Recently I was asked by Otto in Venice to list his 1974 Limited Edition "Bumble Bee" on Ebay. Being a huge fan of both Otto and 914's I was super excited.
I should start out by saying that Otto restored this car in his shop's free time about 5 years ago. Everything was replace with factory new parts. It is almost like a new car. Driving it was the closest I'll ever come to driving a new 914 2.0 and let me just tell you it was awesome.
Shortly after listing the car on Ebay I got a phone call from Stan. Stan immediately started tell me the story of the black and yellow 914 2.0 LE that he bought off of the show room floor in 1974 just after starting his own business in his mid twenties. I listen as he described how much fun it was for him to go on road trips in this car. I listened and imagined what this must have been like for him.
Stan and I talked for a good long time on the phone about Otto's car and about 914's in general. When someone has had a good experience with a 914 it is hard to describe the feeling he gets when driving it. It is a sense of freedom that is unmatched, in my opinion, by any other car. As we talked I soon understood that he wanted his son to have the same experience that he had 37 years ago. To go on a road trip in a brand new 914 2.0 Limited Edition.
Flash forward to meeting Ross, Stan's 26 year old son. He is, in his dad's words, a farm boy who had never been to California and never driven a 914. As I picked Ross up from the LAX international airport he and I both agreed that he wasn't in Kansas anymore.
First things first, he was excited to see what the deal was with this "special" car. So we loaded up his suitcase and head directly to Otto's. Otto greeted us in his usual stern but surprisingly friendly way and directed us to the car on the hoist. Ross and Otto proceeded to talk about the cars mechanics while Ross inspected the pristine underside of this LE.
I was thrilled to watch Otto introducing a fresh mind to the world of 914's and soon it was time for a crash coarse in driving it in LA traffic.
We took it slow at first but Ross, being the car guy that he is, soon mastered the dog leg first and the quarky shift linkage. I could see how intimidation gave way to exilleration as we got to take a couple of fast 90 degree turns and then enter the 405 on ramp. Ross says, "What's the speed limit here?"
"70"
"Well let's unleash the ponies!"
I watched the transformation take place. A smile started growing on Ross as we zipped around Southern California with the top down. He was getting it!!
We then got my 930 and cruised to the Peterson Auto Museum, The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica before we headed up to Santa Clarita where he is staying for the week.
We were both exhausted after all of the sight seeing and driving in the brutal LA traffic.
I slept like a rock last night and woke up excited because today Ross, in his new 914 LE, and I, in my 1971 914-6, are going to meet a few friends after breakfast to make a drive up the 14 to Agua Dulce. After lunch we'll head back to the city to drive up to the Griffith Observatory and then to the Ronald Regan Library.
Ross leaves tomorrow back to the harsh Kansas winter where he'll wait for the LE to be delivered and then parked for the better part of three months, but today, for just a few short hours, he'll get to relive what few people his age gets to. To drive a "new" 914 2.0 LE with the top down in sunny California. I imagine this will be a time he'll remember in 37 years from now fondly. Who knows what the world will be like then. I hope he'll savor today, as I know I will, and enjoy this truly awesome but brief 914 moment.
More pictures to come soon!
Great story. A kid from Kansas driving around a convertible Porsche on his first trip to LA before having the car shipped home. I think he'll remember it for a while.
What are the odds to get a Bumblebee and a Bumblebee Bugatti in the same area?
Fantastic story.
I was just gonna ask if that was a bugatti veyron
"I was just gonna ask if that was a bugatti veyron"
My 15 year old son was reading this with me and it took him all of 0.1 seconds to say:
"Holy crap, a bugatti veyron bumblebee!!"
Nice story and a heck of a first time away from Kansas!
If you get a chance do topanga canyon during low traffic times (dont even know if that is still possible). Memories from 20 years ago in my first 914 are unforgettable.
Stu
What a great story! My 16 year old has helped me with my car but his high school buddies are Camero nuts. So he wants a Camero :-(
Shoe be sury Mary sees this. Another Kansas Teener. :-)
This is one of the best 914 stories ever!
Make sure to send Ross home with a pair of "Ruby Slippers" - so he can "cleck them back" to SoCal when gets tires of the Kansas winter!
Great pix too - esp. Peterson cars!
PS - Make sure Ross joins up here, gets his "new" Bee in the VIN Registry, and there was also another thread about starting up a 914 Price/Value registry of sales - so he should get that info on here, and probably to Jeff Bowlsby's LE website/registry too.
Here's Jeff's LE site, which Ross will enjoy reading up on his new baby!
http://bowlsby.net/914/CanAm/
And here's Jeff's & p914's overall 914 info websites -
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/
http://www.p914.com/
Please pass them on to Ross for me, as reading up on them will give him something 914-ish to do during the cold winter!
TIA
Tom
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I'm happy to say Stan spoke to Jeff before making this purchase. I will try to persuade Russ to join 914world.com and 914club.com when he gets home. He's already talking about building a 914-6 hotrod like mine!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-R6Dyb7DXg&hd=1
My best 914 day ever! Ross' too. It really doesn't get much better than this. I'll be sad to see Ross and Otto's 914 LE go to Kansas tomorrow.
Cool stuff.
I am still working on my son (9). The other day I was trying to talk him into going to the track with me and he said "Dad, I am just not really into cars."
Arghhhhhhh!
What a classic piece Porsche story telling. It's hard to beat a big blue sky CA day! I hope he enjoys the LE for many years to come. Your -6 looks like one helluva ride! Thanks for sharing the great pics and video to!!
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