1 00:00:15,316 --> 00:00:22,956 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey Eddie here, before we get started, I wanted 2 00:00:22,996 --> 00:00:24,876 Speaker 1: you to know that you can listen to Car Show 3 00:00:24,956 --> 00:00:29,276 Speaker 1: ad free by becoming a Pushkin Plus subscriber. You'll also 4 00:00:29,316 --> 00:00:32,796 Speaker 1: get access to detours, bonus episodes of Car Show, where 5 00:00:32,836 --> 00:00:37,676 Speaker 1: we go for extended drives, play outtakes, and more fine 6 00:00:37,716 --> 00:00:40,636 Speaker 1: Pushkin Plus on the Car Show page in Apple Podcasts, 7 00:00:41,156 --> 00:00:47,916 Speaker 1: or at pushkin dot Fm. Risky Business nineteen eighty three. 8 00:00:48,796 --> 00:00:52,636 Speaker 1: Tom Cruise is Joel Goodson. His dad has a Porsche 9 00:00:52,956 --> 00:01:02,116 Speaker 1: nine eight. A couple of boys in daddy's car. Joel's 10 00:01:02,116 --> 00:01:04,156 Speaker 1: just backed the silver coop out of the garage and 11 00:01:04,356 --> 00:01:08,356 Speaker 1: is rolling through town doing high school senior things. He's 12 00:01:08,396 --> 00:01:11,396 Speaker 1: the model kid. He's hoping to get into Princeton in 13 00:01:11,436 --> 00:01:15,076 Speaker 1: the fall. He has no idea how sideways it's all 14 00:01:15,116 --> 00:01:20,716 Speaker 1: about to go. Fast forward to the movie's second act. 15 00:01:21,636 --> 00:01:24,396 Speaker 1: Joel is sitting with his girlfriend Lana played by Rebecca 16 00:01:24,476 --> 00:01:27,716 Speaker 1: de Morney, on the hood of the Porsche overlooking the lake. 17 00:01:29,476 --> 00:01:32,476 Speaker 1: I'm okay. They are soon to start their own little 18 00:01:32,516 --> 00:01:36,596 Speaker 1: prostitution business. At the beginning of the scene, as Lana 19 00:01:36,636 --> 00:01:38,596 Speaker 1: grabs her purse out of the nine twenty eight, she 20 00:01:38,716 --> 00:01:42,196 Speaker 1: knocks the shift lever into neutral. When she gets up 21 00:01:42,236 --> 00:01:44,476 Speaker 1: from the hood of the car to leave Joel, he 22 00:01:44,516 --> 00:01:48,396 Speaker 1: takes off after her. Was something I said. The Porsche 23 00:01:48,436 --> 00:01:57,996 Speaker 1: starts rolling down the dock toward the lake got side. 24 00:02:00,036 --> 00:02:04,316 Speaker 1: Ye never has a car so perfectly embody the Hollywood storyline. 25 00:02:05,596 --> 00:02:09,596 Speaker 1: Forget the gradual, forget the fast, and the furious. Risky 26 00:02:09,596 --> 00:02:12,756 Speaker 1: business director Paul Brickman could have picked a better signifier 27 00:02:12,836 --> 00:02:15,796 Speaker 1: for Joe's predicament. This is a car that's all about 28 00:02:15,876 --> 00:02:18,516 Speaker 1: going in way too deep, getting a way out over 29 00:02:18,556 --> 00:02:22,836 Speaker 1: your skis. This is the story of the Portion nine 30 00:02:22,956 --> 00:02:25,996 Speaker 1: twenty eight, an elite car with tons of promise, but 31 00:02:26,076 --> 00:02:34,236 Speaker 1: one that, metaphorically speaking, fell right into the lake. I'm 32 00:02:34,356 --> 00:02:39,476 Speaker 1: Eddie Alterman, and this is Car Show. In this episode 33 00:02:39,636 --> 00:02:42,556 Speaker 1: will examine how the nine twenty eight, this raging tour 34 00:02:42,596 --> 00:02:46,716 Speaker 1: to force of styling, engineering and performance, failed to speak 35 00:02:46,756 --> 00:02:49,196 Speaker 1: to the exact audience that should have loved it. But 36 00:02:49,356 --> 00:02:55,116 Speaker 1: Portion soon to ask why we put so much performance 37 00:02:55,156 --> 00:03:00,556 Speaker 1: in a luxury car, and lothers ask why we put 38 00:03:00,556 --> 00:03:05,316 Speaker 1: so much luxury in a performance car. You'd think that 39 00:03:05,396 --> 00:03:08,356 Speaker 1: in the eighties, a great and powerful continent cross for 40 00:03:08,476 --> 00:03:10,996 Speaker 1: like the nine eight would have been an easy cell 41 00:03:11,236 --> 00:03:15,836 Speaker 1: to Porsche's polo Cologne wearing sports car clientele. It was 42 00:03:15,916 --> 00:03:22,036 Speaker 1: not excellence is expected, So how did this perfect Porsche 43 00:03:22,556 --> 00:03:40,036 Speaker 1: become Porsche's pariah. The biggest issue with the nine twenty 44 00:03:40,036 --> 00:03:42,036 Speaker 1: eight may have been the pre existence of the Portione 45 00:03:42,116 --> 00:03:47,516 Speaker 1: nine to eleven. Porsche names its projects in running order. 46 00:03:48,156 --> 00:03:50,596 Speaker 1: You can tell which came first because of the model numbers. 47 00:03:51,276 --> 00:03:53,516 Speaker 1: The core model coupe started as the nine oh one, 48 00:03:53,716 --> 00:03:56,636 Speaker 1: but became the nine to eleven after complaints from Pouchet 49 00:03:57,316 --> 00:03:59,476 Speaker 1: the French. He said that Porsche can use the same 50 00:03:59,836 --> 00:04:03,156 Speaker 1: number zero number naming convention. The point is that the 51 00:04:03,276 --> 00:04:05,436 Speaker 1: nine twenty eight is a good dozen steps away from 52 00:04:05,436 --> 00:04:08,556 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven, a world away. It turns out, 53 00:04:09,196 --> 00:04:11,236 Speaker 1: while the nine to eleven has been scaling new heights 54 00:04:11,236 --> 00:04:14,996 Speaker 1: of performance and desirability over the past forty years, nine 55 00:04:15,116 --> 00:04:19,076 Speaker 1: twenty eight remained somewhat forgotten. People make fun of it. 56 00:04:19,836 --> 00:04:24,116 Speaker 1: It's been labeled an eighties car, a cocaine cowboy, not 57 00:04:24,196 --> 00:04:27,636 Speaker 1: the kind of Porsche Porsche people care about. But it 58 00:04:27,676 --> 00:04:31,196 Speaker 1: was a car Porsche itself had lavished extraordinary care on. 59 00:04:32,076 --> 00:04:34,596 Speaker 1: At the time, it wasn't veiled. It was the only Porsche, 60 00:04:34,716 --> 00:04:38,436 Speaker 1: not somehow based on a Volkswagen product. It was all new, 61 00:04:39,236 --> 00:04:45,036 Speaker 1: new VI eight engine, new suspension, new layout, Hence the problem. 62 00:04:45,116 --> 00:04:46,716 Speaker 1: Most people didn't really know what to make of the 63 00:04:46,796 --> 00:04:48,396 Speaker 1: nine twenty eighth when it came out in the late 64 00:04:48,436 --> 00:04:52,036 Speaker 1: seventies or for a long time after that. That confusion 65 00:04:52,076 --> 00:04:54,996 Speaker 1: curled into dismissal and eventually set for a while at 66 00:04:55,076 --> 00:05:01,556 Speaker 1: least an antipathy why the car was groundbreaking, It was beautiful, 67 00:05:02,916 --> 00:05:10,236 Speaker 1: and man was it fast? On it a nine twenty 68 00:05:10,236 --> 00:05:13,716 Speaker 1: eight because it's weird mostly and it's like kind of 69 00:05:13,756 --> 00:05:16,636 Speaker 1: like does doesn't he doesn't even like necessarily suit me 70 00:05:16,756 --> 00:05:20,716 Speaker 1: or my personality, but just like like a weird a 71 00:05:20,796 --> 00:05:24,956 Speaker 1: really weird car, really weird version of a portion of 72 00:05:25,276 --> 00:05:32,076 Speaker 1: you know. This is Derek Burke. He's a Detroit musician 73 00:05:32,116 --> 00:05:34,956 Speaker 1: and works in the film business. He co owns a 74 00:05:35,036 --> 00:05:38,036 Speaker 1: nine twenty eight with his brother. It's his car will 75 00:05:38,076 --> 00:05:41,116 Speaker 1: be abusing for this episode, and even he is conflicted 76 00:05:41,156 --> 00:05:43,756 Speaker 1: about it. It's like I always pictured like a Miami 77 00:05:43,836 --> 00:05:46,156 Speaker 1: Vice type person in one of these cars, you know, 78 00:05:46,276 --> 00:05:49,756 Speaker 1: like like a really eighties kind of like you know, 79 00:05:50,516 --> 00:05:54,956 Speaker 1: the person that that I'm not, but you hope to 80 00:05:54,996 --> 00:05:58,196 Speaker 1: be one. Yeah. Yeah, I struggle with my personality while 81 00:05:58,236 --> 00:06:00,436 Speaker 1: I'm driving it, you know, like you know, you get 82 00:06:00,436 --> 00:06:02,636 Speaker 1: out at the gas pump, like, you know, like you 83 00:06:02,756 --> 00:06:05,436 Speaker 1: have like identity problems. I feel like at least I do. 84 00:06:05,676 --> 00:06:11,876 Speaker 1: I'm like, I like, like am I like a yeah, yeah, 85 00:06:11,876 --> 00:06:16,276 Speaker 1: thank you? Yeah? Right? Like what what does it mean? Now? 86 00:06:16,556 --> 00:06:19,316 Speaker 1: Does me? Now that I'm driving just a car? You 87 00:06:19,476 --> 00:06:22,436 Speaker 1: kind of like it is an ostentatious German cud You 88 00:06:22,476 --> 00:06:28,716 Speaker 1: can you can pull it off? Yeah. Derek Burks nine 89 00:06:28,796 --> 00:06:31,396 Speaker 1: twenty eight is an original first year car from nineteen 90 00:06:31,436 --> 00:06:34,876 Speaker 1: seventy eight. Let's examine the thing that confronted customers as 91 00:06:34,876 --> 00:06:37,956 Speaker 1: they walked into Porsche's showrooms. So this is the nineteen 92 00:06:38,076 --> 00:06:43,796 Speaker 1: seventy eight first MABI year. So this is as pure 93 00:06:45,756 --> 00:06:49,196 Speaker 1: a reflection of the concept as you're gonna get the 94 00:06:49,276 --> 00:06:52,796 Speaker 1: first year as it came from the factory. And it's 95 00:06:52,796 --> 00:06:57,516 Speaker 1: an amazing shape. It's really really beautiful. Yeah, it's a 96 00:06:57,716 --> 00:07:02,156 Speaker 1: it's original point original paint. Yeah. Really from this angle, 97 00:07:02,556 --> 00:07:06,596 Speaker 1: it is so evocative of the nine to eleven um 98 00:07:07,116 --> 00:07:10,676 Speaker 1: just the roundness of it, the the placement of the 99 00:07:10,756 --> 00:07:14,236 Speaker 1: lights is sort of updated nine to eleven rear end. 100 00:07:14,556 --> 00:07:17,316 Speaker 1: You know, just kind of cat cast a couple decades 101 00:07:17,356 --> 00:07:20,596 Speaker 1: into the future. Um, you know, it's amazing to me 102 00:07:21,236 --> 00:07:27,596 Speaker 1: that it was so rejected by the Porsche cognischend It 103 00:07:27,716 --> 00:07:33,356 Speaker 1: kind of still is right because what they were going 104 00:07:33,396 --> 00:07:36,196 Speaker 1: for was really an evolution of the nine to eleven look. 105 00:07:36,916 --> 00:07:40,436 Speaker 1: You know, it didn't have a front grill, and the 106 00:07:40,516 --> 00:07:43,036 Speaker 1: idea was like, let's make it look like a Porsche. 107 00:07:43,436 --> 00:07:46,436 Speaker 1: Roundhead lights pop up in this case, so like an 108 00:07:46,436 --> 00:07:50,916 Speaker 1: evolution of the nine to eleven look, but smooth streamline hood, 109 00:07:51,716 --> 00:07:55,836 Speaker 1: a rounded back. You know, from what I understand, and 110 00:07:55,916 --> 00:08:01,076 Speaker 1: this might be apocryphal, Fairy Porsche, the guy in charge 111 00:08:01,076 --> 00:08:06,876 Speaker 1: at the time loved the AMC Pacer. That's the the 112 00:08:07,316 --> 00:08:11,716 Speaker 1: um the inspiration for the rear windows in the rear 113 00:08:11,756 --> 00:08:15,316 Speaker 1: hats from the Pacer. I heard that exactly. The Pacer, 114 00:08:15,396 --> 00:08:18,196 Speaker 1: if you don't remember, it was the car in Wayne's world. 115 00:08:19,236 --> 00:08:22,676 Speaker 1: It was also the car Serial Killers drove. Make of 116 00:08:22,756 --> 00:08:26,156 Speaker 1: that what you will. So you have one kind of 117 00:08:26,276 --> 00:08:28,716 Speaker 1: main glass panel in the back of the back light, 118 00:08:28,796 --> 00:08:32,316 Speaker 1: and then these two side windows on the side, and 119 00:08:32,676 --> 00:08:35,636 Speaker 1: that's like a kind of a laid down version of 120 00:08:35,676 --> 00:08:39,636 Speaker 1: the Pacer. Super super cool looking. And this was so 121 00:08:39,796 --> 00:08:42,476 Speaker 1: avant garde. This is so ahead of its time. I mean, 122 00:08:42,476 --> 00:08:46,436 Speaker 1: it still looks futuristic, looks futuristic. That's what's interesting about it. 123 00:08:46,436 --> 00:08:49,996 Speaker 1: It looks like nothing else, you know, And that's just 124 00:08:50,076 --> 00:08:53,236 Speaker 1: the exterior. The interior of the car. It looks like 125 00:08:53,236 --> 00:08:55,756 Speaker 1: it came straight out of the day of a system 126 00:08:55,916 --> 00:08:58,836 Speaker 1: the designers really swung for the outer reaches of the galaxy. 127 00:08:59,636 --> 00:09:02,436 Speaker 1: They put a radio fader nod by the driver's doorsill 128 00:09:02,996 --> 00:09:06,716 Speaker 1: and installed sun visors in the rear seat positions. And 129 00:09:06,796 --> 00:09:09,796 Speaker 1: there are a couple really interesting seat options in this car. 130 00:09:10,476 --> 00:09:13,916 Speaker 1: As I recall, there was the Pasha seed inserts, which 131 00:09:13,916 --> 00:09:17,076 Speaker 1: were a fabric kind of a lure insert but in 132 00:09:17,116 --> 00:09:20,236 Speaker 1: an op art pattern, so it looked like a rejected 133 00:09:20,516 --> 00:09:25,276 Speaker 1: Pink Floyd album cover kind of thing. Yeah, and super trippy, yeah, 134 00:09:25,356 --> 00:09:29,116 Speaker 1: but not not like um even you know, like really weird, yeah, 135 00:09:29,196 --> 00:09:32,556 Speaker 1: kind of stroving in and out. Yeah, Like it reminds 136 00:09:32,596 --> 00:09:34,956 Speaker 1: me of the pattern you see when you rub your eyes, 137 00:09:35,556 --> 00:09:41,236 Speaker 1: you know, right, it's real, real psychedelic. And it lent 138 00:09:41,316 --> 00:09:43,676 Speaker 1: to this sense that this car was like kind of 139 00:09:43,676 --> 00:09:47,116 Speaker 1: reverse engineered from alien spacecraft. You know, it was like 140 00:09:47,196 --> 00:09:54,156 Speaker 1: totally new and just landed like a meteor. When Porscha 141 00:09:54,196 --> 00:09:56,676 Speaker 1: created the nine twenty eight, they thought they were making 142 00:09:56,716 --> 00:09:58,996 Speaker 1: something akin to an evolution of the nine to eleven. 143 00:09:59,996 --> 00:10:02,076 Speaker 1: They thought they were bringing the ideas, an essence of 144 00:10:02,116 --> 00:10:06,476 Speaker 1: the company forward into the modern era. Porsche didn't realize 145 00:10:06,516 --> 00:10:09,196 Speaker 1: it was betraying the people who loved it most. It 146 00:10:09,196 --> 00:10:12,596 Speaker 1: wasn't the nine twenty eighth styling or interior that irked them. 147 00:10:12,636 --> 00:10:15,436 Speaker 1: It was the stuff under the skin that got so 148 00:10:15,676 --> 00:10:24,236 Speaker 1: well under their skin. Let's start at the beginning. Porscha 149 00:10:24,276 --> 00:10:26,916 Speaker 1: looms large in the hearts and minds of car enthusiasts, 150 00:10:27,396 --> 00:10:31,596 Speaker 1: but it's really the ultimate father and son operation. The father, 151 00:10:32,076 --> 00:10:37,076 Speaker 1: Ferdinand Porsche, designed the Volkswagen Beetle for Adolph Hitler. His 152 00:10:37,236 --> 00:10:41,436 Speaker 1: son Fairy, turned that Beetle into a sports car. This 153 00:10:41,516 --> 00:10:45,276 Speaker 1: became the first Porsche, the bathtub shaped three fifty six. 154 00:10:46,316 --> 00:10:48,996 Speaker 1: The three fifty six begat the nine to eleven. The 155 00:10:49,076 --> 00:10:51,956 Speaker 1: latter a bit bigger, a bit more solid, a bit 156 00:10:51,996 --> 00:10:55,196 Speaker 1: more refined than the three fifty six, but the fundamentals 157 00:10:55,196 --> 00:10:59,316 Speaker 1: were the same. Engine hung way out back behind the rearacle. 