Porsche: Never Substituted

Civilize. Hone. Improve. Better. Elevate. Sophistication. Precision. These words actually are the synonyms for the word refinement and not to put too fine a point on it, are words that can be used to describe what Porsche was after when they looked to elevate their attempts at building a sports car for the masses. How did Porsche go about making necessary refinements to the Pre-A 356? By creating a masterpiece that would simply be known as the Porsche 356 A.

The preposition "pre" means before or prior. Pre-Columbian, pre-workout, pre-view, and a boatload of others. When looking at the ABCs of the alphabet there is nothing before the A. There is no pre-A to the alphabet, nothing "prior" to the letter A, there is just an A. Continuing my education about Porsche history, today we will be looking at a pre of a different variety. The Pre-A of the Porsche 356.

The 356. The first car that is instantly recognizable as a Porsche has had several variations during its lengthy manufacturing run and was the underestimated success of Ferry Porsche. There is the Pre-A, A, B, and C types. The T-5 and T-6, among others. Then there is the rare and beautiful Gmund. Even though I have driven the 356, I didn't know what was what. So I decided to go back to school, do some research, and learn the ABCs of the Porsche 356.

A quick peruse through the internet after searching for the first water-cooled 911 yields results of widely differing opinions. Things like, "it's just a bigger Boxster motor," "cheap, plastic interior," "what was Porsche thinking," and "don't get me started on the fried egg headlights." But, there is also a myriad of love given for the 911 that was the first real factory mass-produced 911. With statements like "Refinement in the drive," "better than previous 911s," and "sophistication without straying away too far from the original," Porsche collectors are now starting to see the value in these cars that share components with its little sister, the 986 Boxster. For those that hate on the 996 keep this little tidbit in mind, without going the route of shared components or the modern manufacturing processes, the Porsche we know and enjoy today may not have happened.

When it comes to rare Porsches, there are several. Cars like the 935, the 356 America Roadster, the 991 Club Coupe, the 1967 911 R, and other various factory-built rarities. But since it's the holiday and I am a committee of one when it comes to voting, I thought I'd talk about the mid-engined, very, very limited edition of the 914. It was known at the Porsche factory as the 914/S, but you may know it by its more common name, the 914/8.

When you break with tradition, there will always be detractors. People will inevitably yearn for the past and pine for a simpler time. Porsche has done it in many instances, and it is what keeps them innovating. Looking toward the future without forgetting the past is a hallmark of what Porsche is about. When the 924 was introduced, there were cries of "not a pure Porsche" and "you put the engine where?" And don't even talk about the liquid-cooled motor. But through the noise and the doubters emerged a car that has become an important part of the family and according to an unknown author, "Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one." From the 356 to the 911 to the 924 and the Carrera GT, the root is all Porsche.

Not too long ago, I ran into an acquaintance, and we started discussing Porsches. Without asking what I currently own, he went into a rant about what constitutes a "real" Porsche. He proceeded to impart his wisdom regarding the, as he called it, the other 9's. In his words, the not-so-Porsche-like models included the 924, 928, 914, 944, and so on. I had to grin at the suggestion that those models were not Porsche's but rather some experiment gone wrong. After defending the "other 9's" to this misguided dude, who, by the way, has never owned a Porsche in his life, I decided to do some research on how Porsche's lesser-well-known other children came to be. There are countless fans and proud owners of other Porsche's that aren't the 911, and happily, we are all one big dysfunctional Porsche family.

As I was researching the 964 I discovered something that shocked me. Was the 964 actually boring? Perish the thought, but the history of the 964 is anything but exciting. I found myself looking for anything that would shine an interesting light on the magnificent third generation on the 911. Was it the many patents that were filed during the design? Could it have been the inclusion of 4 wheel drive? Either way, the backstory is more akin to the mild-mannered Clark Kent, but the actual car is definitely more like Superman. Today we will take a look at the superhero and alter ego of the Porsche 911 or type 964.

"Is that your husband's Porsche?" "Move over and let me show you how it's done." "Your boyfriend must be really trusting to let you drive his car." And on and on and on. These are some of the attitudes that some men have about women and Porsches. Misogynistic, sexist, and sometimes downright cruel. We sometimes tend to open our mouths and insert both feet in an attempt to marginalize females in what is and what has been a predominately male-controlled industry. Yet, if we were to look a little deeper, we would see that women have had a strong voice among the collectors, enthusiasts, and racers. It isn't lost on me that this podcast is being voiced by a man and that I am sometimes tone-deaf to what is important. So, maybe it's time for a bit of an attitude adjustment and I step aside for what is clearly the next generation of Porsche owners.