Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

kottke.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 59 posts

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#21

Post by testfrequency »

close04 wrote: post #14
smackeyacky wrote: post #6

Bit of a shame what has happened to classic Porsche prices. They used to be “car guy” cars. Now the prices went wackadoodle they’ve become cars for people who…aren’t car guys and can’t even pronounce it properly. Interesting history on that one, bit of an odd choice for the Japanese police.

That's what happens to things when they become status symbols. They're chased for status. Not the case for Porsche but sometimes that object ends up losing all the core value, pushing away the original fans, and rides the status wave until there's nothing left to offer.

My love for Porsche almost completely stopped as soon as I moved to the Bay Area.

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#22

Post by kleiba2 »

bayindirh wrote: post #10
vanderZwan wrote: post #7

The police of Amsterdam also used to have Porsche police cars https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/for-more-th... Any other police departments that did this or just those two?

Germans? I mean, the company is local to them.

Wikipedia's got you covered: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Germany#Typ...

One Porsche model is listed: 911 (no pun intended).

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#24

Post by SiempreViernes »

n4r9 wrote: post #20

> In the 1960s, four Porsche 912s were customized for use as police cars in Japan Fascinating. So many follow-on questions. Why four exactly? Were they all in Tokyo, or spread around? Did they get used for anything other than highway patrol? Who got to drive them?

Four seems like a reasonable number for a trial purchase.

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#25

Post by riffraff »

vanderZwan wrote: post #7

The police of Amsterdam also used to have Porsche police cars https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/for-more-th... Any other police departments that did this or just those two?

In Italy the Carabinieri[0] used to have a Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 in the '60s. The car is still around[1] and is legally allowed to go around with the original "police colors" even tho it's now owned by a private collector.

There's plenty more modern sport cars these days, in various countries.

[0] one of the 4-5 police forces in Italy

[1] https://www.motori.it/ferrari-250-gte-22-in-vendita-la-stori...

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#26

Post by close04 »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #16
close04 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what happens to things when they become status symbols. They're chased for status. Not the case for Porsche but sometimes that object ends up losing all the core value, pushing away the original fans, and rides the status wave until there's nothing left to offer.

>Not the case for Porsche I'd argue it is, at least once they started making more SUV's than 911's.

Maybe they're not what they used to be but they haven't lost all of the Porsche DNA. It's not all status. There are companies where the label is all that's left.

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#27

Post by thrdbndndn »

n4r9 wrote: post #20

> In the 1960s, four Porsche 912s were customized for use as police cars in Japan Fascinating. So many follow-on questions. Why four exactly? Were they all in Tokyo, or spread around? Did they get used for anything other than highway patrol? Who got to drive them?

The article said Kanagawa so not Tokyo. Well, close enough.

Re: The Last Surviving Japanese Porsche 912 Police Car

#28

Post by smackeyacky »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #16
close04 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what happens to things when they become status symbols. They're chased for status. Not the case for Porsche but sometimes that object ends up losing all the core value, pushing away the original fans, and rides the status wave until there's nothing left to offer.

>Not the case for Porsche I'd argue it is, at least once they started making more SUV's than 911's.

It didn’t have to be that way but badge engineering a VW wasn’t a great idea. Then again I know nothing because they sell a ton of those things.
Post reply on HN