1974 Porsche Carrera S Targa

When I was seventeen, weekends were all about the mall. It wasn’t about shopping or getting a coffee at the local cafe; it was about the cars. The parking lot was the place to be—it was a rolling car show. All the local gearheads would park their prized rides, drag race in the nearby parking lots, talk to girls, blast some tunes, and, of course, have a few beers. The atmosphere was electric, full of excitement and anticipation, and I looked forward to it every weekend.

However, there was a slight problem—I didn’t actually own a car at the time. Neither did most of my friends. So, we would walk to the mall, hoping to blend in with the cool crowd. We’d find a spot where we could hang out and, with a little luck, we might be mistaken for the owners of some of the beautiful cars parked around us. The crowd would be full of muscle cars, classic beauties, and, of course, the occasional Porsche. And it was that Porsche, a 1974 Porsche Carrera S Targa, that would eventually change everything for us.

At first, we didn’t even have the guts to approach the Porsche. We just hung around nearby, admiring it from afar, hoping to get a glimpse of the owner. But as the days went by, we got bolder. We started loitering closer, positioning ourselves in such a way that we might be noticed as the potential owners of that shiny, pristine Porsche. Before long, we found ourselves leaning on it, sitting on it, and generally acting like we were part of the car’s story. To our surprise, it worked. People started talking to us. Girls started slowing down to talk to us. We were suddenly very popular. It was amazing what a little association with a Porsche could do.

Then, out of nowhere, this guy pulls up in a different car and calls me over. He asked me if I wanted the Porsche. At first, I thought he was joking. No way someone would just hand over the keys to a Porsche like that. But sure enough, he handed me a whole ring of keys—more than just the car keys—and told me to take the car. I was skeptical. Everything about it seemed wrong: the way he handed over the keys, the fact that he didn’t seem to care about asking for anything in return. It all seemed too good to be true, but it was a Porsche. I wasn’t going to question it. Who says no to a free Porsche?

The moment I got behind the wheel of that 1974 Porsche Carrera S Targa, it was like a dream come true. The car was incredible—fast, responsive, nimble, and the quiet purr of the engine was like music to my ears. It was everything I had ever imagined a Porsche would be. The handling was so precise that it felt like an extension of my own body. I could feel the road beneath me as if I was one with the car. It was pure awesomeness. I had driven fast cars before, but nothing like this. The Porsche was a whole new level of performance.

But as fate would have it, the story of the 1974 Porsche Carrera S Targa didn’t end with me cruising around town in it. As the days went on, we found out that someone we knew had been digging a pool by hand in his backyard. And in what can only be described as an odd turn of events, the Porsche ended up being stripped of its engine, transmission, seats, wheels, stereo, glass, emblems—pretty much anything that could be removed. And then, the shell of the car was buried at the bottom of the pool.

The idea of burying a Porsche in a backyard pool might sound crazy to most people, but it was happening. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the car being stripped apart and then lowered into the pool. At first, it was almost like a strange joke. But as the car disappeared into the water, the reality set in. The Porsche wasn’t just a car—it was a symbol of a time and a place. A moment that seemed impossible and surreal, but it happened. The Targa was gone, but the memories of driving it would last forever.

Looking back, I can’t help but laugh at how everything unfolded. The experience was a mix of excitement, disbelief, and a little bit of teenage chaos. It was the ultimate test of my luck. I had gone from loitering around a Porsche to actually driving one for a short period of time, and then watching it vanish in the most unexpected way possible. It was one of those stories that you’d tell your friends and everyone would shake their heads in disbelief, unsure of whether you were telling the truth or not. It was as if the whole thing had been too absurd to actually happen, but it did.

The 1974 Porsche Carrera S Targa remains one of the most memorable cars I’ve ever had the chance to experience. It was a dream come true for a seventeen-year-old, and it taught me the importance of seizing the moment. It was a rare glimpse into a world of speed, luxury, and performance. I’ll never forget the feeling of driving that car, and though its story came to a bizarre and untimely end, it left a lasting impression. It wasn’t just a car; it was an experience, and one that I’ll cherish forever.

So, while I can’t say that I ever really owned the Porsche, I’ll always have the memories of it. From the excitement of being mistaken for its owner to the unbelievable moment when I was handed the keys, the 1974 Porsche Carrera S Targa will always hold a special place in my heart. It wasn’t just a car—it was part of a story, a part of my youth, and a part of a time when anything seemed possible. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what makes it even more memorable than if I had actually owned it.