{"id":12795,"date":"2025-08-31T09:11:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T08:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.design911.co.uk\/blog\/?p=12795"},"modified":"2025-08-31T09:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T08:11:48","slug":"porsche-people-david-hutchinson-and-his-1977-911-turbo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.design911.co.uk\/blog\/porsche-people-david-hutchinson-and-his-1977-911-turbo\/","title":{"rendered":"Porsche People: David Hutchinson and His 1977 911 Turbo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some cars don\u2019t just sit in a garage \u2013 they represent a lifetime\u2019s dream. For Hertfordshire-based contractor and long-time Porsche fan David Hutchinson, that car is his 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a self-confessed Porsche nutter,\u201d David laughs. \u201cMy love of Porsche really started in the mid-80s. The 911 was always a bit out of reach until my mid-20s, but I was lucky enough to buy my first one \u2013 a 1978 SC \u2013 and I\u2019ve still got it today.\u201d<\/p>\n

That first 911 opened the door to a collection that now includes several projects and classics. But the one he\u2019s proudest of is the Guards Red Turbo sitting behind him, a car that has been through a huge restoration journey.<\/p>\n

A Poster Car of the \u201970s<\/h2>\n

If you grew up in the 1970s or \u201980s, the 911 Turbo \u2013 with its wide arches, whale tail, and big boost punch \u2013 was the<\/em> car. \u201cThis was the dream car back in the day,\u201d says David. \u201cIt was my absolute passion to one day own one, especially a Turbo. It\u2019s iconic. Anyone into Porsche will get it just by looking at it. And when you drive one, they\u2019re amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just any Turbo either. It\u2019s one of the early 3.0-litre cars, made before Porsche switched to the larger 3.3 with an intercooler. Raw, quick, and a bit unforgiving, these early cars demand respect \u2013 which is exactly what makes them so exciting.<\/p>\n

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A Car with Racing Heritage<\/h2>\n

Dig into this Turbo\u2019s backstory and things get even more interesting. The car was originally sold in the US, where early Turbos were badged as Carrera Turbo<\/em>. Its previous owner? None other than Dick Barber, a well-known American racer.<\/p>\n

Barber is famous for running the Hawaiian Tropic Porsche 935 Turbo at Le Mans in 1979, where his teammate was Hollywood legend Paul Newman. \u201cHe\u2019s a lovely guy,\u201d says David. \u201cHe\u2019s now in his 80s. We started talking about buying the car in 2021, but because of COVID restrictions it didn\u2019t actually arrive here until 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it did, the Turbo wasn\u2019t complete. The bodywork had been restored in the States, but the car arrived in boxes \u2013 and a lot of those boxes were missing parts.<\/p>\n

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Design911 to the Rescue<\/h2>\n

Anyone who has taken on a Porsche restoration knows the pain of trying to track down the right parts. David quickly found that a lot of what he needed was missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where Design911<\/a> came in,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe had to source loads of rare items. To be honest, they supplied most of what I needed, apart from a few absolute rarities I had to chase elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

From trim kits and interior details to mechanical pieces, having access to genuine Porsche parts<\/a>, aftermarket replacements, and even custom solutions made all the difference. \u201cThey\u2019re almost a one-stop shop,\u201d David says. \u201cYou can get something as small as an exhaust bracket for a nearly new Carrera T, or you can go all the way back and find a \u201960s trim kit. That\u2019s why I always use them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For David, the personal touch matters too. \u201cI prefer to pick up the phone rather than just click online. You always get through to someone, they\u2019re reasonable on price, and they\u2019ll point you to genuine, OEM, or custom parts depending on what you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Back on the Road<\/h2>\n

The car has been put back to factory specification as much as possible. It\u2019s still a matching-numbers example, with a freshly re-trimmed interior. David went for period details like the gold wheels \u2013 an original option at the time \u2013 and the retro Turbo decals down the side.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe car is an absolute joy to drive,\u201d he says. \u201cYou do have to respect them. People get caught out with these early Turbos, and I can understand why. The trick is to keep it in second gear on the lanes near me \u2013 that way you can have all the fun in the world and still keep up with modern Porsches.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Garage Full of Projects<\/h2>\n

The Turbo isn\u2019t David\u2019s only passion project. \u201cI\u2019d be bored without one,\u201d he admits. Alongside it, he has a 1972 911 oil-clapper that\u2019s nearly finished, a 1969 hot rod build, and even a 914 fresh from the States waiting for a full strip-down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love tinkering and putting them back together,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s always fettling to do. Even this Turbo still has bits I want to improve, but that\u2019s part of the fun. It\u2019s pretty much where I want it now, and I\u2019ll keep it that way for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

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More Than Just Cars<\/h2>\n

Like many Porsche owners, David values the community as much as the cars. He\u2019s a member of the Porsche Club GB, as well as the smaller Red Bull and Porsche Owners Club (RPOC) in Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best thing about these cars is the people you meet,\u201d he says. \u201cYou end up surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts who all share the same passion \u2013 and who all spend crazy money on cars like I do!\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Porsche is Different<\/h2>\n

Ask David why he keeps coming back to Porsche and the answer is simple. \u201cYou can do whatever you want to a Porsche. You can outlaw them, customise them, or keep them completely stock. Put your own twist on them \u2013 and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s another brand in the world that gives you that freedom with such a big following. That\u2019s why I\u2019ll always be Porsche through and through.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Final Word<\/h2>\n

From a dusty collection of boxes to a gleaming 1977 911 Turbo back on the road, David Hutchinson\u2019s story is one every Porsche fan can relate to. It\u2019s about passion, patience, and the joy of keeping an icon alive.<\/p>\n

Thanks to support from Design911<\/a>, sourcing parts that could have easily stalled the project, David now has the car he dreamed about as a teenager. And if his garage full of projects is anything to go by, this won\u2019t be the last restoration story he tells.<\/p>\n