That's probably it for me... My family didn't have a lot of money and I grew up near DC, which has a lot of money. I saw these cars (Porsche, Ferarri, Lambo, etc) as a symbol of sucess. They were fast and and expensive. I couldn't drive, so handling and whatnot didn't mean anything to me....despite reading all the car magazines. Explain oversteer and heal and toe to someone who didn't drive. My dad drove an automatic K car.

Once I got my license, I was so happy to drive, I didn't care too much what I drove...in fact car audio was all the rage anyway. If can't cram in 10" kickers, who cares? :) Got busy with all sorts of other stuff. Exotic cars? Sports cars? Well, they just go faster than what I drove and I couldn't afford them anyway.

Went to college, found other things to do. Had a ride in a freind's beat up 85 Carerra Cab. Zipping through Atlanta traffic after a Braves game. That oil cooled smell - like the VW I used to go to school in. She told me she got it for $5K. Filed that away in my mind.

When I finally had some money and was finishing grad school, I told my wife I wanted to spend $5K and get a nice 911 Targa. I built all these car models when I was younger and I had a Targa model. I liked the Targa because the roof came off. She suggested a Del Sol :) which I said was not the same. I still had no interest in racing, DEs, AX or even working on it myself.

Long story short..I finally got the 911 and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but not for the reasons I expected to....sunny day driving with the targa roof off (I do still enjoy that). Despite reading R&T and C&D for many years in high school, I didnt realize you could drive YOUR OWN car on the track and really get to see how it really does what it's designed to do. Once I got involved witha group of track nuts in my area, I really enjoy the car for so much more than why I bought it.

Oh....why a Porsche and not one of the other exotics? Probably the experience with the friend's car, partly the accessability, partly the timelessness of the design.

Well, it is in my blood, my mother use to race a 356 Speedster back when they were new (boy I wish I knew where that car is today) she ever raced Sebring (SCCA, not the 12 hours). In high school I tried vetts, Z cars, early stangs, but ended up with a Porsche in college, and never looked back :D

Byron - most of the speedsters were accounted for for the 50th anniversary a few years ago, and that new speedster book. If you have a chassis/VIN number, finding out its whereabouts may be possible.

I still have the Carrera 6 (corgi) I got when I was five.

Dad had a bug growing up, my first car was a bug - a natural progression.. When I got my first 911, that mohair and oil smell was so familiar!