Ten countries, three months, one tent and one brand-new Porsche 912. That’s the story of George Vaccaro’s Gray Fox. George and his wife decided to take a summer to tour Europe, and instead of paying for a rental car they would take delivery of a brand-new Porsche 912 at the factory in Stuttgart, drive it around for a while, and then sell it to recoup the grand expense.
Because you’re reading this website, it’s pretty likely that you know about how well that went. George fell in love with his Slate 912, because of course he did, and when the time came to depart Europe, he just couldn’t find it in his heart to sell the thing. He and his wife decided then that they would bring the car back to the U.S. with them, and keep it as a daily driver. And it continued to serve daily driver duties, even after the couple had twin daughters.
With decades of service under its belt, this 912 still looks just about as good as new. The car has had a very thorough mechanical going-through every few decades like clockwork, and it’s obvious that George truly cared for this machine through its entire life. That’s the wonderful thing about vehicles like this. They’ve clearly been loved for decades, and you can feel that when you get inside. There’s a sense that the car is more than just metal and leather.
Earlier this year George passed away at the age of 80 after caring for the 912, and his family naturally, for decades. His twin daughters love the car, but know they can’t care for it the way their father had. Working with some great writers and video folks, the Vaccaro sisters developed the video above as a loving tribute for their father and the car he adored. They’re looking for the next Porsche enthusiast to take over ownership of the car. If you think you’re the kind of person who could care for this 912 for the next 54 years, reach out to the estate. It’ll be going up on Bring A Trailer this week.
View Comments (3)
Awh thank you for writing this article. It was touching and we appreciate it!
He surely loved this car, as much as I loved my 911SC years ago!
My first Porsche was a 1966 912 that I bought in 1973 in Cedar Rapids, IA. I learned a lot about what salt on roads in the Winter does to a early, non galvanized unibody car. It isn't nice. I drove the car from Iowa to the Pacific Northwest a year later and sold it in California where they don't know too much about rust either. The car was likely parted-out as the rust was terminal (everywhere!). But I never forgot my love for my first Porsche and now own 4 (3-911's and now a Macan S). When my family toured Europe in 1993 we did it in a Peugeot 505 turbo wagon and a tent. More recently I rented a 997 turbo in the UK and toured Scotland, England, Belgium and Northern France. I'd buy the 912 myself if I wasn't afraid of what my wife would do if I brought home one more Porsche!