A 1978 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3 with an unusually personal factory specification has won the Grand National Champion award at the 2026 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge in the United States. Restored by Harper Porsche, the car also took the national prize in the Restoration category, beating projects that approached classic Porsche ownership in quite different ways.
Its appearance is a large part of the story. The early Sonderwunsch commission was finished in Paint to Sample Buick Medium Green Poly metallic, paired with white leather and pinstripe velour upholstery. It is a reminder that bespoke Porsche orders did not begin with today's extensive personalisation catalogues. This Turbo left the factory with a combination that was distinctive even in the late 1970s.
By the time the Harper team began work, years of neglect under the Florida sun had taken their toll. The project called for substantial corrosion repairs and a bare-metal repaint. The engine, gearbox and turbocharger were rebuilt as well. Porsche says the restoration was guided by the car's original factory specifications, with the emphasis on recovering its particular identity rather than introducing modern performance modifications.
The national finalists gathered at Luftgekühlt 12 in Fayetteville, Georgia, after regional judging rounds. The 2026 programme began with 60 entries from Porsche centres across the US, divided among restoration, preservation and individualisation projects. The three national winners therefore represented three distinct ideas of what responsible work on a classic car can mean.
Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas won the Preservation category with a 1996 911 Turbo. The team reversed decades of aftermarket changes, retained original finishes where possible and checked the resulting specification against a Porsche Classic Technical Certificate. Porsche Orlando pursued the opposite direction: its 1997 911 Carrera Coupé became a bespoke 993 RS interpretation with a high-revving 4.0-litre engine. That project won the Individualization title and the People's Choice award.
The overall title went to the older Turbo. Its rare paint, unconventional interior and documented Sonderwunsch origins made the outcome more than a routine concours result. For this particular 930, a careful return to the original specification was the defining achievement.