Janis Joplin 356

The 2015 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is proud to announce a very special car on display at this summer’s event – the Janis Joplin Porsche 356! Direct from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, This iconic 1965 Porsche in its famous psychedelic livery is made possible by the Allegheny Region Porsche Club of America and the estate of Janis Joplin. A very special car for a spectacular event! 

There aren’t many cars in the world as cool as Janis Joplin’s Porsche. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reports that she paid $3,500 for it in 1968.  It was oyster white, but her friend and roadie Dave Richards soon made it a work of art.

Porsche_Type_356C_Cabriolet,_1965,_view_2 Porsche_Type_356C_Cabriolet,_1965,_view_4

Howard Kramer of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated “whenever she parked it, fans would leave notes under the wipers. Once while Joplin was at a gig, the car was stolen. The thief spray-painted it gray, but when it was returned, Joplin was able to find an auto shop that was able to recover the psychedelic finish. A few months after her death, the family gave the car to her former manager. Most of the engine and the body parts are original.”

Porsche ClubMany thanks to Ed Rice and the members of the Allegheny Region Porsche Club of America for securing this piece of history and bringing it to our event. The Joplin Porsche will be available for viewing “Under the Tent” as part of the ARPCA Porsche car corral on German Hill at the Schenley Park golf course on Saturday July 18, 2015 and Sunday July 19, 2015 Don’t miss this once in a lifetime display!


Can We Borrow Janis Joplin’s Porsche?

Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-LogoArticle published by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

It’s not every day that the Rock Hall gets a serious request to borrow Janis Joplin‘s iconic 1965 Porsche 356C cabriolet from our collection. Almost daily, visitors and fans from around the world ask questions like “Can I take it for a test drive?” But this time was different. We agreed to hand over the keys – though it wasn’t quite that simple.

The Rock Hall’s collections department receives regular requests from museums, galleries, schools, event organizers and even television shows to borrow an artifact or two for their projects. They come from all over the United States, but more and more are streaming in from overseas. Just within the last year we have had inquiries from Brazil, Japan, the Philippines, Hungary, Russia, Dubai and Canada. Many are compelling, interesting and hard to pass up, while some are downright quirky. Read more