Slipstream - January 2019

BK: Let’s talk cars. What was your first car?
RG: My first car was my mum’s VW Polo GTI. I drove it
two weeks before crashing it into someone’s garden wall.
After that I had a Citroen Saxo with a 1100cc motor. It
had the power of a hair dryer (laughing); guess it kept
me out of trouble though.
BK: So why the interest in Porsche?
RG: Growing up in the ‘80s in Leicester, we would never
see a 911, or many other exotics.
In the 1985 movie “Commando” there’s bad guy getting
away in a yellow 911, but he rolls it onto its side. Arnold
Schwarzenegger kills the bad guy, and rolls the car back
over, and drives off in it! It was awesome! And then Bad
Boys movie followed in the ‘90s with the 964. I would
say Hollywood started my interest in Porsches.
BK: What was your first real exposure to the brand?
RG: My father had been driving a 1992 Lotus Excel
2+2. I feel blessed he thought of my sister and me when
buying the 4-seater Excel, as his preferred choice was
the 2-seater Esprit. As a family, we went all over the
UK in it. I can’t describe how nice it was going out in
a sports car as a family. But it wasn’t reliable! So in
2001, I walked into my first Porsche dealership with
my father, in Nottingham. Once there, we found out
that the 996 turbo had a 2-3 year wait. Dad wasn’t so
pleased with the attitude of this dealer, so we went to
another dealer in Northampton a week later to hear the
same thing. However this dealer recommended he look
at a new car in the works, the 996 C4S. He could get it
within 18 months.
BK: And?
RG: It arrived in 2003, a silver on red C4S. And he still
drives it today!
BK: Not many know that Porsche was not the first
sports car you bought once you settled here.
RG: I wanted to experience American muscle, so in
late 2015 I purchased a 2009 Corvette. What’s more
American than that (laughing)?
BK: Lets talk about this 993. How did this come about?
RG: It certainly wasn’t planned. Things were sailing
along smoothly for us, and then we hit a bump in
the road. Guess it kind of woke me up and just out
of nowhere I thought ” I’m getting a Porsche.” I knew
I wanted a 993. It was my childhood dream. So last
year I started looking. I called about three other cars
and wouldn’t you know it, they were sold. Then this
993 Turbo came up out in Denver, so I flew out to see
it. I think I drove it all of a mile and bought it on the
spot. We are the fourth owner. It had stayed in Denver;
it even had the original window sticker from Prestige
Porsche in Lakewood.
BK: What? Prestige Porsche was Hagestad Porsche-Audi.
This is such a small world! I know Bob and bought his 356
and also bought a 914 that was originally delivered at his
dealership. Talk about six degrees of Kevin Bacon (laughing).
Once again, when you are out at events, take the time
to say hello to someone new. Make it a challenge to
meet someone you don’t know, it’s too easy to stay in
your close circle of friends. After all, it’s about . . .
Driving Friendships.
Contact me to learn how you can get
the most out of retirement.
Lisa D. Ward, MBA
Agent, New York Life Insurance Company
777 Mains Street Suite 3800
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817-614-3165
ldward01@ft.newyorklife.com
www.facebook.com/LisaWardNYL/
Insure. Prepare. Retire.
We’ll give
you an
assist on
your future
goals.
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