Janis Joplin's psychedelic 1965 Porsche will go up for auction at RM Sotheby's in New York in December, the Associated Press reported. The customized convertible features a paint job that embodied the free spirit of the Queen of Rock.
The car, a 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet, was originally pearl white when Joplin purchased it second-hand in 1968, according to RollingStone. However, she recruited Dave Richards, the roadie for her rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, to paint a kaleidoscope-inspired depiction of the "History of the Universe" over the body of her convertible. Joplin reportedly owned the car until her untimely death in October 1970 at just 27 years old.
"Janis drove everywhere, all around San Francisco and down to Los Angeles when she was recording there," Laura Joplin, Jenna's sister and biographer, told Sotheby's. "Wherever Janis went in the car, her fans recognized it. When she parked it and returned, there was always at least one note under the wipers."
The car has been on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland since undergoing a restoration in the early 1990s. The car is being sold by Joplin's family for an estimated $400,000 during the Dec. 10 auction event, "Driven By Disruption."
"Like most people and their car of choice, her Porsche is a direct link to Janis," Joplin's brother Michael said. "Her music, life and car are a part of rock and roll history."
