How do we attract more young people to the world of early 911's?

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

I've been spending some time thinking about this and how this new registry might fit in.

One of the things I'm very aware of is how this hobby is dominated by old dudes. I'm in my fifties (but still strikingly handsome, just to be clear) and in my day-to-day life in the world of tech, I'm rapidly becoming a senior statesman. I don't really feel like a young guy anywhere anymore... until I go to a Porsche event.

I know the cars aren't the problem. I get that today's teenagers have more options to fill their time than I did when I was a their age but I still meet young cars guys every weekend who find their way to my shop and inevitably leave with a smile and some Porsche awareness. But how do we as a community reach these kids at scale and make sure our hobby survives?

When we built the new E911R, we were acutely aware of the need to make the site user-friendly for young people and we made a conscious decision to adopt a mobile-first design philosophy knowing that anyone under 40 years old is likely to access the site on a mobile phone, This was (and is) a major failing of the old hangout who, despite my constant harping, really don't have a clue and, even worse, don't seem to care.

So now that we have a website that younger people will use, how do we reach them? Eric Linden and I had several conversations when we were taking about launching a new registry about how this site could be a force for positive change and how it might benefit the community as a whole. And this seems to me like an opportunity. I'm talking to the PCA about some advertising and awareness opportunities but I'd appreciate anyone who may have some ideas that are outside of the box. I'd especially be interested in anyone who has driving-age teenagers about any ideas they may have to reach young people in a way that piques their interest.

Much thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[moito tu felix austria Find all posts View Profile Close moito]

sorry i can`t help here... just my thoughts
i think we are doomed.

over here more and more young people don`t even make a driving license and with the advent of autonomous driving even more will not see a reason for doing so.
for many a car isn`t a desirable thing anymore

a while ago i had a conversation with a guy in his 20ies about my job and passion...i lost all hope when he asked me what a 911 is ....
i guess he lost hope when he saw my phone.

[rgupta250 Sports Purpose 911 Find all posts View Profile Close rgupta250]

JP,

Great topic as I have wondered the very same thing. One of the biggest challenges with attracting young people to the world of early Porsches is financial! When you think about how much these cars cost, the parts, and upkeep, most individuals who are in their early 30s and 40s simply don't have the income levels to participate. Furthermore, when it comes to time commitment, they often have competing priorities such as spending time with their significant other, time helping raise a young family, and furthering their career.

But those issues aside, if we focus on engagement then we need to look at how the younger car-crazed crowd engages within their respective car community. I would then try to bring some of these elements to E911R.

/Ravi

[Chris Pomares 2.4L Find all posts View Profile Close Chris Pomares]

Here in Colorado the late teens and 20 somethings are into STI's, BRZ's, Ford Focus RS's, A4 Audi's, some older Nissan 240's, 300Z's and a few late Mustang's. When I take my car to a Car's and Coffee very few under 35 take any notice. When I was in my teens and 20's I was into new, now old Longhoods and VW's living in SoCal, Aspen, and Sun Valley. The guys in their 50's in the 1960's and 70's were into Model T's. Why would I want one of those. Our cars are expensive, if stock somewhat slow and geared to be spinning like crazy at 90 to 110 mph. The newer cars are going 110 at 2500 rpm's. I've driven several 130 hp 911's and almost fell asleep. Sorry if I have offended some of you. I look at the cars above at a Cars and Coffee and they have tuned these cars from 500 to over a 1000 hp. Full coil overs, mega stereo's, interiors, you name it. I've been offered 250K for my car and passed it up. Maybe I should have taken it. For me 180 to 200 hp in my car satisfies me. For the young guys they can get 200 plus hp out of their 1.6 turbo's in stock form, let alone if they spool it up. Yes they are heavier but at 10,000 feet here in Colorado forced induction usually wins on mountain passes. If I bought a newer Porsche today for Colorado driving it would be a Caymen turbo 4. The new 911's are just huge.
Price is probably the big one. If they are a young tech zillionaire they probably would go for a Singer or one of the EV Porsches. I would guess many of the sub 40 early Porsche fans grew up in a Porsche crazed family.
I don't have any kids so I'm of no help here. I hope you guys with kids can fix this.

[rick71T 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close rick71T]

Eh, this is tough. I'd guess money is a big part of it. The cost of entry is 100k minimum now whereas 20 years ago an old T or E (or 912) was something waiting to be hot rodded and entry to the Porsche world. I think Porsche is having this problem more broadly, particularly in the US, where the average age of ownership is 60+ years old. Given housing is constituting such a large share of income, it is just really hard to buy a 100+k fair weather car until after your kids go to college, and even then it is a stretch for many. All of the younger gearheads I know have 944s - it is just the first step on the ladder. Just my personal experience, which may be different, but drive you car and share it. The vast majority of people that say a nice thing at a gas station or I find looking at the car when it is parked on the street are young folks (women too). I may be insane, but I always tell them to jump in and explore, and if I have the time, take them for a drive. I absolutely love sharing my cars. The best part is how blown away people are by the speed and handling, and noise. It is unlike anything that someone who is young and grown up with modern cars has experienced. But most importantly, it helps people realize how robust the things are. All polished sitting on a golf course they are uninteresting and inaccessible. Burbling in a supermarket parking lot with rubber splattered on the rear fenders, they are lust worthy. So you can post to social media and get PCA juniors involved, but I doubt anything beats driving your car and sharing it with people.

