financial gain.
But there was also something for the music lovers. The listing noted: “A 1980 cassette of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was found lodged under the driver’s seat; Harrison’s admiration for this piece is well-known and one can only imagine that perhaps the last person to listen to this cassette was the man himself.”
George Harrison Was a True Petrolhead
Aside from being one of the famous four of the Liverpudlian band The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, Harrison was a keen petrolhead who loved all things automotive.
At the time of purchasing his Porsche 928 in August 1980, he bought the car from Maltin Car Concessionaires in Henley-on-Thames, the South Oxfordshire town where he was living.
Throughout his life, he owned a variety of classic cars, including a Mini, a McLaren F1, an Aston Martin DB5, a Jaguar E-Type, and a Ferrari 275 GTB, to name a few.
Not only that, but he also wrote the track Faster, inspired by his love of Formula 1 and his experiences following the sport in 1977 during a sabbatical from music. Niki Lauda won the title that year, and the song was dedicated to his friend Ronnie Peterson, who lost his life at Monza in 1978.