158 00:11:00,116 --> 00:11:08,036 Speaker 1: Really fun to drive, really hard to drive. Well. There's 159 00:11:08,036 --> 00:11:11,036 Speaker 1: a driving style in Porsche Land called shushing, where you 160 00:11:11,036 --> 00:11:14,476 Speaker 1: slide the car through a corner, ass out foot, heart 161 00:11:14,516 --> 00:11:18,156 Speaker 1: on the gas, a plume of tire smoke trailing behind you. 162 00:11:18,276 --> 00:11:20,156 Speaker 1: Essentially use the rear of the car to steer you 163 00:11:20,196 --> 00:11:24,756 Speaker 1: through a turn rather than the front. It's fun, it 164 00:11:24,796 --> 00:11:28,836 Speaker 1: looks crazy. It takes skill and nerve and an understanding 165 00:11:28,876 --> 00:11:32,156 Speaker 1: of physics, and it is the essence of driving a 166 00:11:32,236 --> 00:11:40,876 Speaker 1: rear engine portion. There's a glorious, like you know, animalistic 167 00:11:41,276 --> 00:11:44,116 Speaker 1: element to this thing. Here I am at the wheel 168 00:11:44,116 --> 00:11:47,476 Speaker 1: of a signal Red nineteen eighty five nine to eleven convertible. 169 00:11:47,796 --> 00:11:51,676 Speaker 1: It's counterintuitive. In a normal car, like a front engine, 170 00:11:51,836 --> 00:11:55,236 Speaker 1: front wheel drive car, a car starts to slide, you 171 00:11:55,316 --> 00:11:57,556 Speaker 1: take your feet off the gas, and everything kind of 172 00:11:57,556 --> 00:12:01,796 Speaker 1: corrects itself. In this car, you take your foot off 173 00:12:01,796 --> 00:12:05,676 Speaker 1: the gas, it'll spin, go into a corner way too hot, 174 00:12:05,956 --> 00:12:08,276 Speaker 1: lift off the throttle, and then all of a sudden, 175 00:12:08,356 --> 00:12:11,876 Speaker 1: no traction the back because instead of keeping the loads 176 00:12:11,916 --> 00:12:14,916 Speaker 1: on the rear wheels so they could have traction, you 177 00:12:15,076 --> 00:12:19,356 Speaker 1: unload the rear wheels. No traction anymore, and the thing spins. 178 00:12:19,636 --> 00:12:23,636 Speaker 1: So you know, it really did take balls of steel 179 00:12:23,716 --> 00:12:28,956 Speaker 1: to keep your foot in it. So to speak. I 180 00:12:29,036 --> 00:12:31,756 Speaker 1: own one of the early nine elevens, a nineteen seventy 181 00:12:31,756 --> 00:12:35,396 Speaker 1: one Coop. It's one of the lightest, most sensitive road 182 00:12:35,396 --> 00:12:39,636 Speaker 1: cars I've ever driven, and it rewards Driverley's skill. I 183 00:12:39,716 --> 00:12:43,036 Speaker 1: can't shush it every time in every corner. When I 184 00:12:43,076 --> 00:12:45,996 Speaker 1: get it right, it's like the heavens part and Jacob's 185 00:12:46,076 --> 00:12:54,876 Speaker 1: ladder descends. Oh my god, it's just a tear sports car. 186 00:12:56,596 --> 00:13:04,316 Speaker 1: They're cooled, making all kinds of weird noises. So unrefined 187 00:13:04,396 --> 00:13:10,396 Speaker 1: but super refined at the same time, sportscar drivers and 188 00:13:10,476 --> 00:13:14,276 Speaker 1: racers embraced the nine to eleven. When driven properly, it 189 00:13:14,356 --> 00:13:17,516 Speaker 1: was just incredibly fast and effective relative to its par 190 00:13:17,676 --> 00:13:21,516 Speaker 1: level and complexity. It hauled ass out of corners. Because 191 00:13:21,516 --> 00:13:24,396 Speaker 1: it carried a majority of its mass over its rear wheels, 192 00:13:24,876 --> 00:13:27,716 Speaker 1: it gave it a lot of traction under power. It 193 00:13:27,796 --> 00:13:30,316 Speaker 1: was light and always seemed to punch above its weight, 194 00:13:31,516 --> 00:13:33,996 Speaker 1: and so it kept evolving on the street and winning 195 00:13:33,996 --> 00:13:37,396 Speaker 1: on the track. This little odd ball was cementing itself 196 00:13:37,476 --> 00:13:41,396 Speaker 1: as the quintessential sporting machine with wins on grueling international 197 00:13:41,516 --> 00:13:45,276 Speaker 1: rallies like Monte Carlo. The nine eleven Turbo or nine 198 00:13:45,396 --> 00:13:50,236 Speaker 1: thirty came to the States in nineteen seventy six. It 199 00:13:50,276 --> 00:13:53,276 Speaker 1: was the nine to eleven in a superhero costume, a 200 00:13:53,356 --> 00:13:56,956 Speaker 1: fearsome and combustible mega coup with fat fenders and a 201 00:13:57,036 --> 00:14:00,636 Speaker 1: huge fluke for a tail. The turbo was even harder 202 00:14:00,636 --> 00:14:03,516 Speaker 1: to drive than the standard nine to eleven. Power delivery 203 00:14:03,636 --> 00:14:06,596 Speaker 1: was all or nothing, and it gained a reputation as 204 00:14:06,596 --> 00:14:08,876 Speaker 1: a dentist killer for the way it would spin off 205 00:14:08,876 --> 00:14:12,236 Speaker 1: the road at the slightest provocation, like when it's unexpecting 206 00:14:12,316 --> 00:14:15,676 Speaker 1: driver lifted off the throttle in a fast corner. It 207 00:14:15,756 --> 00:14:19,796 Speaker 1: earned the nickname the widow Maker. The nine eleven was 208 00:14:19,836 --> 00:14:25,436 Speaker 1: a car to respect. So if the nine O one 209 00:14:25,516 --> 00:14:27,996 Speaker 1: was the nine to eleven and the nine thirty was 210 00:14:27,996 --> 00:14:31,276 Speaker 1: the nine eleven Turbo, where does the nine twenty eight 211 00:14:31,276 --> 00:14:34,436 Speaker 1: fit in? The nine twenty eight had actually been on 212 00:14:34,476 --> 00:14:37,836 Speaker 1: Porsche's drawing board since nineteen seventy one, a mere seven 213 00:14:37,916 --> 00:14:40,076 Speaker 1: years after the launch of the nine to eleven and 214 00:14:40,236 --> 00:14:43,716 Speaker 1: before the nine thirty. Then the US was hit with 215 00:14:43,756 --> 00:14:47,876 Speaker 1: an oil embargo in nineteen seventy three. This is NBC 216 00:14:48,076 --> 00:14:52,236 Speaker 1: Nightly to use Wednesday, October seventeenth, Good Evening. The Middle 217 00:14:52,276 --> 00:14:55,876 Speaker 1: East War produced developments all over the world today, the 218 00:14:55,916 --> 00:14:59,276 Speaker 1: oil producing countries of the Arab world decided to use 219 00:14:59,316 --> 00:15:02,636 Speaker 1: their oil as a political weapon. They will reduce oil 220 00:15:02,676 --> 00:15:05,956 Speaker 1: production by the American automobile. For so long, the symbol 221 00:15:05,956 --> 00:15:09,956 Speaker 1: of America's wealth and extravagance is dying. New cars and 222 00:15:10,116 --> 00:15:13,676 Speaker 1: used cars stand like shining tombstones in the showrooms and 223 00:15:13,716 --> 00:15:19,036 Speaker 1: parking lots of the nation's car dealers, unloved, unwanted, and unsold. 