Magnus Walker to sell some of Porsche collection with RM Sotheby’s
Fashion designer Magnus Walker is a well-known Porsche fanatic and collector, something he describes as an “out of control hobby”.
The Brit — now based in California — boasts an extensive collection of Porsches and other vehicles, becoming one of the most recognisable figures in the automotive space. However, now he’s ready to sell.
Walker’s story so far
His fascination with the German brand began as a 10 year old, when he saw a Porsche 911 for the first time while attending the 1977 Earl’s Court Motor Show with his father. The experience inspired Walker to write a letter to Porsche asking for a job, with the company later advising him to ask again once he had finished school.
His collecting journey began 15 years later, in 1992, with the purchase of a 1974 Porsche 911, a moment which Walker called “a dream come true” and “personal sense of accomplishment”. By that point, Sheffield-born Walker had relocated to the United States, and a successful fashion venture with the creation of the clothing brand Serious in Los Angeles meant he was able to further turn his dreams into reality and expand his vintage Porsche collection considerably. Over the years, he’s restored, customised and collected more vintage 911s, primarily focusing on air-cooled models from 1964 to 1973.
Which cars is Magnus Walker selling?
Magnus Walker: The Outlaw Collection comprises 162 models, including 18 Porsches, all up for sale through RM Sotheby’s as the 58-year-old looks to clear some space in his garage. The online auction takes place in late March, with some of the earliest short-wheelbase Porsche 911s, turbocharged models and 1980s/1990s front-engined versions available to buy from the Urban Outlaw.
The 58-year-old was in a reflective mood ahead of the upcoming auction in a promo video for RM Sotheby’s.
"It's kind of like shedding my skin," said Walker. "It's taken me quite some time to get to this point where I'm ready to let some of these cars go."
Let’s take a look at the first eight Porsche models to be revealed…
1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI
Estimated Value: $200,000 - $250,000 (£146,891 - £183,614)
Porsche built only 1,633 Carrera 2.7 MFI coupes between 1974 and 1976. As the line was being phased out in 1976 to make way for the Carrera 3.0-litre, Porsche made a last batch of 113 cars destined exclusively for the German market. These slick top coupes were all fitted with the RS-spec MFI motor, reportedly as homologation “Sondermodells” for a racing series that, in the end, never took place.
Walker picked up his version in 2009, which is believed to be number 23 of the coveted 113 Sondermodells.
Walker: “This, ironically, is perhaps one of the rarest cars I own—a 1976 911. But it's a 911 2.7 MFI meaning that this is the exact same 2.7 RS MFI motor that you would find in the Holy Grail 1973 RS Carrera. And, when you crunch the numbers, it is Porsche’s lowest-volume 911 2.7 MFI.
And I wasn’t even looking for it when I acquired it.
I wanted a ’64 and even had an ad: “Wanted. ’64 911.” This guy called me and said, “Hey, my brother's got an old ‘76 911, would you be interested? And I said, sure, send me some photos. So he sends me literally five crappy photos and in the fifth photo, the engine, I'm like, wow, this is interesting.”
1976 Porsche 911 Turbo
Estimated Value: $175,000 - $200,000 (£128, 529 - £146,891)
Acquired by Magnus in 2013, this Porsche has remained at the heart of his collection ever since and features several personal touches. Fuchs-inspired wheels built in collaboration with Fifteen52 are fitted with Hoosier R6 racing tyres, while the lower ride height makes it reminiscent of a race-born Porsche 934. It is finished in a close variation of the original factory Minerva Blue Metallic and retains its 3.0-litre engine.
Walker: “My 1976 930 Minerva Blue Euro 930 Turbo is actually the second Turbo I ever bought.
And the colour combo is Minerva Blue with this goldy bronze outlaw wheel with black centres. I always sort of jokingly refer to it as my version of a Porsche Subaru. One for the Subie boys as it's blue and gold.”
1965 Porsche 911
Estimated Value: $150,000 - $200,000 (£110,168 - £146,891)
This model is understood to be one of the first half-dozen 911s imported to the United States by Brumos dealership in Jacksonville, Florida. Brumos, an importer of Porsches since 1958, were known for successfully racing the cars it sold and achieved four victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Chassis 300310 was acquired by Walker after a nine-month chase and has been transformed into a “Gentleman’s Racer” that rides on Fuchs wheels and vintage black Scheel bucket seats.
Walker: “My 1965 911 is a pretty rare and special car—the 310th 911 ever made, chassis number 300310. Originally delivered to Brumos Porsche down in Jacksonville, Florida in early 1965, it’s one of the first half-dozen 911s that Brumos imported into the country.
The car was originally built in 1964 and finished in early 1965, and it’s one that I chased for quite some time. I had to work a deal with a guy that took a lot of patience, so that was one thing I learned from this ’65 911: You’ve got to be patient when someone’s thinking of selling a car. Sometimes you get a little too keen, a little too interested, and suddenly they decide the car is not for sale…that deal took about nine months.
The way the car currently sits is what I’d call a “Gentleman’s Racer” livery of silver, slate grey, burgundy, and bronze gold, rolling on 15-by-6-inch Fuchs with some vintage bucket Scheel seats, just to finish off that mid-60s sport-purpose vibe.”
