THE Porsche 911 is 50 this year and let me make an unusual admission for a motoring enthusiast; I never liked it. Not until 1999 anyway, when it got electronic stability control.
Until then 911s were a handful. With rear drive and all the weight of the engine over the back wheels, exiting corners fast without going sideways was always a challenge.
But with stability control even mug drivers like me can find the car’s limits without courting disaster. So the 911 has become user-friendly. It’s possible to relax. After five minutes it feels as comfortable as old socks.
There can’t be many cars that have remained as true to their roots for this long – only Morgans and the venerable Hindustan Ambassador come to mind. Since the 911’s launch in 1963, it has retained its rear-mounted, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and its highly recognisable body shape based heavily on Ferdinand Porsche’s original design for the Volkswagen Beetle.
Porsche made its first sports car, the 356, in the late 1940s. The 911 replaced that and became popular for its uncompromising sportiness and reliability. It has been described as the car everyone wants and no one needs.
But while the body shape has remained recognisable, it has changed substantially over the years, mostly getting wider. You can tell the approximate age of a 911 by the width of the guards over the rear wheels. The first 911 developed just 95 kilowatts, about 20 per cent up on a Holden. The latest GT3 delivers more than 350, almost double the current Holden.
Owner loyalty is exceptional, to the point where Porsche executives tell you the only reason they haven’t replaced it is because the owners won’t let them.
Nice line but not true. Porsche tried to in the 1980s with a front-engined four-seater, the 928. It was delightful and far more refined than the 911, but it never caught on.
The 911 has always had good resale value and some have become collectible, such as the rare RS from the early ’70s and the twin turbo 959 of the mid ’80s. But if you have less to spend, the popular choice is those built between 1969 and 1973. But have a specialist, someone who isn’t emotionally involved, look it over.
Things you didn’t know
Porsche is building 1963 50th anniversary edition 911s to mark its birthday in September. The 294-kilowatt car is yours for $270,100.