224 00:15:20,236 --> 00:15:22,436 Speaker 1: All of a sudden, it did not seem prudent about 225 00:15:22,476 --> 00:15:24,916 Speaker 1: the future of the small family owned company on a 226 00:15:24,996 --> 00:15:27,276 Speaker 1: V eight powered sports car like the nine twenty eight, 227 00:15:28,036 --> 00:15:31,796 Speaker 1: it would have to wait. Maybe if there were no 228 00:15:31,916 --> 00:15:34,156 Speaker 1: gas crises and the nine twenty eight came out in 229 00:15:34,276 --> 00:15:37,516 Speaker 1: seventy four or seventy five, the nine to eleven wouldn't 230 00:15:37,556 --> 00:15:40,716 Speaker 1: have had the time to endear itself so completely to 231 00:15:40,756 --> 00:15:44,316 Speaker 1: the driving enthusiast. But by the nineteen seventy eight model year, 232 00:15:44,396 --> 00:15:47,756 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eighth first drivers had clasped the nine 233 00:15:47,756 --> 00:15:50,836 Speaker 1: to eleven tightly to their breasts. So why do the 234 00:15:50,916 --> 00:15:53,596 Speaker 1: nine twenty eight at all? Well, it was a poorly 235 00:15:53,636 --> 00:15:56,916 Speaker 1: kept secret that within the company itself, the nine eleven 236 00:15:56,956 --> 00:16:00,036 Speaker 1: had been marked for death for a couple of reasons. 237 00:16:00,716 --> 00:16:04,836 Speaker 1: The first was ambition. Doctor Ernst Furman was the successor 238 00:16:04,876 --> 00:16:08,276 Speaker 1: to Ferry Porsche as company chairman. He was an engineer 239 00:16:08,316 --> 00:16:11,276 Speaker 1: and an engine's signer. He thought the nine to eleven 240 00:16:11,356 --> 00:16:13,916 Speaker 1: was on its last legs. But there was also certainly 241 00:16:13,916 --> 00:16:18,676 Speaker 1: a part of him that had Mercedes envy. He wanted 242 00:16:18,676 --> 00:16:21,076 Speaker 1: to build a car to compete with the absolute pinnacle 243 00:16:21,116 --> 00:16:25,036 Speaker 1: of automaking, the guys who invented it all, Mercedes Benz 244 00:16:26,156 --> 00:16:28,676 Speaker 1: back in nineteen seventy one. He wanted to show the 245 00:16:28,676 --> 00:16:34,076 Speaker 1: world what a modern Porsche could be. Elegant, comfortable, sophisticated, 246 00:16:34,756 --> 00:16:38,276 Speaker 1: real competition for the big BMW and Mercedes Benz coops. 247 00:16:42,156 --> 00:16:45,436 Speaker 1: So that was one motivating factor. The other reason had 248 00:16:45,516 --> 00:16:55,996 Speaker 1: to do with this here that it's the signature worrying 249 00:16:56,036 --> 00:16:59,596 Speaker 1: and churing of the air cooled nine to eleven. Isn't 250 00:16:59,636 --> 00:17:04,076 Speaker 1: that a great sound? I mean, it is unmistakable. Nothing 251 00:17:04,076 --> 00:17:19,916 Speaker 1: else sounds like this, man, that is a wild animal sound, 252 00:17:20,236 --> 00:17:24,116 Speaker 1: or some day it sounds like nothing else, like it's 253 00:17:24,116 --> 00:17:27,716 Speaker 1: straining against itself on the verge of imploding, sort of 254 00:17:27,716 --> 00:17:29,916 Speaker 1: like how the rolling stones always sound like they're about 255 00:17:29,956 --> 00:17:32,876 Speaker 1: to fall apart, but never do it's part of what 256 00:17:32,956 --> 00:17:37,036 Speaker 1: keeps you engaged. You don't want to have the radio on. 257 00:17:37,356 --> 00:17:40,476 Speaker 1: You need to be able to listen to that engine. 258 00:17:45,676 --> 00:17:49,316 Speaker 1: But it's also not exactly modern sounding. The company fear 259 00:17:49,396 --> 00:17:52,596 Speaker 1: that it's noise would get regulated out of existence. In 260 00:17:52,636 --> 00:17:55,436 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven, all the noisemakers were in the back. 261 00:17:56,196 --> 00:17:59,956 Speaker 1: The intake manifold the chortling air cooled flat six engine 262 00:18:00,356 --> 00:18:03,556 Speaker 1: the flatulent exhaust system, So when the nine to eleven 263 00:18:03,636 --> 00:18:07,436 Speaker 1: drove by the automotive noise regulators microphones, it created a 264 00:18:07,476 --> 00:18:11,396 Speaker 1: big decibel spike at the of the car. Conventional cars, 265 00:18:11,516 --> 00:18:13,796 Speaker 1: with their engines up front and exhaust in the back, 266 00:18:14,356 --> 00:18:16,596 Speaker 1: spread that noise out across the length of the car 267 00:18:17,196 --> 00:18:20,676 Speaker 1: for less of a sonic whack. But noise wasn't the 268 00:18:20,756 --> 00:18:23,196 Speaker 1: only hurdle the nine to eleven was seen as ill 269 00:18:23,196 --> 00:18:27,796 Speaker 1: equipped to clear. There were also safety and emissions concerns. 270 00:18:28,796 --> 00:18:31,316 Speaker 1: Porsche figured that any replacement for the nine to eleven 271 00:18:31,676 --> 00:18:34,196 Speaker 1: would have to be future proofed against all this change, 272 00:18:34,796 --> 00:18:37,116 Speaker 1: and then a more conventional layout would be a better 273 00:18:37,116 --> 00:18:42,236 Speaker 1: basis for development. There were safety in numbers, A quiet, 274 00:18:42,316 --> 00:18:45,036 Speaker 1: liquid cooled engine in front like a more traditional sports 275 00:18:45,036 --> 00:18:48,156 Speaker 1: car with room for more mufflers and catalysts in the back, 276 00:18:48,996 --> 00:18:51,756 Speaker 1: better weight distribution front to rear thanks to a rear 277 00:18:51,756 --> 00:18:57,036 Speaker 1: mounted transmission, a thoroughly modern sports car, a showcase of 278 00:18:57,116 --> 00:19:04,156 Speaker 1: Porsche's engineering prowess. Perhaps most important both to the engineering 279 00:19:04,196 --> 00:19:07,556 Speaker 1: aspirations of Porsche and to nine twenty eighth rejection by 280 00:19:07,596 --> 00:19:12,476 Speaker 1: traditional Porsia owners was the newly designed rear axle. Seems 281 00:19:12,476 --> 00:19:15,116 Speaker 1: like a small change, but it had huge implications for 282 00:19:15,156 --> 00:19:17,996 Speaker 1: the car and for the argument I'm trying to make here. 283 00:19:19,116 --> 00:19:22,756 Speaker 1: It was known as the weissok axel. It stabilized the 284 00:19:22,756 --> 00:19:24,996 Speaker 1: rear of the car by towing in the rear wheels 285 00:19:25,156 --> 00:19:27,916 Speaker 1: like a pigeon, and within nine twenty eighth there was 286 00:19:27,956 --> 00:19:31,356 Speaker 1: far more balanced mass wise front to rear. That meant 287 00:19:31,436 --> 00:19:35,316 Speaker 1: no more easy shushing. Porsche engineers thought this was a 288 00:19:35,436 --> 00:19:38,476 Speaker 1: gigantic step forward, making the car far more stable in 289 00:19:38,516 --> 00:19:41,356 Speaker 1: all conditions and thus more drivable for a wider group 290 00:19:41,356 --> 00:19:44,516 Speaker 1: of people. But to the Porsche faithful it was a 291 00:19:44,556 --> 00:19:48,036 Speaker 1: fun killer. Our friend Derek Burke is not one of 292 00:19:48,036 --> 00:19:52,196 Speaker 1: the faithful, apparently. Yeah, people don't want to change what 293 00:19:52,236 --> 00:19:54,276 Speaker 1: they love. Yeah, because there is like they had built 294 00:19:54,316 --> 00:19:56,996 Speaker 1: up this skill and this proficiency in driving the nine 295 00:19:57,036 --> 00:19:58,836 Speaker 1: to eleven, and this thing was so easy to drive. 296 00:19:58,956 --> 00:20:02,196 Speaker 1: They're like, what's the point, right, the car doesn't push back? 297 00:20:04,916 --> 00:20:08,196 Speaker 1: You know the designer Raymond Loewy. Right, if you've seen 298 00:20:08,236 --> 00:20:11,716 Speaker 1: air Force one, the aircraft, not the Harrison Forn movie, 299 00:20:12,196 --> 00:20:16,236 Speaker 1: you know his work. Lowie was America's foremost industrial designer 300 00:20:16,476 --> 00:20:18,836 Speaker 1: and an age when design was just starting to matter. 