PAINT TO SAMPLE

I greatly enjoy reading your magazine – each issue is packed with information and fascinating tales that take me back to my early days of Porsche ownership in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Back then, I used to own, first of all, a 356B coupé, followed by a 356C Roadster and finally a new 911T. Of the three cars, I enjoyed the 911 most of all as I felt the 356 was showing its age by the mid-1960s. Nice cars, but slightly out of date by then (Iʼm sure that comment wonʼt go down well, but itʼs true – at least, in my mind).

When I went into my local Porsche dealership here in Pasadena, I had no idea what colour Porsche I wanted. I thought Iʼd take a look through some colour charts and go from there. Top of my list was red, followed by what I think they called Light Ivory. I hated any kind of yellow or green, and wasnʼt keen on blue.

Your cover feature on the paint to sample 911S (in issue #56, which my daughter bought for me when she was in London last month) jogged my memory. When I spoke to the salesman, I had no idea you could order a Porsche in whatever colour you liked, as long as you could provide a sample and were prepared to pay a small premium for the pleasure – I think I was quoted well under $1000 for what he referred to as ʻspecial order paintʼ.

That set me thinking, and I looked around to see if there was any colour that grabbed my attention. My fiancée (now wife) was wearing a pretty floral dress, and had a burgundy handbag to match. That was it! That was the colour! But how to match it?

It was my wife who suggested handing over her bag (as long as I replaced it), so as far as I know, it was sent off to Germany with the order for my car. Whether that really happened or not, I guess Iʼll never know, but about three months later, the car was delivered – minus the handbag… Oh well, at least I now owned a rather nice shiny new 911 in an unusual colour.

Thanks for reminding me of a very happy period in my life. Soon after, though, I was drafted into the Army and sent out to Vietnam… Gene Erikson, via E-mail

“IT WAS A GREAT CAR TO OWN AND DRIVE…”