- Dr. Yes is an Oregon-based artist with a long career of producing thought-provoking artwork and plays
- She painted this vintage Porsche 911 in the mid-1980s, well before they became so collectible
- Dubbed Por-She, the art car was intended as a twist on the traditionally masculine sports car.
There are many reasons for buying a car back that you once sold. Maybe you're now in a financial position to own something that was getting a bit expensive. Maybe you've now got the extra garage space. Maybe you just couldn't get it out of your head. Or, in this case, perhaps it's because it's more than just a car; it's a work of art that represents your creativity and hundreds of hours of hard work.
A 1967 Porsche 911S would be a special enough car all by itself, but this particular one is something more. Painted in 1984 with a lace-themed pattern, it was dubbed "Por-She" by its creator, artist Dr. Phyllis Yes. Used as a rolling exhibit during the mid-1980s, it then retired to Dr. Yes's studio before passing along to a new owner in 2010.
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This owner sympathetically restored the car, taking care not to disturb the unique paint job. Indeed, Dr. Yes herself took the time to touch it up here and there to restore it to its former glory. Shown in Monterey in 2013, the car ended up garnering the People's Choice Award at the Legends of the Autobahn show, becoming one of the more unusual awards in its creators' long career.
Born in Minnesota as Phyllis Danker in 1941, Dr. Yes has enjoyed a long career as an artist, playwright, and educator. Much of her art cleverly skewers established social constructs and patterns, as her custom-painted Porsche does. On its reveal, the Wall Street Journal called it the world's fastest doily. She also once painted a Colt 1911 pistol with a similar pattern.
Much like her adopted last name, which she chose out of a sense of fun, this 911 has a touch of humor about it. Yet it is no joke. The paintwork required a painstaking hands-on approach, with a pattern laid down using lace as a sort of stencil, then hundreds and hundreds of hours of laying down the paint itself. A 1960s Porsche 911 is not a large car, but it makes for a big canvas, with a complex surface.
When the car recently cropped up on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is owned by Hearst Autos—it showed that the work of Dr. Yes still has both appeal and bite. In the mid-1980s, a '60s Porsche 911 was a cool car, but hardly the sacred object that enthusiasts regard it today. Not everyone appreciated the lace-patterned paint job, but expressive art is supposed to provoke a response.
In this case, it provoked a response from Dr. Yes herself. Concerned that the value of her old 911 was such that it might not see its paintwork preserved, she swooped in with a $250,000 bid and noted that she would find space for it in a museum for all to enjoy.
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Not every 911 should be shuttered up in a museum, and we'd hope this one might at least make its way out to a Luftgekühlt show in the future. However, here, it is inarguably a work of art, and you probably wouldn't want to drive through a rainstorm with a Jackson Pollock strapped to your roof.
Really, it's the best possible outcome, specifically because vintage air-cooled Porsches are so valuable. The canvas Dr. Yes chose elevates her artwork and makes it still relevant today. It upsets the purists a little and stirs up conversation. It's a car, but it's art. And once again, it belongs to her.
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Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
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