fbpx

The Contrast Of Now And Then Of A Country With The Largest Oil Reserves: William And His 911 Targa

A few years ago during my visit to Venezuela, I had the opportunity to photograph this great Porsche in a location that completely reflects what it once was and what it is today, one of the countries with the largest oil reserves. To put it in context, Venezuela between the 70s and 90s had the best moments in terms of economic growth, caused by the oil boom. But since the 40s, there was already a huge development in that industry. Somehow, it is relevant to point out that in the 50s, during the dictatorship, President Marcos Perez Jimenez was passionate about cars, racing, and competitions. For instance, he used to close the entire streets of Caracas for racing, inviting renowned figures from the automotive world like Fangio to race with him. That’s why Venezuela had unique Porsche prototypes to be used and shown in the Venezuelan market for racing and positioning as a brand in the country. During those four decades, incredible cars were imported to Venezuela, among them this 911 Targa.

At this moment the country is going through a gasoline shortage, with many blackouts and a hyper-inflation that does not stop. Surely you’ve heard or seen something about this. Even in the pictures you will see how many Venezuelans today have to buy gas in jerrycans with inflated prices, and put the gasoline themselves into their cars. My most sincere respect for this situation. 

I asked William, an excellent man, who kindly shared his Porsche and his story with Carphiles.

Tell me about yourself.

I’m a guy who has always liked vintage cars, especially sports cars. My dream was one day to have a Porsche, thank God he gave me two, and my first car was a ’57 Thunderbird a wonderful car!

This is a ’77 Targa, right?

My yellow Porsche is a 911 Targa SC from the year 1977 in bodywork but in the property, titles appear as the year 1969. No one knows why, but at that time the cars were brought to Venezuela and put fewer years than corresponded to the year that was the car, I guess for tax reasons.

How did you get this Porsche? 

When I saw the Targa for the first time it was love at first sight. I asked the owner of the car at some point and he asked me for an impossible amount of money to pay. After that, we made a very good friendship. It was almost 8 years that we talked about everything but the car. Until one day we talked about it again and we reached an agreement, since that day 6 years ago it is mine and we still have the friendship.

So it was a Porsche, originally imported from Germany to Venezuela?

According to all the documentation I have, the car was brought from Germany to Venezuela by the German ambassador in the 70s as his daily car. He then sold it to my friend’s father. Since I bought it it has been in the same condition only with the fact that I have improved it in some things.

What do you enjoy most about your car?

What I like most about it is that the car was made for that purpose and it fulfills its function, but apart from that it is a beautifully designed car, I love it in its entirety.

I know of a project you were working on with a 356. Tell me about it, maybe next time we meet I’ll take pictures of it! 

Sure thing! The Porsche 356 is a car that every Porsche fan dreams of having, and I’m very lucky to own one. It is a PRE A, one of the first ones made. An amazing car but it is very expensive to restore it. I would love to finish it but due to the economic situation of the country we have it has affected us a lot and that has affected also the projects enormously. Let’s hope that Venezuela changes its situation and we can continue with these pending projects.

1 Comment

  1. Mark Browne

    Such a timeless design

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Bought in 60 Seconds: Ole and his 1970 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior

I have to admit that Hamburg is one of my favourites cities in Germany: good vibes, nice surroundings and of course A LOT OF CLASSICS CARS! On one of my visits to the city my best friend from Berlin, Martin kindly introduced me to Ole and his wonderful Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior.

Autohaus RWB: The Experts on Engine Rebuilding and Customised Porsches in Thailand

by Alexberlinetta A few months ago in Bangkok, I had the opportunity to visit RWB Thailand by Autohaus. Unfortunately, my stay in the city was super short and I didn't have the time to meet the founder personally. I spent at least 3 hours on the place, enjoyed the...

A Photo Gallery From Goodwood Festival Of Speed 2018

On July 14, the Goodwood Festival of Speed took place. I was invited by one of the main sponsors, Michelin to photograph and enjoy the festival.

The Masterpieces of Automotive History in one Place: The Grand Basel 2018

On September 6, 2018, the very first edition of Grand Basel took place, a brand new and exciting happening for car enthusiasts. I was invited by the makers to participate and photograph their event that took place in a stunning venue.

The Noise Of The Car Takes Over And I’m Simply Enjoying The Moment, Truly Living – Sheldon And His 85′ 911 Carrera

Some time ago during my time in LA, in one of those typical Sunday “Cars and coffee”, I recognized the license plate of a beautiful Irish blue 911. It always caught my eye when I saw it on Sheldon’s Instagram. I approached him, to tell him how much I liked his car and if I could photograph him maybe in another context like more Californian vibes.

Classic Remise Berlin

The Classic Remise Berlin, a center for vintage cars in Moabit, opened in 2003 in a historic tram depot originally built in imperial times back in 1899. Some architectural changes to the building were made in the 1920s. There were limited damages in the war, yet marks from the firebombs can still be seen on the ceiling.

Remembering Marcello Gandini: A Tribute Through His Iconic Car Designs

Remembering Marcello Gandini: Best known for his revolutionary work for Lamborghini and Lancia, leaves behind a legacy of timeless designs.

Venomous Snake In A Concrete Jungle! But Wait, Isn’t It A Dodge? No!: Anthony and his 98′ CHRYSLER Viper GTS

It may sound like a big cliche, but Paris is a city that I love. it has fascinating architecture, part of which are the brutalist buildings of the 70s that many Parisians hate. The viper is a car that I love since I was a child. I remember it being on the cover of one of my very first Motor Trend magazines, in movies, and music videos.

One of the very first modern roadsters: Joaquin and his 62’ Lotus Elan S2

While I was in Barcelona, I had the chance to meet Joaquin and his amazing car. He brought me to the family’s garage to show me the impressive collection they have which is where I discovered one of the very first modern roadsters, the Lotus Elan.

A Photo gallery from The Berlin’s Second Edition of Flitzer Club Tour

During the weekend after a long quarantine, we Berliners were finally able to return little by little to our favorite activities. One of them was the Flitzer Club Tour, organized by Dirk and Leo, which was a two-day drive through East Germany, approximately 350km in total. We went to different interesting places like castles, an abandoned hospital, and a gallery.

PART OF:

SOCIAL MEDIA

WRITE US