Porsche Retells the Story of Australia’s First 911 With Two Modern Twins
Grey-over-green just works, no matter the year.
The Porsche 911 debuted at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as the 901, only to go on sale the following year badged as a 911 instead due to a trademark dispute with Peugeot over the French market. The Australian continent got its first 911 delivered to local Porsche distributor Norman Hamilton in 1964, who sold the sports car to Adelaide farmer Ron Angas.
Fifty-five years later, Porsche Centre Melbourne and Sydney South teamed up to create a pair of matching Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur 911 Carrera S models inspired by that original '65 in Stone Grey.
Originally, Mr. Angas put down 2,000 Australian pounds on the order form stating "901." When the car landed at Angas’ farm in the Barossa Valley some 60 miles north of Adelaide in September 1965, the badge bore the numbers 911. That worked out well for Angas since he happened to own the black-and-white number plates reading "119," perfectly mirroring the Porsche's model name.
The farmer's 911 came with a modified silencer, yet has been dyno tested at 134 horsepower, four above standard. Angas also opted for sealed beam headlights and colored Porsche crests on his 911's chromed hub caps. Having raced the car at the Collingrove hillclimb he had built on his property, Angas ended up selling his Porsche in February 1969 with some 54,000 miles on the clock to his architect friend Roy Wilson.
The car's current owner, Adelaide Porsche enthusiast Stewart Kay, first saw it when he interviewed Wilson for a university paper in the late 1980s. Kay noticed it bore a stark similarity to a car displayed at the Porsche Museum that an English magazine referred to as the "oldest known 911."
It turned out that the exhibit's chassis number was 302 503, finished exactly 1,000 cars after Wilson's. Calls to the factory soon confirmed that the Australian 911 is one of the first right-hand-drive examples ever built. Kay had to wait long for the architect to sell his Porsche, but in 1992, he finally got the phone call. With the odometer showing some 84,500 miles, the 911 went to its third delighted owner. Kept by Mr. Kay to this day, this early bird is now usually housed in a museum at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia.
Dealing with the obviously immense difference between the oldest and youngest generations of the 911 in terms of size, performance and comfort features, the pair of 992s created by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur are finished in the 2020 equivalent of 1965's Steingrau, a shade called Crayon. The paintwork extends onto the rear engine cover slats and 20/21-inch Carrera Exclusive Design wheels, which have contrasting black calipers like the classic 911. Porsche also added its SportDesign side skirts, painted exterior mirrors and high-gloss trim strips to the 992 Carrera S.
In 1964, Ron Angas went for a green leather cabin to contrast the standard maple yellow timber dashboard trim and wood-rimmed steering wheel. Keeping that in mind, the new pair features Agave Green Club leather with contrasting Crayon stitching and matching Agave Green seat belts, as well the Porsche crest embossed on the headrests. Completing the package are brushed aluminum door sill guards in dark silver, which are illuminated and personalized with "1965 Reimagined" text. Somebody call Singer.
In the following months, these two special Carrera S models of Porsche Centre Melbourne and Sydney South will go on show around the country, alongside Australia's first 911.
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