[Chris Pomares 2.4L Find all posts View Profile Close Chris Pomares]

Good points Rick. You're already helping solve the problem. I've taken a few for rides but mostly folks 50 plus. I guess it's time to take some younger folks for a ride. Maybe to High Plains Raceway or over a mountain pass or two.

[Frank Beck Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Frank Beck]

Sorry JP; this dog won’t hunt.

Youth of today are so disengaged with “character” and intrinsic value in general why on earth would they be attracted to any thing with history and a soul?

My younger employees get to drive everything we work on from a 356 to a GT2RS and I hate to say it but owning an old 911 doesn’t appeal to them.

Also Ravi brings up an excellent point about other interests. It seems most young people would rather socialize with friends or go camping.

[RDB 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close RDB]

Most 30 somethings have very little interest in driving an old air cooled 911. They would much prefer a later model Turbo or GT2 or 3 but those are beyond their means.
Most of the younger crowd wants new technology, not the smelly old cars that we love.
It's kind of like going to a Goodguys show. Very few are running around without grey hair unless they are using Just For Men.

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

Caveat #1 - When I say "world of early 911's", I really mean air-cooled cars. I love me some early cars but I'm really an all air-cooled guy.

Caveat #2 - I'd settle for just turning some of these kids into car guys, let alone Porsche guys.

That said, I disagree with those that say it can't be done. Mostly because I've done it again and again. For several years I've kept a part-time shop assistant on the payroll. High-school kids who I hire at 16 and keep until they're 18 and off to college or a real job. Not a glamorous gig by any measure - washing my cars, cleaning my shop, making sure everything is charged and gassed up. But it's a deep dive into Porsches and getting your hands dirty and they have the opportunity to meet other Porsche guys and experience what it's like to be part of a tribe. Many of you have met these kids at the Lit Show or Hershey - Mitch, Carson and now Ronan. All three came to me more interested in video games and all three are now serious cars guys who love Porsches.

I do agree with the economic challenges. These cars aren't a realistic choice for a teenage driver and never will be again. But I don't need these kids to own them. I only need them to appreciate them. To desire them so that later in life, when they can afford it, owning and working on a vintage Porsche, or vintage anything, seems like an attractive choice. That's how it worked for me. I certainly couldn't afford anything great when I was young. I drove a rusty '68 Mustang my friends nickname the rattle-machine until I was 25 but when I was in my 30's and started buying sports cars, that was driven by my teenage desires and the posters on my bedroom wall.

I'm intrigued by Rick's story. I really do think that's a big part of it. Having a real experience at the right age with someone wiling to share and creating even a brief connection to something that stays with you. I wonder if that could be organized. Some kind of program to reach out to kids and give them an hour in a cool car with a cool driver that they could look up to. I know the PCA has done some stuff but it seems to attract the kids of other PCA members who may already be into cars. I'd like to break free of that and find a direct route to the kids who may not have that advantage. Good for the hobby, yes, but even better for the kids to experience something real and mechanical as opposed to something temporary and digital. Food for thought.

[soterik HTH....! Find all posts View Profile Close soterik]

We aren't embracing young people in our car world.. The world has changed a bit... the higher values of the cars have now turned into a "lifestyle" as well (I need an animated roll-eyes gif here...). The cars value has elevated such that there's ropes around the car (figuratively and literally) at cars and coffees, car showrooms, exhibits, and museums. We had a horrible experience at the Protyp museum in Hamburg a few years ago, I ended up giving a piece of my mind to one of the managers there as we left (both boys already owned their own 912 project cars by that point in time, and Andy had been to multiple RGruppe events). You don't see any kids at Essen.. except on Sunday (family day, so to speak), and the attitudes towards young people there is not very postive imho.

Just my .02, but the cars were expensive when I was young. I started in VW's and worked my way up.

[Jos.hall 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close Jos.hall]

JP, I’m proud to say I JUST reach the target audience if this post at the age of 38. As for early911s, I’m here not because I own one but because some day I hope to. I’ve got aircooled VWs and have since I was 14. For now, they’re out of reach but that doesn’t mean they’ll always be. Until then I’ll soak as much up on the forums as I can.

As for format, I’ll agree that anyone under 40 is not accessing the site via desktop. I rarely ever touch a computer outside of my direct work tasks and even then respond to emails via phone. It’s just easier.

