1965 Porsche 911 Bali Blue (Totally documented unrestored example with 81,000 miles) SOLD

SOLD

1965 Bali Blue 911

We have been on some of the biggest wild goose chases the car world has ever known. Most have ended with disappointment, not being worth getting out of our rental when we pull up and see a “boat anchor” sitting in the driveway. A few years back I got a call from a man in Maryland with an “original” 1965 911. You just read about originality in the September issue of Road Scholars Magazine – so you understand that this description is a moving target. But over the phone he told a good story. Plane tickets are cheap compared to buying a bad car. So what the hell! I’ll go eat some crab cakes.

This 1965 911 was originally delivered to Competition Motors in Culver City, CA, in July of 1965. The buyer ordered it in Bali Blue with a black interior featuring Pepita (houndstooth) seat inserts, tinted glass, Webasto heater, Blaupunkt Frankfurt radio, loud speaker, and antenna. Then the dealer added front and rear bumper guards as well as a headrest for an additional mark up. Shirley Burden of Beverly Hills purchased the car but she rarely drove it. In 1971, her son Arturo was living in Maryland, so what a better gift than a 911! Arturo drove if for a few years when the weather was decent, however by 1974, he realized he really didn’t need it anymore.

Cue our Hero

In stepped our hero, Barry. Barry acquired this 911 on Febuary 5, 1974, with only 17,600 original miles – in “excellent” condition – for the whopping sum of $4,600.00. Barry drove the car sparingly and coveted it for the next 39 years or so.

When my phone rang, the man named Barry said he was thinking about selling his 1965 911, the one that he bought in the early 1970’s. He said he bought the car from the son of the original owner and he owned it ever since. The intriguing part to me was the car wasn’t red! And he said he had gotten only one fender repainted, because back in the day there was no such thing as a “Ding Guy”. Barry went on to tell me the car had 70,000 miles and the interior was original too.

Huh? What time will you be available tomorrow, was my next question. I got on a plane, few into Baltimore, rented my car, and off I went.

I pulled into the driveway, picked up my phone, called Cam, and told him we were buying this car and I didn’t care what it cost. All that took place before I even got out of my rental car. I looked at the 911 for an hour and it was simply the most original, early 911 I have  run across, maybe ever. Never detailed for concourse, just kept clean and maintained. Simply the most honest 1965 911 I’ve ever seen.

Wait! The Magazine Arrived?

We moved indoors and sat down to discuss the price. The unfortunate thing for me was I had given a friend of ours the prices we had been selling our early 911’s for in the weeks before, and he wrote for a Porsche magazine. Barry had received his latest issue the night before I got there, and all my prices were sitting there in black and white. Those numbers didn’t matter in the long run, as I typically pay more for history than I do for the actual car. The history and records will always tell you more than a new paint and interior ever will. I can’t see through paint or leather so pretty cars just have more to hide, from my perspective. A complete history makes cars virtually transparent.

Fast-forward five years, and, amazingly, wonderfully, we have just gotten this 911 back from its fourth owner. This is the car Porsche Cars North America used on their display for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 911 at concours events around the country. It still is never-touched and totally authentic. This may be the finest, unmolested, original 1965 Porsche 911 in existence. And it’s priced accordingly.