There’s an oft-repeated quote attributed to Ferdinand Porsche that I love. Herr Doctor is visiting a US Porsche show somewhere and there are lines of cars all arrow straight and all gleaming. “It’s so sad” he is alleged to have said, which to me means: “go get your cars dirty!”
Read Ferry’s autobiography and tell me the guy never took himself seriously: loads of it is earnest beyond belief. Herr Doctor is, of course, fully entitled to be – he is the Grand Master after all. But then, you hear snippets like that and think “there was a guy who liked to rip it up every so often”. Thoughts of a renegade streak, right at the top, keep me going through those threads about what screws were right for what years on what cars. It’s nice that those guys like that stuff but honestly, I’d rather take a drive.
We can all take ourselves too seriously from time to time. It’s a course I sail within reach of occasionally as, when you are running a busy forum full of guys who want to push the limits when they’ve had a few, you have to spell your limits out every once in a while. But, permanently taking ourselves and our cars seriously is a disaster waiting to happen.
When I said we were going to shoot my buddy Terry’s 911 hot rod out in the USA, a few people looked at me with eyebrows raised. A LWB R tribute car? You sure? They thought we’d be better going for either the real deal (which I had more or less lined up) or a SWB tribute, more faithful to the original. Their slightly downbeat attitude had an effect, and I was a little knocked off kilter. It was another lesson on mindset and focus learned the hard way.
Taking ourselves, our cars and our Porsche mates too seriously is a bad idea, as there’s plenty of room for everyone. So many stories are well worth telling, even without the flashest cars or biggest wallets. The R piece is about a guy who wanted a particular ‘look’ and took it his own way – a play that I’m quite proud of him for. In some ways it was a quick fix, but it has given him a car that is not too precious to be ripped 3500 feet up into the mountains, on roads no better than a donkey track in places. 
Had we picked a real R or a faithful and pricey SWB replica, the owner would have turned back terrified long before we got to the top, which would have cost us some of the best shots of the trip. Not a happy scenario. As it was, two cars climbed a mountain and took some great pictures, had some laughs, we met a good buddy, had some ace mexican food (shrimp fajitas: cheapest and best of our ten day stay), stopped out late and drove home too fast, on our last night in the USA and in my lovely Varmint. It was lots of fun – I wish I was back in those mountains right now.
The message is simple: don’t take yourselves and your cars too seriously. Remember what Ferdinand said, and don’t let the voices in your head call you sad too. If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.
© johndglynn.com 2009. No unauthorised reproduction.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
'If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.'
Quite right! I think we use more of our brain when we're doing something we enjoy, and when it comes to driving that's a good idea…
Have inspired myself to put winter tyres on the orange car and drive it. No 911 to take to meetings etc is crap. Will have to come and see you one day!