301 00:20:19,876 --> 00:20:22,996 Speaker 1: He redesigned the coke bottle, He did the Lucky Strike 302 00:20:23,076 --> 00:20:28,316 Speaker 1: cigarette pack. He even designed studebakers. Lowie expressed his core 303 00:20:28,396 --> 00:20:33,596 Speaker 1: designed philosophy as the acronym MAYA m A y a 304 00:20:34,636 --> 00:20:38,396 Speaker 1: most advanced yet acceptable. The idea was that for a 305 00:20:38,396 --> 00:20:41,556 Speaker 1: new design to succeed, there needed to be something familiar 306 00:20:41,556 --> 00:20:44,676 Speaker 1: about it, something that linked it to the past. The 307 00:20:44,756 --> 00:20:47,516 Speaker 1: logo he drew for x On, for example, was built 308 00:20:47,556 --> 00:20:50,076 Speaker 1: off the cross. It looks like the cross of the 309 00:20:50,116 --> 00:20:53,036 Speaker 1: Knights Templar. Look at the two xes in it. Some 310 00:20:53,156 --> 00:20:56,876 Speaker 1: time we could do a whole episode on Raymond Loewie, 311 00:20:57,196 --> 00:20:59,636 Speaker 1: but I bring him up here briefly because in the 312 00:20:59,676 --> 00:21:03,036 Speaker 1: case of the nine twenty eight, his otherwise successful MAYA 313 00:21:03,076 --> 00:21:09,756 Speaker 1: philosophy didn't quite apply. You have to understand Porsche's value 314 00:21:09,796 --> 00:21:14,516 Speaker 1: is experimentation. Because it is so closely associated with one car, 315 00:21:14,676 --> 00:21:17,196 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven, many people think that it's a 316 00:21:17,276 --> 00:21:21,116 Speaker 1: risk averse operation. One visit to the company's museum in 317 00:21:21,156 --> 00:21:25,316 Speaker 1: the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart, Germany will dispel that notion. 318 00:21:28,236 --> 00:21:30,396 Speaker 1: They are arrayed on the floors and pinned to the 319 00:21:30,436 --> 00:21:35,436 Speaker 1: walls like exotic butterflies. Is Porsche's riot of ideas. Four 320 00:21:35,476 --> 00:21:38,996 Speaker 1: door nine elevens, the nine seventeen racing cars with their 321 00:21:39,036 --> 00:21:43,796 Speaker 1: pressurized two frames and mechanical guts hanging out. Crazy concepts 322 00:21:43,796 --> 00:21:47,316 Speaker 1: such as the froggy and toy like Panamericana, green and 323 00:21:47,356 --> 00:21:51,756 Speaker 1: White German police nine elevens, the wild and the wacky abound. 324 00:21:52,876 --> 00:21:56,076 Speaker 1: In this context, the nine twenty eight seems gently progressive, 325 00:21:56,636 --> 00:21:59,556 Speaker 1: and to Porsche it was, even though it was the 326 00:21:59,596 --> 00:22:03,596 Speaker 1: first Porsche designed entirely from scratch, with aluminum bodywork and 327 00:22:03,676 --> 00:22:06,556 Speaker 1: an all NUVI eight. The company intended for it to 328 00:22:06,596 --> 00:22:12,796 Speaker 1: be Maya in the extreme, most advanced yet acceptable but 329 00:22:12,956 --> 00:22:16,116 Speaker 1: loyal Porsche buyers, the very targets for the nine twenty 330 00:22:16,196 --> 00:22:19,836 Speaker 1: eight saw a betrayal under the car's curves. It's just different. 331 00:22:20,236 --> 00:22:24,236 Speaker 1: It's smoother, it's so much more refined sounding. It doesn't 332 00:22:24,276 --> 00:22:28,996 Speaker 1: have that weird mechanical kind of coarseness that the nine 333 00:22:29,036 --> 00:22:30,756 Speaker 1: to eleven has. But you kind of love about the 334 00:22:30,836 --> 00:22:35,036 Speaker 1: nine to eleven. This is just yeah, it's like the 335 00:22:35,036 --> 00:22:38,276 Speaker 1: best German corvette that's ever been right. Yeah, it's like 336 00:22:38,316 --> 00:22:43,076 Speaker 1: a weird German muscle car. Yeah, totally. It feels like 337 00:22:43,076 --> 00:22:44,916 Speaker 1: it wants to go in a straight line really fast 338 00:22:45,316 --> 00:22:48,476 Speaker 1: and not really turn with the kind of precision like 339 00:22:48,796 --> 00:22:51,796 Speaker 1: when you're coming out of a corner here. It doesn't 340 00:22:51,836 --> 00:22:54,836 Speaker 1: have that kind of snapback, added Tode that the nine 341 00:22:54,836 --> 00:22:57,156 Speaker 1: to eleven is where a nine to eleven you come 342 00:22:57,156 --> 00:23:00,356 Speaker 1: out of a corner and it's like a great smallow skier. 343 00:23:00,836 --> 00:23:04,276 Speaker 1: The transitional behavior is like the thing writes itself immediately 344 00:23:04,276 --> 00:23:06,996 Speaker 1: and sets you up for the next turn. This car 345 00:23:07,116 --> 00:23:09,916 Speaker 1: is a lot lazier feeling. It's like, yeah, I'll get 346 00:23:09,956 --> 00:23:12,716 Speaker 1: to it when I get to it, right. I feel 347 00:23:12,716 --> 00:23:14,676 Speaker 1: like I could drive across the country in it, like 348 00:23:14,756 --> 00:23:17,076 Speaker 1: on the highway though that that like, I think that's 349 00:23:17,116 --> 00:23:20,156 Speaker 1: what it was for. Very different than the nine to eleven. 350 00:23:20,636 --> 00:23:25,876 Speaker 1: Everything is has like that that little layer of insulation. 351 00:23:27,556 --> 00:23:29,916 Speaker 1: It's much more of a luxury car, much more of 352 00:23:29,916 --> 00:23:33,876 Speaker 1: a GT. It feels much heavier in the hand. As 353 00:23:33,916 --> 00:23:37,316 Speaker 1: they say, it's a vastly different driving experience than the 354 00:23:37,396 --> 00:23:39,716 Speaker 1: nine to eleven. The nine to eleven is real, kind 355 00:23:39,756 --> 00:23:46,756 Speaker 1: of direct and percussive and like always on, whereas this thing, 356 00:23:46,796 --> 00:23:48,996 Speaker 1: it's like you can kind of drive it with a pinky, 357 00:23:49,956 --> 00:23:51,996 Speaker 1: you know, you know what the front wheels are always doing, 358 00:23:52,116 --> 00:23:53,916 Speaker 1: you know what the chassis's doing. It gives you a 359 00:23:53,996 --> 00:23:57,036 Speaker 1: lot of information. But it does have that kind of 360 00:23:57,076 --> 00:24:02,076 Speaker 1: creaminess that the nine to eleven doesn't have. But this 361 00:24:02,156 --> 00:24:07,876 Speaker 1: is more stable. This has killed fewer dentists. Well, the 362 00:24:07,956 --> 00:24:12,276 Speaker 1: dentists always come. I don't know, I don't know, but 363 00:24:12,436 --> 00:24:15,756 Speaker 1: there's something about the kind of people who are attracted 364 00:24:15,796 --> 00:24:19,676 Speaker 1: to nine to elevens technically minded, who work with their 365 00:24:19,676 --> 00:24:23,276 Speaker 1: hands at a very high level, you know, like a dentist, 366 00:24:23,396 --> 00:24:27,076 Speaker 1: like an architect. Tom Wolfe talks about that in From 367 00:24:27,116 --> 00:24:29,916 Speaker 1: bau House to Our House, that architects always wanted to 368 00:24:29,956 --> 00:24:33,996 Speaker 1: have the nine to eleven. The nine to eleven embodies 369 00:24:34,196 --> 00:24:37,196 Speaker 1: like a real philosophy of how to build a car, 370 00:24:37,236 --> 00:24:40,356 Speaker 1: and it's totally different than anything else. And I think 371 00:24:40,436 --> 00:24:45,876 Speaker 1: one of the reasons This wasn't as embraced is because 372 00:24:46,596 --> 00:24:50,316 Speaker 1: it was a more commodified vision. You know, it was 373 00:24:50,396 --> 00:24:56,156 Speaker 1: one that was built to conform to regulations and built 374 00:24:56,156 --> 00:24:58,316 Speaker 1: to conform to you know, the kind of