Magnus Walker. Arguably one of the most famous Porsche collectors and undoubtedly the coolest, the fifty year-old ‘Urban Outlaw’ is probably not what most people picture when they hear the words “Porsche enthusiast”. However, the bearded, dreadlocked rocker owns an insane collection of 25 vintage 911s that he uniquely self-modifies and shares to a large and dedicated social media following. But where did this passion come from? Why is it still there 40 years later? And what advice would the working class Sheffield lad give to anyone else who shares his passion? In the first of our Beyond Cars series, we spoke to Magnus Walker at the Oldtimer Grand Prix at Nurburgring, Germany to find out. Watch the video below and read on for more interesting facts!
Childhood Love
At the age of 10, Magnus’ father took him on a day trip most car-enthused kids would have loved, to the London Earl’s Court Motor Show. This is a day Magnus will remember forever and which has influenced the rest of his life, as there he spied a white 911 Martini Turbo with red and white stripes, and, in turn, he fell in love with Porsche. Adorably, the 10 year old wrote a letter to Porsche offering his services as a designer, and although they encouraged him to come back to them when he’d aged a little bit, he never lost his passion for the brand.
Forty years later … being involved with Porsche is some capacity to me is like a dream come true
A Sensory Experience
According to Magnus, what makes Porsche such an engaging drive is the fact that it “covers all the senses”. Let's start with sight; Magnus proves the timelessness aesthetic of 911s by pointing at a 67-S, “[It’s from] the same year I was born. Still looks great”. But the appeal of Porsches does not end in the visuals, the cars are an all-around experience. The clunk of the door as you get in, the odour of gasoline that starts omitting as you fire up the engine, the feeling you get when you engage the gear. That is what has sustained a passion for cars for forty years.
''Porsche covers all the senses. It’s an engaging, rewarding, challenging drive''
The Enjoyment is the Drive
For Magnus, as with most collectors, his love of classic cars is based on the memories that come from them, or the “smiles per mile” as he aptly puts it. The drive, whether that be at ten tenths or cruising along is what creates the “magical moments’. In an essence, Porsche is all about the freedom.
The enjoyment is the drive… they are the memorable moments and the smiles per mile
Follow Your Dreams, Live For the Moment
When asked what advice Magnus would give to fellow classic car enthusiasts, the message was clear: believe in yourself and follow your dreams. Magnus’ 25 year journey as a Porsche collector has not been easy, but what he aims to show people is that if he can do it, they can too. “Porsche was always the affordable, practical, everyday, every man’s sports car”, however money was never important in his decision and, in his opinion, that is the authentic way of becoming a collector.
Passion isn’t something you can manufacture. Passion is something you either have or you don’t
Magnus’ final piece of advice to us is simple, “[do] what you love … it goes beyond the cars and it’s believe in yourself, treat people right, follow your dreams, live for the moment and make stuff happen”. Want to follow in Magnus’ footsteps? Starting or expanding your classic car collection is easy with Catawiki’s weekly Classic Cars auctions, where you can find a car to fuel your passion. And you can evolve your collection by selling on Catawiki too!