What's in the issue
Last month, I waxed lyrical about the many plus points of Porsche club membership (whether an official Porsche Club or an independent group), including the fact there’s never a shortage of things to do, places to go or people to meet when you’re in charge of a P-car. It’s important to note, however, there’s every chance you’ll encounter like-minded folk simply by virtue of owning a Porsche, irrespective of whether you’re a card-carrying club member. These cars have a habit of uniting marque enthusiasts. Put it this way, speak to any owner of an air-cooled Porsche and they’ll doubtless be able to tell you about the countless times they’ve been approached by strangers wanting to talk about the brilliance of these Stuttgart-crested machines.
If the inquisitive individual isn’t the owner of a Porsche themselves, the conversation often turns to recollections of a family member or friend who owned an air-cooled Porsche ‘back in the day’ and how the car left a lasting impression. Whether 356, 912, 914 or one of the many flavours of air-cooled 911, these cars bring a smile to the face of other road users. Proof is in the fact most motorists will give way to a classic Porsche at a busy junction. The same courtesy isn’t afforded drivers of modern Porsches. Hello to the 991 owners among you.
A common thread in these conversations concerns the third party expressing regret over not getting in on the act before the cost of entering Porsche ownership skyrocketed. An opportunity missed? Not necessarily. In this issue of Classic Porsche, we’ve taken a look at the Porsche marketplace, focusing exclusively on air-cooled cars. What are the movers, what are the shakers, and are there still bargains to be had? Which models are on the rise? Are any on the way down? Read on and find out.
Our cover story, meanwhile, documents a recent road trip across mainland Europe. The pursuit of two Classic Porsche readers in charge of superb G-series 911s, the adventure was a product of their firm friendship, forged after a chance encounter and subsequent exchanges about their shared love of Zuffenhausen’s output. Yep, old Porsches will do that.