Photo: Dedesporsches
It’s a classic question: if you could own any Porsche, which would you choose? But that’s not really the question. The real question is not which Porsche, but which Porsche 911?
It seems strange to think that the 911 hasn’t existed for as long as cars have, or at least as long as Porsche itself. Newbies typically think that the 911 was the very first Porsche, the original DNA that everything has flowed out of.
In fact, Porsche did not produce the 911 until roughly 33 years after the company’s founding in 1931. What we find truly impressive is how close that first 1964 model came to perfection, to becoming the icon that is now tantamount to the Mona Lisa among Stuttgart diehards. But in terms of which 911 exactly is the best, the 911s of the early 1970s are becoming seen as the must-own 911s, at least according to market forces.
The Discovery Channel, of all people, says that the in the past 10 years, no other car from any automaker has seen its value skyrocket as high or as fast as the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. It is the first example of Porsche’s philosophy on the track making its way into production. Lighter glass, a lighter body, fewer parts and a bigger engine make it arguably the purest expression of any 911 ever, so it’s small wonder that fans are getting into congressionally-unsanctioned bidding wars to have one.
They can be had, these days, for about $1 million. Jerry Seinfeld has said that he won’t part with his until he’s dead, if that makes any sense to you. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some owners buried in theirs like the Pharaohs of old. Forget the next generation: just embalm me and start cutting some stone.
You can see Steve McQueen drive his 1970 911S in the nearly 4-minute opening of Le Mans. We say “his” because McQueen had no intention of parting with his. In 2011 it sold at auction for $1.35 million.
So, dream big dreams about which Porsche is your ideal. In the meantime, Leith Porsche remains your Porsche dealer for North Carolina.
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