style of 375 00:24:58,316 --> 00:25:02,036 Speaker 1: other cars. It seemed like a threat to a belief 376 00:25:02,036 --> 00:25:04,876 Speaker 1: system in a way. The faithful didn't want to see 377 00:25:04,916 --> 00:25:10,076 Speaker 1: Porsche turn into just another car company. They to understand 378 00:25:10,236 --> 00:25:13,996 Speaker 1: kind of the the weirdness of the American customer. The 379 00:25:14,276 --> 00:25:19,956 Speaker 1: American Porsche guy was buying that car out of a 380 00:25:20,036 --> 00:25:24,076 Speaker 1: kind of iconoclasm because he didn't want to be lumped 381 00:25:24,076 --> 00:25:28,196 Speaker 1: in with the Corvette guys or the Triumph guys of 382 00:25:28,316 --> 00:25:33,196 Speaker 1: the MG guys. The Porsche was different, and it said 383 00:25:33,236 --> 00:25:36,476 Speaker 1: something different about you. It said that you were maybe 384 00:25:36,476 --> 00:25:39,316 Speaker 1: a more skilled driver, or that you had some connection 385 00:25:39,796 --> 00:25:43,396 Speaker 1: to the racing heritage of the brand, and that you 386 00:25:43,436 --> 00:25:47,756 Speaker 1: were one of those hairy armed heroes of motorsport. But 387 00:25:47,956 --> 00:25:55,876 Speaker 1: just you know, your day job was a dentist. Nine 388 00:25:55,916 --> 00:25:58,676 Speaker 1: twenty job was to supplant the nine to eleven to 389 00:25:58,796 --> 00:26:02,396 Speaker 1: be so captivating and cool as to wipe it from memory. 390 00:26:02,516 --> 00:26:06,236 Speaker 1: It did not do that. It couldn't. The nine eleven 391 00:26:06,276 --> 00:26:09,836 Speaker 1: had a kind of destiny to persist after the break, 392 00:26:10,076 --> 00:26:12,636 Speaker 1: we'll hear about the governor's pardon that extended the nine 393 00:26:12,676 --> 00:26:16,796 Speaker 1: to eleven's life. I'm Eddie Alterman, and this is Car Show. 394 00:26:26,076 --> 00:26:28,516 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty one, the nine to eleven got a 395 00:26:28,556 --> 00:26:33,556 Speaker 1: miraculous green mile reprieve. Porsche brought in a new CEO, 396 00:26:33,916 --> 00:26:37,156 Speaker 1: a German American named Peter Schutz, whose parents fled the 397 00:26:37,156 --> 00:26:41,356 Speaker 1: Third Rife and settled in Chicago. Schutz was an engineer 398 00:26:41,396 --> 00:26:45,316 Speaker 1: and an industrialist. He had stints at Caterpillar and Cummins 399 00:26:45,356 --> 00:26:48,236 Speaker 1: Diesel under his belt. When he got to Porsche, the 400 00:26:48,316 --> 00:26:50,916 Speaker 1: nine eleven was just getting strapped into the electric chair. 401 00:26:51,556 --> 00:26:54,876 Speaker 1: He noticed how glum everyone at the company seemed more 402 00:26:54,916 --> 00:26:59,796 Speaker 1: than just the usual Teutonic stoic gloominess. Porsche's employees were 403 00:26:59,916 --> 00:27:02,316 Speaker 1: visibly upset that the company was going to cancel the 404 00:27:02,396 --> 00:27:06,956 Speaker 1: nine to eleven. So Shutz heads down to a meeting 405 00:27:06,956 --> 00:27:10,956 Speaker 1: with Porsche's chief engineer at the time, how Bot. Schutz 406 00:27:11,036 --> 00:27:12,996 Speaker 1: notices that Bot has one of those big charts on 407 00:27:13,076 --> 00:27:16,156 Speaker 1: his office wall, with the lifespans and development cycles of 408 00:27:16,156 --> 00:27:19,916 Speaker 1: all Porsche products stretching out into the future. The line 409 00:27:19,916 --> 00:27:22,756 Speaker 1: for the nine to eleven stops dead in nineteen eighty one. 410 00:27:24,756 --> 00:27:27,516 Speaker 1: So Schotz goes over to the chart, picks up a marker, 411 00:27:27,996 --> 00:27:31,836 Speaker 1: and extends the nine elevens line off the paper, onto 412 00:27:31,876 --> 00:27:36,516 Speaker 1: the wall and out the door of Bot's office. In 413 00:27:36,556 --> 00:27:40,316 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, Shoultz wrote this for Road and Track. While 414 00:27:40,316 --> 00:27:42,956 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven could be temperamental at times, at 415 00:27:42,996 --> 00:27:46,676 Speaker 1: least it had character. That's what people loved most about it. 416 00:27:47,396 --> 00:27:50,116 Speaker 1: You had to remain vigilant with your inputs. But for 417 00:27:50,156 --> 00:27:53,036 Speaker 1: those who could, those of training with skill who could 418 00:27:53,076 --> 00:27:55,276 Speaker 1: catch it in a slide and bring it back into line, 419 00:27:55,916 --> 00:27:59,036 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven was king. It was the only 420 00:27:59,076 --> 00:28:01,436 Speaker 1: car worth driving because it was the only car that 421 00:28:01,436 --> 00:28:07,756 Speaker 1: would push back in its way. Eight only cemented the 422 00:28:07,836 --> 00:28:14,836 Speaker 1: nine eleven as the Porsche icon, but why? In many ways, 423 00:28:15,076 --> 00:28:17,876 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eight was the natural logical progression from 424 00:28:17,916 --> 00:28:21,996 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven, much more sophisticated, highly capable, and 425 00:28:22,156 --> 00:28:26,996 Speaker 1: easier to drive, building certify real competition for Mercedes, Benz 426 00:28:26,996 --> 00:28:32,236 Speaker 1: and BMW. It was future proofed yet familiar. No front 427 00:28:32,236 --> 00:28:35,316 Speaker 1: grill just like the nine eleven, arounded rump just like 428 00:28:35,356 --> 00:28:37,836 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven, and comfortable like the nine to 429 00:28:37,876 --> 00:28:41,116 Speaker 1: eleven On the face of it. The nine twenty eight, 430 00:28:41,196 --> 00:28:45,036 Speaker 1: hued closely to Lois maya maxim should have been a layup. 431 00:28:46,236 --> 00:28:48,516 Speaker 1: Many people blame the nine twenty eighth price of twenty 432 00:28:48,556 --> 00:28:51,636 Speaker 1: eight thousand, five hundred dollars or over one hundred and 433 00:28:51,636 --> 00:28:54,956 Speaker 1: twenty thousand dollars today for the chilly reception it received, 434 00:28:55,876 --> 00:28:57,716 Speaker 1: But the nine twenty eight was launched on the cusp 435 00:28:57,756 --> 00:29:01,516 Speaker 1: of the eighties to the me generation, to yuppies. That 436 00:29:01,636 --> 00:29:04,316 Speaker 1: audience was all about big ticket statements like the nine 437 00:29:04,356 --> 00:29:08,916 Speaker 1: twenty eight. And besides, sports cars are Vevlan items, status 438 00:29:09,116 --> 00:29:13,596 Speaker 1: and bols. The higher the price, the more highly they're prized. No, 439 00:29:13,796 --> 00:29:16,996 Speaker 1: it was something deeper about the relationship between Porsche coops 440 00:29:17,276 --> 00:29:22,196 Speaker 1: new and old. Back to that bright red eighty five 441 00:29:22,316 --> 00:29:25,276 Speaker 1: nine eleven I was driving earlier in the episode. This 442 00:29:25,396 --> 00:29:27,596 Speaker 1: is a lot more raw, and so you can see 443 00:29:27,596 --> 00:29:30,796 Speaker 1: how the person who is used to this car, you 444 00:29:30,836 --> 00:29:34,636 Speaker 1: know in the eighties, who loved the feeling of that 445 00:29:34,756 --> 00:29:37,396 Speaker 1: engine behind them, loved the sound of the engine behind them, 446 00:29:37,596 --> 00:29:39,476 Speaker 1: love the fact that they needed to know how to 447 00:29:39,556 --> 00:29:43,716 Speaker 1: drive it. You can see how they get in and 448 00:29:43,756 --> 00:29:46,756 Speaker 1: be like, if I wanted to Corvette, I'd buy a Corvette. 