People tend to keep and love Porsches for a long time, so there’s a huge industry around restoring classic models and keeping them on the road. Porsche itself is in on the action, and it sponsors an annual Classic Restoration Challenge to showcase dealerships with the best crew.
The 2022 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge involved more than 60 dealerships. Porsche offered its entire 60,000-part classic genuine parts catalog for the event, and scoring looked at not only the accuracy and completeness of restoration but also the creativity and craftsmanship.
Out of the dozens of cars, three finalists rose to the top: A 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Type 930, a 1996 911 Carrera 4S Type 993, and a 1982 911 SC G-Model. Other entries included funky models like a 1974 914 LE and a 1989 911 Turbo Slant Nose Targa. Porsche requires a rigorous process for the competition, including multiple check-ins and thorough documentation.
Porsche is going electric, and the writing is on the wall for some models, but the 911 won’t be the first to make the transition. The automaker has seen great success with the Taycan and has confirmed that the next-generation Macan crossover will be electric. After that, the 718 Cayman/Boxster and Cayenne will likely come next. Finally, the Panamera should get its due by the end of the decade.
That leaves the 911, which is expected to transition to hybrid power in 2026. Executives have hinted that the car would work in an electric format, so we’ll have to savor these classic gas-powered models a little more while we still can.
