How did we not know about this? Famed motor-racing driver, car collector and Porsche dealer Vasek Polak died in a wreck on the autobahn in 1997, leaving his estate to the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Foundation. In 2000, a team of crack thieves absconded with a stock of NOS and rebuilt Porsche racing motors: four naturally-aspirated Porsche 917K race engines, a NOS 3.0L Porsche 908 mill, one 2.2L Porsche 907 Hillclimb engine, and one 3.4L Porsche 911 race engine. This seems rather dumb to us, as the market for these engines is necessarily a small one. And wha' happen'? They were finally nabbed and the collection returned to the Polak foundation.
On March 25th, just under our Pedro-based noses in El Segundo, the whole kit 'n' kaboodle was auctioned for a mil to Dale Miller of Miller Historic Motorcars. And we didn't know about it! Nobody told us! The money went to cancer research, and we have to say, despite the fact that we didn't make it up the 405 to Segundo, we can't think of a happier ending to a theft. [Thanks to Bret for the tip.] [UPDATE: Here's a story on the theft, recovery and auction from the Daily Breeze.]
Vasek Polak Historic Porsche Racing Engine Auction: $1 Millon Raised for Charity!!! [Pelican Parts]
Related:
Inside Porsche's New Le Mans Prototype [Internal]