Now is the time to say goodbye to my beautiful 1971 Porsche 911. Yes, after 15 fun years of ownership I have decided it is time to sell. From being the enthusiastic owner of two classic Porsches, within the space of 18 months, I’m down to none. The four-car garage is empty, apart from the Mini.
The reasons I have decided to sell are straightforward. First, from some time I have been suffering from a bad back. Often it is a really bad back and early 911s with sports seats are incompatible with bad backs. Getting in and out of the car is painful. The laid-back seating position is painful. The offset pedals do not help and neither does the unassisted steering or the heavy cable-operated clutch. Put simply, an early 911 is no place for an old man.
Second, I tended to drive my Porsches quickly — where conditions permitted, of course. But even the most experienced drivers can have an ‘off’. In an early 911 even a small damp patch in the shadows can catch you out. Or, more likely, on a narrow rural road you could meet head-on with an enormous SUV or pickup travelling at high speed and taking up all the road.
Driverless
In a modern car, such as my Mini, even a major accident can be survivable but hitting an object at high speed in an early 911 could well be a very different story. No deformable-body structure. No airbags. No ABS. No dynamic stability control. It could very easily be no driver or at best a badly injured driver.
Third, owning the 2021 Mini Cooper S has really spoilt me. I love the handling, the better-than-the-1971-Porsche performance, the electronic driver aids. The seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox is a joy compared to the very challenging five-speed manual gearbox in the 911.
Yes, it really is time to say goodbye. My last Porche has gone down to Sydney to a specialist retailer and, I hope, will find a new home soon. It’s been a load of fun over many kilometres, so thanks 56600H.
Read more from John Shingleton
Visit John’s blog, The Rolling Road
Want to contribute an article to Macfilos? It’s easy. Just click the “Write for Us” button. We’ll help with the writing and guide you through the process.
Jorg-Peter, I know that you already know this but you should have kept that 2002! It will not have appreciated as much as a 1971 911 but it certainly would have been a star performer in the investment stakes as well as being a fun car to drive.
But who am I to talk? In 2000 I sold my superb original Mini Cooper S for A$14000.Today it would be worth the other side of A$60000 but at least I put the proceeds into buying an early 911!
Dear John, I can understand you so well. About 15 years ago, I had a wonderfully restored BMW 2002 from 1972, with the beautiful round rear lights. I had to let it go because we needed a familiy car. Of course, I’ve never regretted having a family (quite the opposite!), but whenever I see such an old BMW driving around, it gives me a small sting. And: with 100 hp and a weight of just under 1000 kg, the BMW may not have been a Porsche, but it was a thoroughly sporty car…
Hope you have a good albumful of 911 photos to look back on! That’s one area where the mini can’t win!
John, agreed the Mini is no photo star.. However I have plenty of photos of both Porsches to bring back memories in a few years time when I am in the Sunshine Shores home for retired gentlefolk.
What beautiful lines the 911 has. Wouldn’t you want to keep just one for old times sake even if you can’t drive it around the same way you used to? or maybe show it off at car shows?
Farhiz, sounds like a good idea to have kept one but old cars need to be driven regularly otherwise they deteoriate through lack of use. Seals dry out, rubbers perish, fuel goes off, brake fluid absorbs moisture etc. In the recent very humid summer we experienced down here there was mould all over the leather trim and steering wheel of the Porsche in just a few weeks.
Anyway I’m not a car show guy. For me the joy of my old Porsches was driving them not showing them and I do not enjoy standing around in a car show surrounded by cars where even the door hinges have been cleaned with cotton buds. Give me an open road and the more corners the better I say.
A truly lovely article. I lusted over the 911 since the late 1970s. However, I got married and practical – not an easy process for an artist at heart – but my pragmatic wife prevailed.
I do not know if this was intended, but I cannot expand in size any of your pictures.
I am delighted for you that you enjoyed the pleasure of not just one but two amazing 911s.
Some things I have had to delete from my bucket list but as the end draws nearer my clarity of choice is sharpened! Thanks for a glimpse of your journey.
Life is good!
Cheers, Brian
My mistake. I did this in a hurry before leaving home yesterday. I will add in the expansion shortly.
An amazing vehicle and sorry to hear you are finding the need to sadly depart with its services.
I do hope though, that you find the time to get out in that wonderful mini and provide us with new road trip adventures, to areas of the world, many of us have never considered.
Keep safe. Best Dave
Sorry to read this, but I think you’re logic is impeccable. There’s a point where it no longer fits within the life you want to live. You can still be part of the Porsche community without owning one though and chew over broken clutch cables, RMS etc. with other owners.
The Mini is a fine car and you can both drive fast and be comfortable. That’s a double win not to be dismissed!
Always a bit bittersweet, but I totally understand.
Also, prices on early 911s have gone through the roof lately, and you can probably get a good return on that investment.