449 00:29:47,036 --> 00:29:50,516 Speaker 1: You know, there's no personality that car doesn't push back. 450 00:29:51,196 --> 00:29:55,636 Speaker 1: You know, it's too good. The nine eleven was so 451 00:29:55,676 --> 00:29:58,476 Speaker 1: appealing because it was such a handful. It was small, 452 00:29:58,676 --> 00:30:02,076 Speaker 1: it was noisy, and it would bite. It took skill 453 00:30:02,116 --> 00:30:05,756 Speaker 1: to drive well, and everyone knew it. You elicited respect 454 00:30:05,836 --> 00:30:08,876 Speaker 1: from other drivers. You are a local version of those 455 00:30:08,916 --> 00:30:11,476 Speaker 1: d dragon slayers who drove nine to elevens on racetracks 456 00:30:11,516 --> 00:30:14,956 Speaker 1: around the world. The superior handling and performance of the 457 00:30:15,036 --> 00:30:18,636 Speaker 1: nine twenty eight was a disadvantage in many Porsche file's eyes. 458 00:30:21,396 --> 00:30:26,516 Speaker 1: The nine twenty eight was Tana Ta NA two advanced, 459 00:30:26,956 --> 00:30:33,676 Speaker 1: not acceptable, too stable, too comfortable, too conformists. So it's 460 00:30:33,716 --> 00:30:36,036 Speaker 1: ironic that the nine twenty eight was the non conforming 461 00:30:36,116 --> 00:30:39,116 Speaker 1: model at Porsche for the entirety of its run. Even 462 00:30:39,156 --> 00:30:41,356 Speaker 1: if it sold decently for a while and ran for 463 00:30:41,396 --> 00:30:45,956 Speaker 1: a long eighteen years, nine twenty eight was always misunderstood 464 00:30:46,516 --> 00:30:50,276 Speaker 1: by drivers and by the media. It was mixed. It 465 00:30:50,356 --> 00:30:54,036 Speaker 1: was mixed. You know how the media sometimes can be, 466 00:30:54,236 --> 00:30:58,756 Speaker 1: you know, they look down on new things that no oh, 467 00:30:58,796 --> 00:31:03,076 Speaker 1: of course, every once in a a while. Tom McDonald was 468 00:31:03,116 --> 00:31:06,356 Speaker 1: the head of public relations for Audi, VW and Porsche 469 00:31:06,396 --> 00:31:09,076 Speaker 1: when the nine twenty eight was released in nineteen seventy eight. 470 00:31:09,596 --> 00:31:12,076 Speaker 1: He was there for the car's first media drive. It 471 00:31:12,476 --> 00:31:16,116 Speaker 1: was a mixed reaction because you had some media who 472 00:31:16,196 --> 00:31:22,956 Speaker 1: were biased towards racles rear engine cars. But I mean 473 00:31:23,036 --> 00:31:26,036 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eight was such a unique It wasn't 474 00:31:26,076 --> 00:31:31,396 Speaker 1: an evolutionary car. It was a revolutionary car. And they 475 00:31:31,436 --> 00:31:35,516 Speaker 1: had interesting characters around it. Again, a guy like Tony Lapine. 476 00:31:36,316 --> 00:31:40,356 Speaker 1: I think he someone asked him, why are the headlights 477 00:31:40,436 --> 00:31:43,476 Speaker 1: the pop up headlights? Why aren't they covered? And he says, 478 00:31:43,516 --> 00:31:46,356 Speaker 1: because we want to look up to the sky to God. 479 00:31:47,116 --> 00:31:53,316 Speaker 1: I mean, so it was always pedal to the metal 480 00:31:53,396 --> 00:31:56,596 Speaker 1: for a lot of the media guys, and it was 481 00:31:56,676 --> 00:31:59,956 Speaker 1: all about the numbers. Ken Porsche pull it off and 482 00:32:00,236 --> 00:32:03,596 Speaker 1: it's this the way that Porsche's gonna go forward now, 483 00:32:03,636 --> 00:32:05,956 Speaker 1: I tell you. There was also a little bit of 484 00:32:05,996 --> 00:32:11,836 Speaker 1: a pushback from the Porsche Club. Tom's talking about the PCA, 485 00:32:11,956 --> 00:32:18,476 Speaker 1: the Porsche Club of America. PCA members are Porsche's greatest 486 00:32:18,596 --> 00:32:22,916 Speaker 1: allies and they can also be their greatest nemesis. And 487 00:32:23,076 --> 00:32:25,836 Speaker 1: I used to liaise with the Porsche Club. That was 488 00:32:25,916 --> 00:32:27,756 Speaker 1: part of my job as to hold hands to the 489 00:32:27,796 --> 00:32:32,036 Speaker 1: Porsche Club and we had issues. I had issues going 490 00:32:32,076 --> 00:32:36,156 Speaker 1: back to nineteen seventy when the nine fourteen came whether 491 00:32:36,236 --> 00:32:38,636 Speaker 1: or not that was a real Porsche and was that 492 00:32:38,716 --> 00:32:42,396 Speaker 1: going to be accepted by the Porsche files as a 493 00:32:42,436 --> 00:32:46,476 Speaker 1: real Porsche. And then when the Porsche nine twenty four 494 00:32:46,636 --> 00:32:50,636 Speaker 1: came out, we had the same you know, pushed back 495 00:32:50,796 --> 00:32:53,876 Speaker 1: by some people. But they had spent a lot of 496 00:32:53,916 --> 00:32:57,116 Speaker 1: time getting to know the nine to eleven, learning how 497 00:32:57,196 --> 00:32:59,996 Speaker 1: to drive it. They took pride in being able to 498 00:33:00,036 --> 00:33:04,836 Speaker 1: handle that car. I have a very interesting little piece 499 00:33:04,876 --> 00:33:08,676 Speaker 1: of paper that I keep right here, and it's a quote. 500 00:33:09,156 --> 00:33:13,156 Speaker 1: It says a Porsche owner is not necessarily a Porsche driver. 501 00:33:15,916 --> 00:33:22,756 Speaker 1: Think about it. Pia really made Porsche in this country. 502 00:33:23,196 --> 00:33:27,476 Speaker 1: I mean going back way before my time, back in 503 00:33:26,796 --> 00:33:31,876 Speaker 1: the in the fifties and sixties. They were the backbone, 504 00:33:31,956 --> 00:33:34,996 Speaker 1: if you will, of the Porsche enthusiast. Today, they are 505 00:33:35,036 --> 00:33:41,396 Speaker 1: still i'd say influential. I mean, Porsche really reaches out 506 00:33:41,436 --> 00:33:44,276 Speaker 1: to them making sure that they were on board with 507 00:33:44,916 --> 00:33:48,916 Speaker 1: new products. So are they are Porsche people on board 508 00:33:48,956 --> 00:33:51,836 Speaker 1: with the vehicle's Porsche is making now or are its 509 00:33:51,876 --> 00:33:56,156 Speaker 1: owners still fixated on the nine to eleven. Well, it's complicated. 510 00:33:56,796 --> 00:33:58,796 Speaker 1: The nine to eleven is still the white hot center 511 00:33:58,836 --> 00:34:02,556 Speaker 1: of the Porsche universe, with a staggering twenty four variants, 512 00:34:03,196 --> 00:34:06,036 Speaker 1: everything from the basic rear wild drive coupe to the 513 00:34:06,116 --> 00:34:11,356 Speaker 1: bewinged track gobbling GT three. But encircling the icon is 514 00:34:11,396 --> 00:34:14,836 Speaker 1: a vast array of vehicles that, at first glance seemed 515 00:34:14,876 --> 00:34:17,676 Speaker 1: just as offensive to the core nine eleven person as 516 00:34:17,716 --> 00:34:21,836 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eight was the mccan Mini suv, the 517 00:34:21,956 --> 00:34:27,996 Speaker 1: heavy hatchbacked Panamera Sedan, the Panamera Wagon, the Cayenne Suv, 518 00:34:29,116 --> 00:34:33,596 Speaker 1: the Tychon electric vehicle. Only the seven eighteen Boxer and 519 00:34:33,676 --> 00:34:36,676 Speaker 1: Cayman sports cars seemed to hew closely to the nine 520 00:34:36,676 --> 00:34:42,196 Speaker 1: to eleven in concept. The Cayenne started this Cambrian explosion 521 00:34:42,236 --> 00:34:44,916 Speaker 1: of models twenty five years after the nine twenty eight, 522 00:34:45,196 --> 00:34:48,196 Speaker 1: so let's use that as our example. The Cayenne was 523 00:34:48,236 --> 00:34:52,156 Speaker 1: the first five door, five passenger Porsche, a high riding 524 00:34:52,356 --> 00:34:56,276 Speaker 1: front engine, all wheel drive beast. It was heavy, but 525 00:34:56,316 --> 00:34:58,556 Speaker 1: it was faster and better to drive than the SUVs 526 00:34:58,596 --> 00:35:01,396 Speaker 1: of the day. There was some Porsche fire in it, 527 00:35:02,236 --> 00:35:06,476 Speaker 1: and it was hilariously overbuilt for the carpool lane, surprisingly 528 00:35:06,476 --> 00:35:10,156 Speaker 1: good on the racetrack, and very competent off row, truly 529 00:35:10,236 --> 00:35:13,196 Speaker 1: flexible in spirit, much like the original nine to eleven. 