Can you buy a Porsche, drive it, enjoy it, and eventually sell it without losing a pile of money?
It’s something I hear constantly from Porsche owners, especially people who can only own one fun car at a time.
My guest this week is my friend Nathan Merz, owner of Columbia Valley Luxury Cars and one of the people I trust most when it comes to understanding Porsches and the market around them.
Nathan and I have known each other for more than a decade. I actually bought my first Porsche 356 from him.
This time I wanted to talk about something that affects a much larger group than serious collectors: how do ordinary enthusiasts move through different Porsches without making an expensive mistake every time they change cars?
We start with the word “flipping” and why it can describe very different people. Then Nathan explains why the most important financial decision often happens when you buy the car, why quality matters more than obsessing over a particular model or option, and why maintenance, insurance and other ownership expenses completely change the math.
We talk about accident history, Carfax, mileage, service records and Nathan’s idea of “free miles.”
Then we try to build a Porsche ownership ladder starting with someone who has $25,000 to $35,000.
Most importantly, Nathan makes the case that Porsche ownership shouldn’t become an accounting exercise. Protecting your money matters, but the entire point is still owning and driving a car that means something to you.
NATHAN MERZ
Columbia Valley Luxury Cars:
Porsche Content:
https://cvluxurycars.com/category/porsche/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/cvlcporsche/
ELEVENAFTERNINE
Website and Porsche Buyer Consulting:
https://www.elevenafternine.com/
Main YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNine
Podcast YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNinePodcast
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theelevenafternine/
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eleven-after-nine-a-porsche-culture-podcast/id1887344928
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fpVL61pWEZDkaygT7cGZh
CONTACT
Buying a Porsche and want a second opinion before you wire the money? One-on-one Porsche buyer consulting is available at ElevenAfterNine.com.
IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Can You Buy a Porsche Without Losing Money?
01:03 How Nathan and I Met Over a Porsche 356
06:19 What “Flipping” Actually Means
12:16 Should You Try to Avoid Losing Money?
18:29 The Money Is Made in the Buy
26:15 The Real Cost of Porsche Ownership
31:04 Quality Matters More Than Spec
38:27 Porsche Underdogs and Changing Values
42:24 The Financial Reality of Non-911 Porsches
44:34 Accident History and Carfax
54:11 Mileage and “Free Miles”
1:04:38 Service History vs. Mileage
1:08:58 The Best First Porsche for $25K to $35K
1:14:45 Base Boxster vs. Boxster S
1:18:59 Building a Porsche Ownership Ladder
1:23:23 The $35K to $70K Porsche Gap
1:26:33 Why Porsche Values Are Converging
1:30:41 The Case for the 996
1:35:00 Why 993s Are Still Selling
1:37:22 Wherever You Are in the Porsche Journey Is Okay
ElevenAfterNine is an independent enthusiast podcast and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.
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