I’ve been asked this question since I dedicated the my life to the automobile as a teenager. A silly thing to do in hindsight, but I have no regrets so far, except one that was abruptly brought to my attention answering this question. Why don’t I have a Porsche 911 yet?!
A car for the rest of my life? Without a question, it would be a Porsche 911 (a ‘73 911 2.7L RS, if I’m lucky).
I dare you to find another car that is as performance driven, recognizable, and just plain beautiful amongst any generation. My reasoning stems from both education and family. As a design student at the Art Center College of Design we would spend days debating which cars we would own post graduation. Many, if not all, fell behind the steering wheel of the 911. Its honest form development accentuated performance, technology and aerodynamics. The total package if you ask me.
My father dreamed of owning a 911 since he was a boy, imitating down-shift blips with his orange matchbox 911 S. Nearly 30 years later, he realized his dream of owning a 911—a 1997 911 S to be exact. My father has never been known, at least during my childhood, to purchase cars that delivered the joy of driving. He opted for practicality and function, so for him the 911 transformed his driving personality into sheer bliss. After experiencing this first hand, I finally knew what every 911 owner had been talking about: the noises, the cornering speeds, brakes, and the glances from pedestrians filled with envy and desire—its my mission to own these qualities for life.
If you put my feet to the fire, I’d opt for a late ‘70s to ‘80s 911 SC. Yes, the classic Porsches ooze charm and sophistication, and yes, modern models are a favorite amongst valet parkers in Hollywood, but there is something so brutally pure about the construction of the SC. It simply begs me to own it and drive it—not just to drive to work but to go long distances and discover new experiences on winding country roads. Hell, if I pour in a little elbow grease, I can take it to the track and one day even compete at Le Mans—this may be too optimistic, but you get my point.
Now we’d love to hear from our Petrolisti. What’s one car you could own for the rest of your life?
Photography by Ezekiel Wheeler
