Classic Porsche

Imagine Porsche releasing a variant of 911 as if designed to your personal specification, only for you to discover the car is subject to limited-volume production and all purchase slots are taken. In the current climate, with allocations on the manufacturer’s GT order books exchanging hands for big money, this isn’t too difficult to comprehend. And so it was in the mid-1990s, when the 993 GT2 (badged simply as 911 GT) was released to enable Porsche to go racing in the FIA’s GT2 class. Most prospective purchasers with their nose out of joint would be inclined to move along to the next best thing, but not the owner of the 993 you see pictured on this page. Recognising he was late to the GT2 party, but reasoning the model was…

Whatever happened to all the heroes? When English rock band, The Stranglers, were singing this line, the band wasn’t getting all shouty at the demise of the motorsport homologation process responsible for turning race cars into road cars (or vice versa). Perhaps they should have been? This process created some of the best-loved 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and even 1990s street machines. Want to go racing or rallying in a car from the production line? No problem, but if you want to make your four-wheeler of choice rather more than the sum of its standard parts, then it’s homologation time. The rules and regulations governing different championships — whether race or rally — would often require a specific number of participating cars to be available as showroom offerings to you and…

COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION OF Classic PORSCHE ORDER BACK ISSUES AT bit.ly/issuescp RM SOTHEBY’S CONFIRMS STAR LOTS IN SINGLE-OWNER CARRERA COLLECTION A couple of issues ago, we brought you news of The Carrera Collection, an exciting auction of hugely collectible Porsches scheduled to go under the hammer in Switzerland on the 7th July. The sale is being managed by international auction house, RM Sotheby’s. When we announced the news, details of the available lots were limited, but not long before this issue of Classic Porsche went to print, we were treated to a long list of the star cars set to spark bidding wars at the Meilenstein in Langenthal, a hotel complex and business centre selected to host the auction on account of it having an integrated vehicle…

NEW SPEEDSTER CHAIR AND NOS WISI ANTENNA FOR 356/912/EARLY 911 In recent weeks, independent Porsche parts retailer, Stoddard, has added many exciting new products to its online store. Standout offerings include a surprise batch of Wisi antennas for the 356/912 and early 911. Manufactured in Germany in the 1960s, these original NOS parts come complete in their original packaging. Unsurprisingly, stock is limited — when they’re gone, they’re gone! In plentiful supply is the Dansk 356 Speedster conference chair listed on the Stoddard website. Bringing the exact seating position of the Speedster onto a chair rack, these quirky pews feature the original angle of the famous Speedster bucket. A unique seating experience for your workplace is guaranteed. Price: Antenna $250, Speedster chair $900 stoddard.comor call +1 440 869 9890 CARBONE…

Believe it or not (ahem!), I’m old enough to remember horror stories about early 911s and wet weather handling. Though these concerns remained for many years, I believe they were largely unfounded. I’m glad to say, however, vehicle dynamics, modern suspension, tyres and electronics have quashed those reports once and for all. Yes, there was a feeling of little weight on the front and, combined with light steering and narrow tyres, this sensation was magnified, but rarely did it result in a visit to a ditch, as was so often suggested by those keen to throw around the ‘Widowmaker’ moniker. Interestingly, two high-profile motoring magazines have just held their respective ‘best handling car of the year’ tests. The fact these titles came to totally different conclusions when reviewing the same…

Designed by Benjamin Dimson in early 1986, the 964 featured significant styling revisions over previous 911 models. This was also the first Porsche to be volunteered with the manufacturer’s then new Tiptronic semi-automatic transmission. Rather more well received was the availability of all-wheel drive. Thanks to this development, which could trace its roots back to the mighty 959, the base 911 was offered in two distinct flavours: the Carrera 2 and the Carrera 4, the numerical suffix representing the host 911’s quota of driven wheels. As a result of the recession of the late 1980s, yuppies (previously a rich source of Guards Red 911 sales) were losing money and, consequently, their interest in sports cars. With this market dwindling, the Carrera 3.2 suddenly seemed past its sell-by date, falling somewhat…