There are birthdays, and then there are Porsche NZ birthdays.
When a brand turns 50 in New Zealand, you could probably get away with cake, a few balloons and someone reluctantly making a speech about how quickly the years have gone. Porsche, naturally, decided that wouldn’t quite cut it.
Instead, Porsche New Zealand invited hundreds of its cars, owners and enthusiasts to Auckland for a rolling celebration of five decades of Stuttgart machinery in Aotearoa. And because apparently simply turning up in a Porsche wasn’t enough, we were given something rather special to help get us into the mood. A 1993 Porsche 911 (964) Speedster.
Which sounds absolutely wonderful, and, to be fair, it was. But it was also grumpy. Very, very grumpy.
Getting into the Porsche mood
As I said, Porsche NZ loaned us the 964 Speedster from its Classic section, and what an outstanding piece of automotive jewellery it is. The 964 generation already occupies a special place in 911 history, representing that lovely period when the 911 still felt properly mechanical while quietly becoming considerably more sophisticated underneath. Add Speedster bodywork, a chopped-down windscreen and the general visual drama that comes with a roofless-ish 911, and you have something that looks like it should be parked outside a European café while someone in a linen jacket explains wine to you.
Our particular example, however, clearly hadn’t had its morning coffee. Getting it started in the morning was something of a negotiation. The sort where you turn the key and the car responds with the automotive equivalent of, “Do I have to?” It was early so I totally understand.
However, once it fired into life all was forgiven. Because there is something wonderfully engaging about driving an old 911. The steering, the noise, the seating position and the sheer sense of occasion remind you that cars didn’t always need a 14-inch touchscreen and 37 electronic control units to make you feel special.
But there was another small problem, we couldn’t get the roof down. Yes, we had been loaned a Speedster and couldn’t actually Speedster it. The irony wasn’t lost on us. Still, Porsche’s Classic department had given us something genuinely special to take along to a genuinely special event, and we weren’t about to complain (and would have it again in a heartbeat).
Fifty years of Porsche in New Zealand
The reason for all of this was a pretty significant milestone. Porsche officially arrived in New Zealand in 1976, following Sir Colin Giltrap’s efforts to secure the marque’s import rights. The story goes back further, with Giltrap buying his first Porsche (a 356 A 1600 Super Coupe) in 1959 after first encountering the brand at the Sydney Trade Show.
Five decades later, Porsche NZ decided to celebrate that history by bringing the country’s Porsche community together. And when Porsche says “community”, it means a very broad church indeed. There were old cars, very old cars, race cars, road cars, expensive cars, ridiculously expensive cars, cars you could actually drive every day, cars that you would probably be terrified to drive anywhere near a supermarket trolley. And, because Porsche has never been particularly interested in doing things by halves, the gathering covered an extraordinary sweep of the company’s history.
Sir Colin Giltrap Raceway: where the madness began
Our day started at Sir Colin Giltrap Raceway in Wiri. And if you’re wondering what happens when you put hundreds of Porsches together in one place, the answer is simple: You stop trying to count them.
There were Porsche 911s of almost every conceivable generation, alongside Cayennes, Macans, Taycans and more. There were immaculate classics, modern performance monsters and cars that looked like they had been driven rather than polished, and that’s the big thing. Because while Porsche has always had an image of expensive sports cars, this was a reminder that the real story is much broader.
It’s about people. Owners who have kept cars for decades, people who bought their first Porsche and never quite recovered, families who have grown up around the marque, collectors, racers and enthusiasts who could probably identify a 964 rear light cluster from 200 metres away.
There were also some cars that made you stop mid-conversation. One of those was a 550 Spyder (a replica no-doubt, but still quite the sight). Then there were the big-money machines, including a multi-million-dollar Singer – the kind of car where you instinctively lower your voice when standing beside it, because even if you don’t know exactly what it costs, you know it’s VERY expensive.
From a 550 Spyder to an electric Cayenne
One of the best things about the gathering was the sheer spread of Porsche’s history. At one end were cars that looked like they had been lifted directly from the pages of Porsche’s earliest chapters, at the other was the latest generation of Porsche technology, including the new Cayenne Electric. And that’s quite a journey.
From air-cooled engines and analogue dashboards to silent, brutally quick electric SUVs, Porsche’s evolution has been substantial. Yet park the cars together and there’s still a recognisable family resemblance, that Porsche DNA remains remarkably intact. And that’s probably one of the reasons the company has managed to keep enthusiasts interested through so many automotive eras.
