Porsche 911 (992) 1965 Reimagined
When the Australian farmer Ron Angas from Barossa Valley near Adelaide signed the order for the very first Porsche 911 in Australia in 1964, the form still contained the model designation 901. It took quite a while before the responsible dealer Norman Hamilton could deliver the car. This was due to the great distance to the factory in Germany, but also to the special requests that Ron Angas had included in the order documents. Today’s Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur didn’t exist at that time, but Porsche was still happy to help customers with special requests. Especially if, like Mr. Angas, they had given a lot of thought to a nice configuration. He chose green leather in combination to the light ‘Stone Grey’ paintwork to contrast with the standard maple wood trim in yellow-brown. A modified rear muffler was also used to increase the engine power by four to 134 hp. The finished vehicle was created following the name rights dispute with Peugeot, which led to the renaming from 901 to 911. Ron Angas wasn’t bothered by this, however, as it meant that the family license plate with the number 119, which had been in use for many years, fitted all the better.
Now, 55 years after the first delivery, the Porsche Centers of Melbourne and Sydney South joined forces to have two new interpretations based on the new 911 (992) Carrera S produced by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. Of course, a few compromises had to be made in the process; after all, the original 911 had a manual five-speed transmission, while the current model is equipped with an eight-speed dual clutch gearbox. The equivalent color to ‘Stone Grey’ in today’s programme is ‘Chalk’, which was used in combination with a matching paint of the bars on the hood. Wheels in Carrera Exclusive Design in 20 inch at the front and 21 inch at the rear axle show black brake calipers between the spokes as on the historic car. Sport Design side skirts, painted exterior mirrors and high-gloss trim round off the exterior.
Inside, agave-green leather, chalk-colored stitching and color-coordinated seat belts in agave green provide for memories of the original 911. At the same time, today’s occupants can look forward to amenities such as the 14-way electrically adjustable sports seats with memory function, Porsche logos embossed in the headrests and the modern infotainment system. Illuminated door sills made of brushed aluminium in dark silver show the lettering ‘1965 Reimagined’. In addition, both vehicles received an interior package made of environmentally friendly dark Paldao wood.
The first 911 in Australia is still existing. Many residents who first saw it in 1965 haven’t forgotten it since then. Due to registration regulations at the time, the car was fitted with sealed beam headlights. Ron Angas frequently drove the narrow country and side roads between Lyndoch and Nuriootpa. He also competed several times at Collingrove Hillclimb. At this race, Alan Hamilton, the son of the Porsche dealer Norman Hamilton, won the first motorsport title for Porsche in Australia in 1966, the Australian Hillclimb Championship, which he entered with a Bergspyder with the two-liter engine of a Porsche 906 Carrera 6.
Ron Angas sold his 911 to his friend Roy Wilson in February 1969 with a mileage of 87,000 kilometers. Today the car belongs to Stewart Kay from Adelaide, who first saw this 911 in the late 1980s when he interviewed Roy Wilson for his university newspaper. After realizing that it was a very early car, he asked Wilson to sell it to him, but didn’t receive a commitment until 1992. The mileage had increased to just 136,000 kilometers, and all original keys and documents were still preserved. Thus the Porsche passed into the hands of just the third owner from new, who usually exhibits it in a museum at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia. In the coming weeks, however, it will first be on display at the Porsche Center Sydney South and then at the Porsche Center Melbourne – together with the two special models of the 911 (992).
Images: Porsche
