Porsches? I've Had A Few

Whilst it hasn’t always been Porsches in Mike Calvert’s world, it’s safe to say that it’s mainly been cars from Stuttgart. Starting with a 924 in the ’80s he’s had the full gamut including a Carrera 3.2, 964 and even a 928. Today he owns a 924 Carrera GT replica and a wild TechArt 996 Turbo.

- Brett Fraser

Recently retired Mike Calvert hasn’t been exclusively faithful to Porsche over the years, but nevertheless he’s done more than his fair share to promote the Stuttgart marque. And besides, the cars he’s had as well as, or instead of, Porsches are models that mark him out as a true and inquisitive car enthusiast. His first ever car was a tuned Mini 850 that he shared with his mother and took hill climbing.

There followed an MGB, Triumph GT6 and a Reliant Scimitar GTE. A limited edition TVR 3000M ‘Martin Lilley’ proved quick and wild and interesting. And his first two company cars were Ford Sierra RS Cosworths, of the ‘winged wonder’ variety. Mike wishes he’d kept his original Audi Quattro, and he worked his way through three generations of VW Golf GTI as well as a VR6 model. While living and working in the US he was the proud owner of a Chevrolet Corvette C5, a Jaguar XKR convertible and a supercharged modern VW Beetle; his fleet over the years has also included an Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK and a Citroën DS. His current everyday ride is a V8-engined and all-wheel-drive Audi S4. As you can see, Mike likes his cars – at the end of the 1970s and into the early ’80s, he even helped run a Formula 2 team.

And then there are the Porsches. Lots of Porsches. ‘I bought my first Porsche, a secondhand 924, registration JEO 924X, from Parker & Parker in 1985,’ Mike recalls. ‘It was a great car to drive and on the strength of that I soon signed up to Porsche Club GB – I’ve been a member ever since. While I was in the States I also joined Porsche Club America, and I remain a member of that, too.