Hans Mezger’s 911 Gets Redemption Thanks to His Son
Porsche icon Hans Mezger passed away before he could get his classic 911 on the road again. However, his son finished what he had started.
Unfortunately, last year we brought you the story of Hans Mezger passing away. A legend of the Porsche brand, Mezger is responsible for the iconic flat-six engine found in the original 911. Without his design, Porsche’s entire history could have been far more different than we know it today. His efforts are the foundation that every high-performance Porsche rests on. Furthermore, Mezger developed the 12-cylinder engine in the legendary Porsche 917 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What didn’t quite live in the spotlight as much as the 917, though, is Mezger’s personal 911. That is, until now.
A recent Porsche press release outlines the tale of how this 911 came to be. Mezger’s son, Oliver Mezger, picked up where his father left off after his passing. Now, a year after his father’s passing, Oliver is driving the 911 he grew up in. Though the loss of his father was a heartfelt blow for the Porsche company and community alike, his 90 long years on earth shaped his son’s outlook on life and brought us to this feel-good conclusion to an open-ended story. To Oliver, this isn’t just a Porsche 911. It’s his childhood car.
Mezger’s 911 Was A Factory Test Vehicle, Which Made Registering It Difficult
Before Porsche was the powerhouse company we know it as today, it would sell test vehicles and race cars after they served their purpose. Mezger’s Porsche Carrera 3.0 was first driven on the road in 1977 as a test vehicle for Porsche. However, it didn’t get a proper vehicle registration until the year 1979. Unfortunately, this discrepancy in the year of the car made getting it a vintage automobile plate difficult when Hans made an attempt in 2008. Thankfully, the then head of the Porsche Museum, Klaus Bischof, wrote a letter to clarify the situation. In the letter, he made clear who Hans Mezger was.
“Incidentally, Mr. Hans Mezger is also the chief designer of the Porsche 911 engine,” wrote Bischof.
Back On the Roads Once Again
Now that the 911 is roadworthy and legal once again, Oliver plans to drive it on special occasions.
“The car will stay in the family’s hands and will be driven on special occasions. I’ll be visiting my father at the cemetery in it, and I’ll definitely be taking a trip to the Porsche Museum in his honor,” said Oliver.
He also notes that someday he may take it on a road trip to Zell am See, Austria, where the Mezger family would visit when Oliver was a child. He fondly remembers the sound of the Porsche engine reflecting off a concrete wall that signified they were only a few minutes from their destination.
“There’s a tunnel there now, but in the 1970s, there was a huge wall of granite in Zell am See coming from the Saalfelden side. The wall reflected and amplified the air-cooled Porsche sound so much that the interior of the car almost shook. I’ll never forget that,” said Oliver.
Ultimately, we are glad to see that Mezger is fondly remembered by his family and that his 911 is on the road once again. Through tragedy often comes a beautiful conclusion and this is no exception
Photos: Porsche