Car Life: Reveling in the Lasting Impressions of Porsche
Proud Porsche owner details how his dad’s Ice Green 911 inspired his love for the brand.
A passion for Porsche is something that’s usually cultivated over time. Sure, there are some who are immediately drawn to the unique look of the sports car the second they see one. But that deep, unwavering connection to the brand is a thing that you tend to develop over the years. Take, for example, Andrea Bottini (pictured in main photo above), the proud owner of a 1992 Porsche 911 and a 1996 Carrera 2.
A native of Milan, Italy, Bottini says that he first started developing an interest in Porsche from his father, Vanni Bottini, who passed away in 2012. In fact, the 36-year-old marketing professional, who now calls Houston home, vividly recalls the first time he drove his father’s Porsche; a 1977 Ice Green Carrera 3.0.
‘I felt very connected to the car [and its] curves, especially when you look in the rearview mirror and you see the rear fender. Maybe it was my hormones at 15.’
“I was 15 years old,” Andrea tells Rennlist, recalling that September day in 1996. “We were on the Monza racetrack, and he was driving for a muscular dystrophy charity event. I was in the back seat, and at one point he just told me, ‘why don’t you come upfront.’ And I thought, ‘cool, I’m going to be in the passenger’s seat.’ He actually made me drive the car. So, the first car I ever drove was his 1977 Ice Green metallic Porsche 911.”
There’s Nothing Like Your First
Considering that Bottini had never been behind the wheel of any car, his first stab at driving a Porsche probably didn’t go as smoothly as he envisioned. Then again, there aren’t many people who could hop right into a ’77 Porsche for their first time driving and have the entire thing go off without a hitch.
“It was very odd, because I stalled the car right on the grass on the side of the track,” he says, recalling that his father was sitting in the passenger’s seat. “He was laughing and I was laughing too. The second try, I started it and I actually felt really confident. All of sudden, you feel this 200 horsepower pushing you, and I was just inebriated with it. I kept going and going, and he was screaming at me to brake.”
‘All of sudden, you feel this 200 horsepower pushing you, and I was just inebriated with it. I kept going and going, and my dad was screaming at me to brake.’
However, amid all the laughter and chaos, Andrea says he knew from that moment on that he’d be a Porsche fan for life.
“I felt very connected to the car. It felt very basic, but very connected. The second thing was the shape with the curves, especially when you look in the rearview mirror and you see the rear fender. Maybe it was my hormones at 15,” he jokes, “but it really got me hooked.”
Forever Memories
That charity drive at the Monza race circuit was the first of many memorable moments Andrea went on to share with his father and Porsches.
“We did a fantastic trip in the 911,” says the Houstonian. “We left from Milan to head to Brussels in Belgium via Germany. Then Paris and back down to Milan via backroads. It took a whole week of just driving — and no cell phone at that time. Just a father and son trip crammed in an old German car.”
‘My dad was my best friend. He took me to the races when I was five. We would always go to the track, so that [first time] was a moment that stayed in my head.’
However, Andrea’s fondest Porsche memory still lies in that September day, when he first drove his father’s Ice Green Carrera 3.0, because of the bond they established on the track.
“My dad was my best friend,” he says. “We really did everything together. He took me to the races when I was five years old. We would always go to the track, so that [first experience] was a moment that stayed in my head.”
Andrea’s first Porsche was actually a 944 Turbo that he bought in 2006 with the help of his dad, which they would frequently take to race circuits as well.
Another Fan in the Wings
In memory of his father, Andrea is now making plans to paint his own 911 Ice Green, as a personal memento of all the times they shared together with Porsches.
“It basically would remind me of him, the stories we had, and that first time I drove on track with him,” says Bottini. “It was the 911 color I saw during my youth, and somehow, I’d like to connect with it again.”
Andrea says it appears that his daughter, Isabella, might be picking up on the family tradition as well. Though, he admits it’s probably just more wishful thinking at this point, considering she’s only two years old.
“When I walk by the garage, she says, ‘daddy, Porsh, daddy, Porsh.’ So, I open the door and let her get in. She tries to put the seat belt on, touches all the buttons, and tries to imitate me. She feels that I have a connection to the car. At least, that’s what I think,” laughs Andrea.