I’m an old fart when it comes to the next generation and technology though. I don’t use either of these enough but need to. I feel as though if the content is not on instagram or Reddit, they won’t see it. You might consider creating an IG account that features aircooled Porsches and simply has the site logo as its consistent watermark.

As for getting young guys into aircooled Porsches or VWs for that matter, it’s a matter of people sewing into the next generation. Get a kid/teen in the passenger seat and show them what a blast they are. My passenger seat is always open and once my son or his friends are old enough to drive, I’ll be giving lessons on driving a manual in the VW.


just my .02

[sebaroher Seabass Find all posts View Profile Close sebaroher]

I guess I am the anomaly here... In my early to mid 20's I initially fell in love with a 997 turbo, and began to heavily really research the Porsche brand and learn about all of the 911 models. I became good friends with Rusty Ferrell the owner of a local Porsche shop, and he got me hooked on early 911's. I purchased my 71 and have been bitten with the Porsche bug, enjoying working on it ever since. Once I got out of the Navy and moved back to my hometown, I became friends with another Porsche enthusiast (Don Griffin) who helped me maintain the focus and keep the passion for my car going even when at times the flame had died out due to restoration costs, etc. I agree with most of what has been said above, however what is especially true is that what will keep our hobby going are the people involved... people like Rusty, Don, JP, Rick, and even Frankie have a tremendous impact on the next generation of Porsche enthusiasts.

[Frank Beck Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Frank Beck]

Seb and the few others are the exception to the rule and those exist in any hobby or niche community.

JP, your desire to "reach these kids at scale" is the challenge. Back in the 70's Porsche enthusiasts were actually not that common in Phoenix. Obviously there was the PCA but most of our customers were men (and a few women) who appreciated their Porsche and more often than not, it was usually their daily driver. Over the last decade or two we've been fortunate(?) to have an explosion of enthusiasts and economic fortitude where hobbyists could own several fun cars and even large collections. For the masses this simply isn't realistic.

To be perfectly candid, I don't believe attracting "at large scale" is realistic or desirable.

Now to make a personal observation: I consider myself a rabid enthusiast but wouldn't be caught dead at a car show. Hatem. A bunch of guys standing around with their hands in their pockets yammering away about superficial things like cars bores me. I'd rather be working on them, racing them, or sipping whisky and talking substantive life issues. I know I'm the exception but my point is that there are all kinds of "enthusiasts" in this community.

[uai 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close uai]

I joined a relatively large "Oldtimer Club" (=transl. Classic Car Club) when I was 18 Years old. This Club has tried to get younger people with what old people thought would be attractive to youngsters. It was a large fail. Now fast forward 30 years later - I think the average age in the club is now somewhere between 70 and 80 and the old stubborns tell me that young people aren't interested in Old cars but they are wrong.
We have some "guerilla" clubs around here that are only present on instagram - whenever they meet there are near to 100 cars with most people (if not all - but me) younger than 50 years.
So it works but mostly younger cars (here in Stuttgart lots of Porsche mostly G-Model and newer)
However their respective aim of what to do with the cars doesn't match up (see Franks post)

[Rick Cabell 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close Rick Cabell]

I applaud JP for his thoughts on bringing younger people into the our sport. Problem is the world of reality. As some of you older folks have noticed, times are changing, and have changed a lot over the last decades. Interest and hobbies have changed as technology has evolved. Younger people for the most part have no interest in antique cars. Early 911’s fall into that category. People under 40 are tech driven.
Retired, my shop is at home now and my son lives here with me. His friends walk through the shop all the time on the way into my son’s quarters and always comment on these old cars. Cool, they might say. Never ask a question, other than how fast does it go. Their interest last about 60 seconds.
My son drives my 98 C2S often. That’s about as old as he would enjoy. I have a 67 912 SWT with 50K original miles by brother ordered new and picked up at the factory. He has no desire to even try it, as I know it would be a waste of time. Non supportive seat, big steering wheel, loud engine noise through the soft window…..
‘I saw my good friend George K has posted his progress on the 69 he bought from Frank a few years ago. One of the reasons he bought the project was so his under 16 son could work on it with him and learn. Hats off to George for that. Several years later his son is over 16 now and I wonder if his enthusiasm is where it was 4 years ago. I would guess not.
Take a minute to go over to the S Registry and read the long post from a guy in Stuttgart who has taken on the restoration of a rusty crusty 914. He posted a picture of himself today and he must be in his 20’s, and he is doing all the nastiest metal work himself. Now that is encouraging! It would cost over 50K to have it done and he is taking on the job himself, and is excited about it. That is exactly what the world needs, younger people wanting to work on a long project and be proud of his results. When he is done, he can, and should be proud.
Money is also a huge factor. As we all know, these air cooled cars all will need a engine rebuild at some point. So that’s 25K at least.Makes zero sence to the younger folks to own a old car needing that type of repair.
I am sure most of you have been to a 356 Holiday. The average age I would say is over 65. That’s where we are headed.