SP Rides: Forever Young
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Bob Lyons
Age: 67
Occupation: Retired
Hobbies: Cars, Motorcycles, Woodworking, Fly-fishing
Year/Make/Model: 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster
One of the best parts about my SP job is the opportunity to photograph beautiful, stunning cars that refuse to age. Take, for example, this timeless 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster. This model is owned by Porsche enthusiast Bob Lyons and has just a little over 10,000 miles on the odometer. Out of 2,104 models produced, only 823 of these Speedsters were sent to U.S. shores. To put that in perspective, a similar U.S. spec model was recently sold for $264,000 with a paltry 6,417 miles driven from new. Let that sink in for a bit.
Over the years, Lyons has owned quite a collection of Porsches. His first exposure was catching sight of a wrecked 1963 Porsche in the pouring rain in his dad’s garage. From that moment, it’s been an absolute love affair. Since then, he has owned around five or six 356s, a 914, a 944 and about five 911s — both turbo and non-turbo. That’s a lot of Porsches.
During his time of ownership, he’s become an avid restoration enthusiast. One of his most beloved projects was a ’58 356 Speedster that was eventually sold to a Japanese museum. It was his fondness for this model that led him to research and acquire the ’89 Speedster on these pages. Although Lyons was currently living in Virginia, his search conveniently found this model right here in Hawaii, where he has owned a house since the 1970s. After a thorough check by the owner of Motor Werkes Inc., the car sat in storage for three years waiting for Lyon’s return to the islands.
Upon returning to Hawaii, Lyons got his hands dirty by bringing the stored Speedster back up to par. The car was in immaculate condition to begin with, but every car needs a little love after a few decades. He spent the next year replacing components such as the gas tank, and other perishables such as the ones made out of rubber with OEM components after an extensive parts search.
The end result is gorgeous example of a Porsche 911 Speedster. It may sound like an exaggeration, but for being nearly 27 years old, this vehicle looks like it just rolled right out of the showroom. The body lines are sumptuous with the familiar yet classic round headlights. This Speedster came fresh form the factory with a load of options and featured the “turbo-look” body style.
Everything from the rubber coated bumpers to the removable windshield to the black on black interior is in amazing condition. Of special note is the relatively modern-looking “weather protection” cover that enhances the overall impression of the vehicle. The naturally aspirated 3.2 liter flat-6 was capable of 231HP and 195 ft. lbs. of torque, which was quite healthy for the time. Quite simply put, the car is a work of art that will remain forever so.
“I don’t see any reason to ever sell it,” said Lyons. “If you’ve always wanted a certain car, if you can afford it, then own it while you still can.”
