Jim Schrager
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Once More Unto the Breach
I know this is a bad idea. I understand this is not the smart thing to do when buying an old car. SCM’s John Draneas, in his many excellent “Legal Files” columns, warns us. I have read those words and completely agree. Yet here we are, doing something I know is wrong. This is not…
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2001 Porsche 911 Turbo
The fifth generation of the iconic 911 Turbo arrived as not only the fastest street-legal 911 of its time but also the most refined. The all-wheel-drive sports car heralded the arrival of water cooling in the 911, with its twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-6 engine. Enthusiasts and industry publications alike were enamored with its performance, with Car and…
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1959 Porsche 356 Convertible D
Porsche’s 356A is truly the most swoon-worthy production automobile the Stuttgart firm ever created. The D was only produced in 1959 before the model was transformed into the 356B in 1960; at a mere 1,331 manufactured, it is one of the rarest production automobiles to ever don the Porsche badge. Dennis Collins has a passion…
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1964 Porsche 356 SC 1600 Cabriolet
The final iteration of the lightweight, rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive Porsche 356, the 356C, appeared in 1964, coinciding with Porsche’s purchase of the Reutter coachbuilding firm, which would handle all coupe and cabriolet construction in Stuttgart for the remainder of 356 production. New equipment included four-wheel disc brakes, a ZF steering gear and an optional 12-volt electrical…
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1977 Porsche 911S 2.7 Coupe
Coupled with tolerance for low-lead petrol, vastly superior fuel consumption and increased tank capacity, the new 1974 911 proved superior to its predecessor in every way as a fast, long-distance tourer. By 1977, maximum power output of all non-Carrera models had been standardized at 165 horsepower regardless of the destination market (including California). This manual-transmission…
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1966 Porsche 911
According to a copy of the Porsche Kardex, this early-production, short-wheelbase 911 was completed on March 24, 1966. It was delivered to Carl Steffens of Mountain View, CA, through Porsche Cars Northeast Inc. of Bedford, MA, one of seven U.S. Porsche distributors during the period. Believed to have been retained by a second California owner…
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Age of Discovery
Luftgekühlt is a one-day car show — of sorts — only for air-cooled Porsches. From afar, it appears as an “in-crowd, secret-handshake” event meant only for the most socially well-connected Porsche owners. The 2021 edition was held nearby in Indianapolis, IN, in September. My son Max got the bug to go, so I went along…
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1956 Porsche 356A 1600 Cabriolet by Reutter
The term “barn find” has been vastly abused in the collector-car market, but here is a 356A cabriolet which was literally pulled out of an old building near Salem, OH. This matching-numbers cabriolet shows fewer than 46,000 miles — believed to be original — and was delivered in the rarely-seen Aquamarine Blue Metallic with a…
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When Chevrolet Built a Porsche
In the fall of 1964, Chevrolet introduced the second-generation Corvair in direct competition with the Ford Mustang. While the Mustang seemed to take all the air out of the room for a small, sporty American car, independent thinkers in the know realized the two competing products couldn’t be more different. The Mustang was great looking,…