Then came the convoy
Once everyone had gathered, it was time to head from Wiri towards the Auckland Viaduct. And there are few things more entertaining than watching a sea of Porsches leave a raceway in convoy. The procession was led by the 50th Anniversary 911, Porsche New Zealand’s bespoke 911 GT3 Touring created specifically to mark the occasion.
Only five examples have been built, representing the five decades of Porsche in New Zealand. Each is finished in Yachting Blue Metallic, features bespoke details and carries the signature of the late Sir Colin Giltrap. The car is based on the 992.2-generation 911 GT3 Touring, complete with a six-speed manual gearbox and naturally aspirated flat-six.
It’s an appropriately Kiwi Porsche. Not because it’s practical (this is still a GT3, after all) but because Porsche NZ deliberately designed it around the country’s roads, scenery and driving culture. And somewhere behind this rather spectacular $584,000 celebration of five decades was our slightly grumpy 1993 Speedster. With its roof still firmly attached.
The Viaduct goes Porsche
When we arrived at the Viaduct Events Centre, the scale of the celebration really hit home. More than 250 Porsches filled the venue, turning the place into what can only be described as an automotive sweet shop for grown-ups. Porsche NZ had deliberately created a rolling history of the marque, bringing together generations of cars under one roof.
And there was something for almost everyone. The Porsche fan who knows every 911 by chassis code could happily spend hours wandering around (and they did), while the casual visitor could simply look at the shapes and wonder how something can be simultaneously beautiful and slightly threatening. And the owner could do what Porsche owners seemingly do best: Stand beside their car and talk about it, for ages.
There was also the small matter of the Porsche 917. A Gulf-liveried 917 KH had been flown in from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart especially for the occasion, and having one of the world’s most famous endurance racing cars sitting among road-going Porsches was a pretty spectacular reminder that Porsche’s history isn’t simply about sports cars, it’s about racing too.
And then there was the tractor
Just when you thought the Porsche display had reached peak Porsche, along came a tractor. A Porsche tractor from the 1950s. Because apparently Porsche once decided that making sports cars, race cars and luxury vehicles wasn’t enough and thought, “You know what we need? A tractor.” Ok, I know it was the other way around but still.
There is something wonderfully eccentric about seeing a Porsche tractor sitting amongst million-dollar sports cars and modern electric SUVs. It also neatly demonstrated just how wide Porsche’s history actually is, the badge hasn’t always been attached to something with four exhausts, a rear wing and a terrifyingly large brake package. Sometimes it was attached to something designed to plough a field.
The real star? The people
For all the extraordinary machinery on display, the best part of the 50th anniversary celebration wasn’t necessarily the rarest car. It was the people.
Porsche has spent five decades building a following in New Zealand, and that following has become a community in its own right. The Porsche Club story dates back to 1975, when just 10 owners responded to a newspaper notice and helped establish Porsche Club New Zealand. That community has since grown enormously.
And you could plainly see that history in the Viaduct. It didn’t matter whether your Porsche was worth a few thousand dollars, a few hundred thousand dollars or several million, everyone had turned up for the same reason. Like us, they like Porsches. Some perhaps slightly more than is financially sensible.
Fifty years down, who knows what’s next?
Porsche’s first official chapter in New Zealand began in 1976. Fifty years later, the company is selling everything from hardcore GT cars to electric SUVs, while simultaneously celebrating its past with cars like the 917 and the 964 Speedster.
That contrast is perhaps the most interesting part of the whole story. The future of Porsche is clearly changing, the technology is changing along with the powertrains. But the emotional connection hasn’t disappeared.
You can see it in the way people react when a classic 911 drives past. You can hear it in the sound of an old flat-six being started. And you can see it in a Viaduct Events Centre absolutely packed with Porsches and people who love them.
As for us, being handed the keys to a 1993 911 Speedster before joining the celebration was a pretty special way to experience the event. Even if the car did require a little persuasion to get out of bed, and even if, somewhat ironically, we never managed to get its roof down.
But then again, maybe that’s Porsche ownership in a nutshell. You don’t necessarily get everything you want, you just get something special enough that you don’t really care.
Happy 50th, Porsche New Zealand. Here’s to the next 50 years, and perhaps, if we’re lucky, a Speedster whose roof actually works.