1967 Porsche 911 S
Estimated Value: $150,000 - $200,000 (£110,168 - £146,891)
Part of Magnus Walker’s collection since 2009, little is known about its life prior to this. The car’s accompanying Kardex shows that it was completed on 6 December 1966, finished in Silbermetallic over black vinyl trim and first sold in California the following February.
Walker: “Nineteen-sixty-seven was the year I was born, so I've got a soft spot for anything that's 1967, the Summer of Love, whatever music was out then, and especially the 911 S. I've owned seven of them, including at one point, five at the same time.”
2002 Porsche 911 GT2
Estimated Value: $125,000 - $150,000 (£91,807 - £110,168)
Spending its whole life in California, this model was bought by Walker in 2020 but hasn’t had many miles put on the clock since. One of only 184 examples made for the US market in 2002, and 1,287 produced worldwide between 2001 and 2005, this 911 has been well maintained by two previous Porsche Club-member owners.
Walker: “Twenty-five years ago, this was Porsche's king of the hill—you couldn't get anything more badass than the GT2. It's all black, it's a lifelong LA car. I'm the third owner. It was owned by two prior, mature Porsche Club members who maintained the car extremely well at a local independent Porsche performance shop here in LA.
I wasn't necessarily looking for a GT2. The first water-cooled car I got was a 996 GT3. So, it was kind of a nice little thing to have a pair of Porsche's finest top-of-the-range 996 cars, being the naturally aspirated GT3 and the turbocharged GT2. But I don't recall it being a car that was actually on my wish list—it just appeared at the right time, at the right price. I purchased the car in 2020.
It's the most expensive Porsche I've ever purchased by quite a bit… it's probably too nice for me. But as GT2s go, it has been driven. What I liked about it is it wasn't a low-mileage car, which is why I was actually able to buy it. But I haven't put many of those miles on it—it was the prior two owners that used it as a daily driver. So that does show how practical the car is.”
1966 Porsche 911
Estimate Value: $100,000 - $150,000 (£73,445 - £110,168)
This timeless 911 was acquired by Magnus in 2009 and is among the first short-wheelbase 911s in his collection. It has been with Walker to car and coffee events during its time with him and was even included in a 2013 XCAR video about his collection.
Walker: “This is my 1966 Irish Green 911, one of the first short-wheelbase cars that I acquired. It was advertised, I believe, on Pelican Parts Forum, listed in Seattle. So naturally, what did I do? Flew to Seattle.
I wasn’t necessarily looking for a green car. This is really Porsche’s variation on what you’d call British Racing Green. Being a Germany company, I guess they couldn’t call it that, so Irish Green is what it is. It’s been repainted once. Other than that, it has its original numbers-matching motor, and as you can see, original interior with worn carpets...I love the way the steering wheel is worn.
To me, this car is like stepping back in time. We can’t time-travel, but if I want to go back to 1966, this is probably the closest I can get. It’s a little bit of a time-warp car.”
2004 Porsche 911 GT3
Estimated Value: $100,000 - $125,000 (£73,445 - £91,807)
While the initial 911 GT3 (996.1) was not sold in the United States, the updated 911 GT3 type 996.2 finally arrived on American shores in 2004, featuring new headlights, a redesigned rear wing, different wheels, more horsepower and a higher top speed.
Walker bought the car in 2016 in Northern California and immediately drove it back to his home in Los Angeles. Since owning it, he has had the bonnet, rear spoiler, and wheels painted black, while the front lip spoiler has been finished in orange. Racing-number roundels were added to both doors, and blue Brumos Racing-inspired stripes have been applied to the bodywork. A total of 66,753 miles is on the clock at the time of sale.
Walker: “I often joke about how the roof in the garage started a water leak back in 2016. And what I mean by that is that was the first time I had a water-cooled 911 in the garage, which in fact is this 2004 996.2. For me it was significant because it was the first water-cooled Porsche and the first water-cooled 911 I ever owned in a sea of air-cooled sport-purpose 911s.
It's one of those cars that, just, is great at everything it does. And weirdly, for a 20-year-old car, it's still an effective weapon.”
1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 'Flat-Nose' Widebody Conversion
Estimated Value: $75,000 - $100,000 (£55,084 - £73,445)
This 911 model is reminiscent of the very first Porsche purchased by Walker and was added to his collection in 2019. Starting life as a US-spec 911 Carrera 2.7 coupe, it had a “Flat-Nose” widebody fibreglass kit by American Racing International installed in the 1980s. It also had its engine replaced with a Carrera RS 2.7 MFI-specification flat-six.
Walker hasn’t put many miles on it, and it has mainly been kept as a collection piece in the corner of his garage. It offers its new owner the potential for resto-modding or other further modifications.
Walker: “The slant-nose 911 is one of those things that I believe you either love or hate. For me, I love them.
I've heard stories about people literally buying brand new Turbos from the dealer and then taking them into aftermarket body shops to have slant-nose conversion body kits put on. Performance-wise it doesn't make an ounce of difference. It is a body kit, whether it's done by the factory, an independent specialty tuner, or some backyard builder.”
When is the Magnus Walker auction?
The RM Sotheby’s Magnus Walker: The Outlaw Collection online auction is scheduled to take place between March 18 and 25, with additional details and models to be revealed in the coming weeks.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: RM Sotheby’s