Euro Vision

The Thornley Kelham European RS results from one man’s obsessive quest to create the perfect Porsche 9]. We get behind the wheel

- Tim Pitt

Imagine if you could combine the characteristics of the greatest 911s to create your perfect Porsche. That was Hal Walter’s vision and – two years and 6,000 hours later – the European RS is the result. His labour of love will now form the basis for a series of 25 restomods, to be built by the Cotswolds-based firm Thornley Kelham. And those ‘greatest’ 911s? Hal wanted the nuance and feedback of a Carrera 2.7 RS, the raw excitement of a 2.8 RSR, and the performance and poise of a 997 GT3 RS 4.0. Talk about setting a high bar…

Perhaps less familiar in Porsche circles, Thornley Kelham is well known in the champagne-fuelled world of international concours events, having won trophies at the likes of Pebble Beach and Salon Privé. Established by Simon Thornley and Wayne Kelham in 2008, the company specialises in meticulous restorations of rarefied classic cars. When I arrive, the eye candy in the workshop includes a Lamborghini Miura, a vintage Rolls-Royce Phantom and a custombodied Bugatti.

Thornley leads me upstairs to his office, its shelves overspilling with motoring books and magazines. “2019 was our best-ever year as a concours restoration business,” he explains. “Then Covid hit and everything stopped, not least because most of our customers were overseas. Luckily, we received a phone call from Hal, followed by a very detailed briefing document. It led us, eventually, to the European RS.”