From Father to Son

As heirlooms go, it doesn’t get much cooler than a Porsche 911—Type 964. One such fortunate beneficiary is Napondet Hetrakul, 31—Naja to his friends—whose father was a true-blue Porsche enthusiast. Besides owning a succession of Porsche sports cars, Naja’s dad got him a Junior Porsche 911. Powered by a two-stroke engine and working gears, this scaled-down replica instilled a passion for the brand in little Naja from an early age.

However before his untimely passing more than 20 years ago, the last Porsche Naja’s father would own was the 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. Although his family gradually sold off his possessions, it was decided that his beloved 911, with barely 1,000 miles (1,600 km) on the odometer, would be kept for Naja until he turned 18. Now a successful businessman himself, Naja’s passion for Porsche has clearly been acquired from his dad. A much-loved 911 (997) Carrera S, a Cayenne Turbo and Panamera S E-Hybrid are some of the Porsche models the young man calls his own.

Six years ago, Naja took the decision to completely restore his father’s 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet to its original showroom glory with the extensive overhaul.

The restoration of the Porsche 964 entailed a complete strip-down to bare metal, re-painting and painstaking rebuilding to exact factory specifications. After months of restoration, the Porsche 964 Naja’s father had left him looks exactly as it was all those years ago. Whenever he drives it, he feels an unmistakable connection with his dearly missed dad.

For Naja, the Porsche 964 transcends the simple status of “car” or even lifestyle. For him, it is a connection to both his past and present. He hopes to pass this car on just as his father did to him, sharing its story from one generation to the next.