530 00:35:13,836 --> 00:35:16,356 Speaker 1: It referenced to nine to eleven shape in its headlights 531 00:35:16,396 --> 00:35:19,316 Speaker 1: and its hood, and it channeled a tiny hint of 532 00:35:19,316 --> 00:35:22,276 Speaker 1: the spirit of those special nine elevens, the nine five 533 00:35:22,356 --> 00:35:25,276 Speaker 1: threes and nine five nins that raced in such gruing 534 00:35:25,316 --> 00:35:29,476 Speaker 1: off road trials as the Peris Dakar Rally. To many, 535 00:35:29,556 --> 00:35:33,236 Speaker 1: it looked like complete heresy, a misunderstood nine twenty eight 536 00:35:33,276 --> 00:35:39,796 Speaker 1: by another name, But people bottom lots of them. Perhaps 537 00:35:39,876 --> 00:35:41,996 Speaker 1: because more people in two thousand and three had more 538 00:35:41,996 --> 00:35:45,196 Speaker 1: money and more access to money than ever it allowed 539 00:35:45,236 --> 00:35:49,156 Speaker 1: non traditional, a typical Porsche buyers to enter the fold. 540 00:35:49,796 --> 00:35:52,716 Speaker 1: Or perhaps because people wanted an suv so they could 541 00:35:52,716 --> 00:35:54,716 Speaker 1: see eye to eye with all the other SUVs on 542 00:35:54,756 --> 00:35:57,796 Speaker 1: the road, or perhaps because many of the Porsche faithful 543 00:35:57,996 --> 00:36:00,756 Speaker 1: wanted that suv to be a Porsche, not a BMW 544 00:36:00,916 --> 00:36:04,916 Speaker 1: or Mercedes Benz, and on and on. But here's what 545 00:36:04,996 --> 00:36:09,076 Speaker 1: I think. The real reason the nine twenty eight failed 546 00:36:09,276 --> 00:36:14,116 Speaker 1: where the Chayenne didn't is this nine eight was created 547 00:36:14,156 --> 00:36:17,036 Speaker 1: to kill the nine to eleven. The Chyenne came along 548 00:36:17,076 --> 00:36:21,036 Speaker 1: to exalt it, to make its essence more widely accessible 549 00:36:21,596 --> 00:36:24,396 Speaker 1: to take some of the Porsche vibe to the somnambulent 550 00:36:24,556 --> 00:36:29,236 Speaker 1: suv category, whereas the nine twenty eight was an existential 551 00:36:29,276 --> 00:36:33,916 Speaker 1: threat the Porsche of faithful. Those iconoclasts who wanted their 552 00:36:33,956 --> 00:36:37,396 Speaker 1: engine in the back and their rear end sliding resented 553 00:36:37,436 --> 00:36:41,076 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eight for its maturity, for its price, 554 00:36:41,396 --> 00:36:44,676 Speaker 1: and for its non portionists, whatever that meant at the time, 555 00:36:45,916 --> 00:36:48,996 Speaker 1: whereas these same people, no doubt tenderized a bit by 556 00:36:49,036 --> 00:36:52,836 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eight, embraced the Cayenne because it's celebrated 557 00:36:52,876 --> 00:36:57,316 Speaker 1: the nine to eleven. Honor your heroes, don't try to 558 00:36:57,356 --> 00:37:11,356 Speaker 1: replace them. You didn't think I forgot about Joel Goodson, 559 00:37:11,476 --> 00:37:15,876 Speaker 1: did you? His redemption came at the end of risky business. 560 00:37:16,396 --> 00:37:24,556 Speaker 1: Do you have something to tell me? No, I don't 561 00:37:24,596 --> 00:37:28,036 Speaker 1: think so. I just got off the telephone with Bill Rutherford. 562 00:37:29,196 --> 00:37:35,876 Speaker 1: Apparently you two had quite a meeting. Princeton can use 563 00:37:35,956 --> 00:37:43,036 Speaker 1: a guy like Joel. What Princeton can use a guy 564 00:37:43,116 --> 00:37:50,276 Speaker 1: like Joel? His exact words, it's unbelievable. You're as good 565 00:37:50,276 --> 00:37:55,796 Speaker 1: as in. Redemption is also coming slowly to the nine 566 00:37:55,916 --> 00:38:01,236 Speaker 1: twenty eight. Collectible prices are up, haters are down. And 567 00:38:01,316 --> 00:38:03,516 Speaker 1: if you look at most high end sports cars now, 568 00:38:04,156 --> 00:38:06,516 Speaker 1: they're much closer in spirit to the nine twenty eight 569 00:38:06,596 --> 00:38:10,396 Speaker 1: than the nine to eleven. Very refined and easy to 570 00:38:10,516 --> 00:38:15,596 Speaker 1: drive every day, capable of long cross continent stints. Grand 571 00:38:15,596 --> 00:38:19,316 Speaker 1: tours are the order of the day now. Aston Martin's 572 00:38:19,316 --> 00:38:22,956 Speaker 1: Mercedes SLS and even some Ferraris owe a debt to 573 00:38:22,996 --> 00:38:27,356 Speaker 1: the nine twenty eight. Hell, some even suggest that the 574 00:38:27,356 --> 00:38:30,396 Speaker 1: current nine to eleven is so grown up that it's 575 00:38:30,436 --> 00:38:32,876 Speaker 1: really now just a nine twenty eight with its engine 576 00:38:32,916 --> 00:38:37,516 Speaker 1: in the back. It's the hero's journey, the mono myth, 577 00:38:38,196 --> 00:38:44,116 Speaker 1: and I appreciate that, but I'm still an old nine 578 00:38:44,116 --> 00:38:49,076 Speaker 1: to eleven. Guy Welle is really special and it was 579 00:38:49,116 --> 00:38:52,636 Speaker 1: so ahead of its time that it's really where a 580 00:38:52,716 --> 00:38:59,836 Speaker 1: lot of sports cars went. And that's great, you know, 581 00:38:59,996 --> 00:39:05,716 Speaker 1: and it really did advance the species. But man, give 582 00:39:05,716 --> 00:39:17,236 Speaker 1: me one of these every day of the week. Car 583 00:39:17,276 --> 00:39:20,916 Speaker 1: Show is written and hosted by me Eddie Alterman. It's 584 00:39:20,956 --> 00:39:24,836 Speaker 1: produced by Sam Dingman, Jacob Smith and Amy Gaines. Our 585 00:39:24,996 --> 00:39:29,916 Speaker 1: editor is Jen Guera. Original music and mastering by Ben Taliday. 586 00:39:30,436 --> 00:39:34,196 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Mia Loebell. Our show art was 587 00:39:34,236 --> 00:39:37,276 Speaker 1: designed by Sean Karney and Airbrushed by Greg with Fever. 588 00:39:38,076 --> 00:39:41,116 Speaker 1: Our patron saints are Lee, Tom Mallad and Justine Lane, 589 00:39:41,636 --> 00:39:44,276 Speaker 1: and thank you to Derek Burke for the abuse of 590 00:39:44,316 --> 00:39:47,916 Speaker 1: your Car. Car Show is a production of Pushkin Industries. 591 00:39:48,476 --> 00:39:51,156 Speaker 1: If you love this show and others from Pushkin Industries, 592 00:39:51,556 --> 00:39:55,996 Speaker 1: consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast 593 00:39:56,036 --> 00:40:00,236 Speaker 1: subscription that offers bonus content and uninterrupted listening for four 594 00:40:00,436 --> 00:40:03,476 Speaker 1: ninety nine a month. Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple 595 00:40:03,556 --> 00:40:08,716 Speaker 1: podcast subscriptions. To find more Pushkin podcasts, listen on the 596 00:40:08,716 --> 00:40:13,596 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.