The first Porsche 911 was brought to the continent in 1964 by Australian Porsche distributor at the time, Norman Hamilton. It was sold to farmer Ron Angas. That 911 is the inspiration for a pair of matching Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur 911 Carrera S models that were created jointly by Porsche Centre Melbourne and Porsche Centre Sydney South.

“The idea was to take the 1965 911 and reimagine that car and all its wonderful details for 2020,” explains Dean Williams, New Vehicle Sales Manager, Porsche Centre Melbourne.

The two models are inspired by the first 911 to make its way to the continent in the 1960s.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

Porsche tells the story of the initial car’s deliver:

“When Ron Angas put down 2,000 Australian pounds on a new six cylinder Porsche in 1964, the order form stated ‘901’. But by the time the sports car arrived on Angas’s farm in the Barossa Valley, 100 km north of Adelaide, the badge bore the numbers 911, following Porsche’s now-famous trademark dispute with Peugeot. The new owner didn’t mind: it meant the distinctive ‘119’ black and white number plate that had been worn by several Angas family cars over the years would neatly mirror the new addition’s model name.”

That 911 was loved and exercised often by its owner.

It was routinely seen partaking in the Collingrove hillclimb that Angas had built on his property. After racking up 87,000 km on the odometer, Angas sold the 911 to his architect friend Roy Wilson in February 1969.

Stewart Kay, the car’s current owner, first saw the classic when he interviewed Wilson for a university paper in the late 1980s. Porsche describes the moment he first laid eyes on it:

“Secreted in the shadows of Wilson’s garage, Kay noticed it bore a stark similarity to a car he had read about in an English magazine. On display at the Porsche Museum, he recalled that the car had been cited as the ‘oldest known 911’.

“When he checked the article later, he was surprised to discover that the Museum car’s chassis number was 302 503: exactly 1,000 cars later than the one he had just seen. Calls to the factory via Porsche Cars Australia soon confirmed that the 911 in Wilson’s garage was one of the first right hand drive examples ever built.

He pleaded with Wilson – initially without success – to buy the car, but it wasn’t until 1992 that he received a phone call asking: “Do you still want it?”. A price was negotiated immediately and the car – complete with original keys, original owners’ manual, service books and more than 136,000 km on the clock – found itself its third delighted owner.”

The two tribute models do not share the same mechanical components, instead relying on the aesthetic customization options of Porsche Exclusive Manufakturt to create the special edition models.

The 1965 911 was finished in Stone Grey but that color is no longer part of the Porsche lineup. Its modern equivalent is Crayon. In addition to that paint job, the two models feature offset 20- and 21-inch wheels in Carrera Exclusive Design with black calipers. Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur SportDesign side skirts, painted exterior mirrors and high-gloss trim strips finish the look.

Challenging designers, the early model 911 was swathed in green leather, which contrasts with the car’s maple yellow timber dashboard, which was a standard feature when the car was new. There was a matching wood-rimmed steering wheel and ‘English’ instrumentation.

The new versions of the 911 are finished with Agave Green Club leather with contrasting Crayon stitching and matching Agave Green seat belts. The inspiration car did not have the 14-way power-adjustable sport seats with memory that have made their way into the new models, complete with the Porsche crest embossed into the headrests.

Brushed aluminium door sill guards in dark silver are illuminated and personalised with ‘1965 Reimagined’ text. Both of the type 992 cars have been fitted with an interior package in a Paldao Dark design.

Kay’s 911 is usually housed at the museum at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia. Tt will go on show alongside its new descendants at Porsche Australia’s two Exclusive Manufaktur partners: Porsche Centre Sydney South and Porsche Centre Melbourne.