A spectacular 1966 Porsche 911 with a history of only two owners and 53,000 miles caught our attention at Legends of the Autobahn show this year.
The original owner purchased the U.S.-spec 911 with a Euro delivery and enjoyed driving his autobahn special at home until President Nixon signed a federal law lowering all national highway speed limits to 55 mph.
Totally dejected with the reduction of speed, the original owner put his 911 in storage and hung up the keys forever. After nearly forty years in storage, the car was rediscovered and brought back into service by a second owner.
Being stored in southern California has its advantages. There are no signs of rust anywhere. The dark blue paint and chrome pieces are all factory original; the paint was polished to bring back its original luster. Also, the new owner did a sympathetic rebuild of the engine’s top half just to be sure it was mechanically sound.
Today speed limits across the country vary between 35 and 40 mph in congested urban areas and 75 mph on long stretches of rural highway. U.S. drivers now drive almost as fast as their European counterparts, who average between 75 and 80 mph on the highway. Thankfully, this ’66 911 can again open up on U.S. highways and fulfill its intended use.
See Porsche 911 Cars for sale on eBay.
