In praise of Porsche

Early objects of desire

Like many others born in the 1980’s, I got very into cars at an early age.

At the time, the flashier the better. The Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Testarossa were at the top of the list. I had two 1/18th scale cars, with the Lambo in yellow and the Ferrari in red. I immediately took them out of their case, removed the screws from the stand they were affixed to, and played with them as toys like any other self respecting 6 year old would do.

image: (Lamborghini) kiichin.com, (Ferrari) mintmodels.com

I convinced myself that one day, I would own one of these cars. Fast forward to today and I don’t own one of these cars. Nothing even close, really. There are so many things I still drool over on both of these cars, from the scissor doors on the Lamborghini to the slotted side strakes on the Ferrari. Both of these cars will stand the test of time in automotive history as forever-icons. But as objects of my own personal desire, they faded. Maybe I’m less flashy than these cars require of their owner. Maybe I just see myself differently as a near-middle-aged adult than I did as a kid. Either way, I’ve moved on.

Changing tastes

image: autofiles on Etsy.com

Something happened over the course of the last 30 or so years with my taste in cars. The object of desire is no longer a bright yellow Lamborghini or red Ferrari, but instead, a much more muted (in both color and style) Porsche 911. In no way do I claim any originality here. Porsche 911’s have long been objects of desire. One quick look at Instagram will give you all you need to know I’m not alone in singing Porsche’s praise.

Most people’s taste changes throughout life, as they encounter new experiences, as certain things become more or less attainable, as friends and family members make purchases that hit closer to home.

I often wonder what drives those changes in preference deep down. Is it really because I’d prefer a Porsche 911 over a Ferrari Testarossa? Is it because I’ve consumed so much media over the past decade on Porche 911s and comparatively very little on Ferrari Testarossas? Is it because my style preferences have changed, or maybe I now want something more realistic?

I’ve got a hunch that it’s probably a combination of all the above, plus I’ve really grown to admire how Porsche goes about building their 911 line of cars.

Lineage and timelessness

Every new car that Ferrari builds is effectively a unique model. The Testarossa was produced as one model of car, from 1984 to 1991 and that was it. One of my favorite Ferraris, the 360 Modena, has parents (F355) and descendants (F430, F455, F458), but each of these models is its own. Most recently, the Daytona was resurrected, but that’s a rare occurrence. The desire in Ferrari is largely in the brand itself, the relative unobtainability of all models, the heritage, the boundary pushing looks, the price, and the sheer performance.

On the other hand, Porsche builds their 911 in a similar way that Rolex builds their Submariner. The car is refined over the years, incorporating newer technologies and materials, but the overall design philosophy stays the same. The 911 of 1994 (964) is very much the 911 of 2024 (992.2).

In my view, this consistency creates desire backwards and forwards. It lets people of different generations find common ground, it creates demand for older and newer models alike, and it preserves legacy.

image: Porsche newsroom

Material goods being quickly and cheaply produced, being replaceable, creates a draw to what’s familiar, what’s consistent. No, if the Porsche 911 was a Toyota Camry, it would not be considered an object of desire, but the drive to what’s next is creating demand for what has always been. On average over the last 5 years, roughly 10,000 Ferraris are sold per year across all models. In 2023, Porsche reportedly sold over 11,000 911 models alone, across model variations. I’d argue that there’s a limit to the number of vehicles Ferrari could sell without losing their appeal. Porsche on the other hand could sell double that number and likely not lose an ounce of appeal.

The Porsche 911 has a lineage that’s connected to its origins, connected to all of its active motorsports activity. The timelessness of the 911 is driven by its lineage, driven by its shared DNA, and driven by its continuity of purpose.

Community …and heaps of money

Further driving demand and interest in the 911 is the aftermarket, restomod community, and custom builders. Porsche may have one of the most robust and well respected group of custom builders of any auto manufacturer. Ruf, Singer, RWB, Gunther Werks, Emory Motorsports, Gemballa and Tuthill are creating amazing renditions of classic (and current) Porsche 911’s. Despite the eyewatering prices on most of these cars, it’s easy to understand why they’re doing it. These vehicles and the builders all live at the exact intersection where demand meets passion.

image: (Singer Vehicle Design “Turbo Study”) cnet.com

Without getting into a lengthy back and forth about Porsche, its future intentions, and its network of dealers and Porsche Classic Partners, it’s safe to say that while Porsche doesn’t make money directly from these companies selling custom builds, these custom builders create massive demand for current models. Having a passionate community of people willing to go to extreme lengths to modify cars and people willing to pay for those modifications creates massive top-end interest that drives the bottom end. People are buying the Porsche Macan because Singer exists.

So what does it all mean?

Well, for one, it means I 100% want a Porsche 911. Heck, I’ll even settle for a Cayman GT4 (wink, nod).

But what it really means is that the brands like Porsche that are able to create a sense of stability, of consistency, of lasting value are the ones poised to succeed into the future. The speed of commerce and material culture isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Fashion went from seasonal to styles changing by the hour. Want to watch a movie? How about 5,000 movies and 20,000 shows instead? Heck, I tried to buy a notebook cover the other day and ended up doing nearly 3 hours of research over 2 days only to spend $15 because there are so many (likely good) notebook covers out there.

I don’t have any car posters on my wall anymore since I’m decades removed from my college dorm. I’ve replaced the posters with A Man and His Car and other car-centric coffee table books. Maybe one day I’ll replace the coffee table books with the real thing.