How many of you sold a car in the past, Porsche or otherwise, and wish you hadn’t? Whether it was 30 days ago or 30 years ago you would do almost anything to have that car back and more importantly the memories and experiences that car represents. I can think of at least two of my cars that fit into this category. Well, over the past few weeks and months I’ve noticed a number of stories related to long-lost Porsches making their way back to the original owner. Some cars find their way home by luck, some through long searches and others through thoughtful planning.
Porsche 356 Comes Home 40 Years After Being Stolen
The idea for this post first came to me when I read the following article about a Porsche 356, stolen more than 40 years ago, being returned to its original owner. This particular car had been gone for so long, when the police finally tracked down the owner his first response was, “What Porsche, I don’t own a Porsche.” If you’re interested in reading the full article it is available here at the Napa Valley Registry.
More recently, I was talking with a friend, Valerie, about her first experience to the Porsche brand. Having taken her first ride in a Porsche as a new-born (barely a week old) Valerie and her family have a life long affinity to Porsche. During our talk Valerie asked if I knew of any resources that could help her to track down her father’s old 356. Unfortunately, he had sold it years ago (in another country) and had lost track of it over time. I suggested to Valerie that she try posting everything she knew about the car on various Porsche forums and also to try out the Lost Car Registry. If you’re not familiar with the site, I suggest taking a look. It’s a great tool and you never know when you might need it.
Thoughtful Planning can Ensure your Porsche Comes Home
Lastly, I saw an article about another Porsche being returned to its original owner after having sold it 30 + years in the past. Thoughtful planning, and an honest buyer, made it possible for William Flint Sr. to repurchase his 1969 Porsche 912 Targa from the person he sold it to in 1971. You see, as a condition of the sale (and in order to convince Flint to lower the price a hundred dollars) the buyer agreed to a clause in the sales contract that stated Flint would get the right of first refusal in the event the new owner ever sold. True to his word, almost 30 years later, the buyer of Flint’s Porsche called to ask if he wanted to buy it back. Flint did and he happily brought the car home to once again call it his own. I have a question, is this now considered a two, or a three owner car? Seriously, if you want to view the entire story, it’s available online here.
What’s the point of all this you ask? Two things:
- You never know when you may want a Porsche, you previously owned, back in your garage. I would suggest considering the tactic used by Flint, with his ’69 Porsche 912 Targa, and adding some language to your seller’s contract affording you the right of first refusal if/when the new owner decides to sell.
- Valerie, who I mentioned above, asked her father to contribute a story about his first Porsche. Specifically, the 356 they are now searching for. Fortunately for us he obliged. That story will publish, in two parts, on Wednesday and Friday of this week. As it turns out, there is now a surprise ending…