For Sale at Auction: 1975 Porsche 911 in Costa Mesa, California

Chassis No. 9115200175

The history of the Brumos Porsche dealership and their famous race team is well known (see Lot 123 in this very catalog to acquire the full details), yet the race wins, championships, and factory support often belie the scrappy nature that nearly every professional race team requires to succeed. For the Jacksonville, Florida-based team run by Peter Gregg, after investing in the newest racing Porsche, the previous year's model was sold to a thoroughly deserving racer, who was encouraged to campaign it with the support of Brumos. So devoted was the team to their former rennsport Porsches, Gregg instituted a reward system for those who achieved success wearing the red, white, and blue Brumos livery. More often than not, these Brumos 911s were successfully raced by Diego Febles in the colors made world-famous by Gregg and Hurley Haywood.

Febles, known as "El Maestro," was a Cuban-born racer who spent more than five decades competing internationally under the Puerto Rican flag. He formed a close relationship with Brumos Racing often altering their "Made in Jacksonville" slogan with the humorous addition "Enjoyed by Puerto Ricans." He was a very successful racer in his former Brumos Werks-built cars achieving a second overall (1977) at the Sebring 12 Hours and class wins at the Daytona 24 Hours (1978) and at the Sebring 12 Hours (1982).

Febles constructed this tribute to his IMSA GTO glory days in 2002 based on a 1975 911 S Coupe. The lightened and strengthened RSR build utilized many period correct Brumos and Diego Febles Racing techniques and components. Just as in 1970s and early '80s, Febles enjoyed success with the RSR following its completion, starting with an immediate class win at the "Tres Horas de Salinas" in Puerto Rico. More events followed at Salinas Speedway and the El Tuque Racetrack in Ponce. In 2005, Febles and his RSR returned to Sebring International Raceway, the track where he tasted his most famous successes for an HSR endurance event. Following the race, Febles' RSR Tribute was acquired by Kevin Jeanette of Gunnar Racing.

The car underwent a complete, ground-up restoration by the talented team at Gunnar between 2008 and 2016. The RSR body was fully stripped, blasted, and tidied before a fresh coat of white paint followed by Brumos' famous red and blue stripes. It features a fully overhauled Type 930/60 3.2-liter short-stroke twin-plug flat-six that breathes through a motorsport slide valve mechanically-injected induction system and exhales through a megaphone exhaust. The 915 gearbox was rebuilt, along with the RSR's coil-over suspension and large RSR-style brakes framed by lightweight five-spoke wheels with proper center-lock hubs. A new seat, harnesses, fuel cell with quick-fill, and fire suppression system completed the immediate build, which tipped the scales at 1,890 pounds.

Following restoration, the car continued to compete and be exhibited regularly. It appeared at the Sebring Historic Races in 2008, the 2017 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance as part of the "Cars of Brumos" display, Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca and the Daytona Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition in 2020. It later appeared at Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 in 2023 in "Holbert Tribute" livery, with Todd Holbert driving, and returned to Daytona for the 2024 Heritage Exhibition, again piloted by Holbert. In his time with the car on the high banks of Daytona, Broad Arrow Car Specialist Ray Schaffer recalls that "the RSR tribute prepared by Kevin Jeanette and Gunnar Racing wasn't an exercise in nostalgia. It delivered the sound, feel, and urgency of a period RSR in a way that made the past feel fully present."

Today, it once again wears the red, white, and blue of Brumos, the same colors proudly worn by Febles' own cars in the 1970s and by this car when it first raced nearly a quarter century ago. Period-correct and eligible for historic competition, this RSR tribute authentically captures the spirit of Brumos and Diego Febles, offering an exhilarating link to the golden era of Porsche GT endurance racing.