Walter Payton's 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo Goes On Sale

SCHAUMBURG, IL — Face it, you'll never know what it's like to run as fast as Walter Payton in his prime. But a winning bid this weekend could give you the chance to experience the next best thing: driving as fast as the late Chicago Bears legend.

Payton's silver, 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo is being sold at Mecum’s Chicago auction through Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Schaumburg Convention Center. Bids for the car also can be made online, and a live-stream of the auction can be seen at Mecum's website.

Purchased when No. 34 was only 25, the sports car was the running back's favorite, and only 1,200 Porsche 930 Turbos were made for the U.S. market in 1979. Payton's son, Jarrett, inherited the car after his father died in 1999.

“This was his first sports car,” Jarrett Payton, 37, said in the car's auction description. “This was the first big-name sports car that he bought. He bought it in 1979, the year before I was born. He got into the league in ’75, and early on, his main focus was just playing football. That focus helped him become the leading rusher with the most carries those first three years. He worked hard to ensure he had established himself, so when he was getting to the good part of his career, when the ‘80s came around, he wanted to treat himself.”

Besides its ownership, the Porsche — which only has 9,950 miles on it — comes with plenty of other unique touches:

• a turbocharged, 3.3 liter, 265 horsepower, 6-cylinder engine under the hood
• "whale tail" spoiler and chome Gotti five-spoke wheels
• silver with black leather interior
• Alpine stereo with Nakamichi speakers
• Illinois "WP" license plates and a plate bracket with "Sweetness," Payton's nickname, on it

Payton's sports car is being sold in a no-reserve auction, which means there's no minimum price. Similar 1979 Porsche 930 Turbos have asking prices upward of $100,000 on ClassicCars.com.

But those cars weren't owned by one of the greatest NFL players of all time. The car that's up for auction this weekend is just like its famous first owner: one of a kind.

Go to the page for Walter Payton's 1970 Porsche 930 Turbo at Mecum's website for more details about the car and auction.

Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton (Photo by Mike Powell | Allsport | Getty Images)