911 Carrera

Make
Porsche
Segment
Coupe

Last year, we brought you the sad news that legendary Porsche engine builder Hans Mezger had passed away at the age of 90. The man truly is an icon in the engineering world and acted as a technical consultant on Singer's exquisite 911 DLS. The man will always be remembered for his brilliance that saw outstanding engines make their way to both the road and the racetrack, including the 4.5-liter air-cooled 12-cylinder engine that powered the world-famous 917K Le Mans test car. He never stopped loving cars and before his death expressed the desire to see his 930 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 return to the road. Sadly, the last few details on the car were not completed before his passing, but his son has now finished the car in honor of the great man.

The 197-horsepower car was bought by Mezger in October 1979. Finished in Grand Prix White, the car was originally a test vehicle, and this actually caused some problems, but more on that later. The car first made its way to public roads with a test vehicle registration plate in April 1977 and when Mezger acquired it for DM 22,400 excluding tax, 27,540 kilometers (17,112 miles) was the reading on the clock. When the car was handed over, a new speedometer was fitted with the clock set to zero. Almost four decades later, it had covered another 10,601 km (6,587 miles). It covered so little distance due to the fact that, as an engine engineer, Mezger was constantly testing the latest 911s.

In October 2008, Mezger applied for a vintage registration plate, but because the car was used as a test vehicle for two years from April 1977 and had only received a full registration certificate in August 1979, the technical inspection agency initially refused to issue a plate. Fortunately, having contacts at Porsche paid off and the head of the Porsche Museum at the time, Klaus Bischof, wrote a letter to explain the car's history, also mentioning the importance of Mezger to the Porsche family. As we mentioned earlier, Mezger never got to see the last few minor details fixed, but for the first anniversary of his death, Mezger's son Oliver had the car completed and made roadworthy. Along with the 50-year-old Zodiac Astrographic SST watch that Hans once owned, Oliver now has two vintage masterpieces to remember his legendary father by. For the rest of us, Mezger's influence is only as far away as the rear of any combustion-engine Porsche.