Magnus Walker / What's Worth Keeping
About this episode
Renowned Porsche collector Magnus Walker joins the show to discuss a major shift in his philosophy on car ownership. After decades of amassing an out-of-control collection, Walker shares why he recently decided to "thin the herd" by selling 18 of his cars. He compares the car cultures and lifestyles of New York and Los Angeles, reflects on aging, and explains how letting go of material possessions has brought him a newfound sense of freedom. He also shares the surprising story of a stolen Chevy cargo van and his unexpected acquisition of a Porsche 356.
Magnus Walker is the man who turned air-cooled Porsches into a movement. This is a podcast about letting it go.
He sold 18 cars from his personal collection this spring and kept the 16 he couldn't part with. Three months on, he sat down with us to talk about what's left when you stop collecting: feeling lighter, the worthless van he misses more than the Porsches, and the 356 that found him on his way out the door.
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Magnus Walker
"How are you doing, man? What's up in the world of Magnes, dude? What's up? Well, I've got back from back to LA last week..."
A famous car collector and designer known for his long dreadlocks and his love for vintage Porsches. He became famous after a documentary showed his unique style of customizing classic cars.
Magnus Walker is a prominent British-born fashion designer, real estate developer, and world-renowned Porsche collector based in Los Angeles. He became an automotive icon after the release of the 2012 documentary 'Urban Outlaw', which highlighted his distinctive dreadlocks, punk-rock aesthetic, and passion for building customized vintage air-cooled Porsche 911s.
Silverstone Circuit
"...but just did a Porsche event at the Icons of Porsche Festival in England at Silverstone."
A very famous race track in England where the first-ever Formula 1 race was held. It is known for being incredibly fast and historic.
Silverstone is a legendary motor racing circuit in England, best known as the home of the British Grand Prix, which hosted the very first Formula One World Championship race in 1950. It is built on the site of a former World War II Royal Air Force airfield and is highly revered for its high-speed, sweeping corners like Copse, Becketts, and Stowe.
Porsche 911 (964)
"...and I actually bought a car on eBay in 1992 and 96A, and that was my New York City car. And I parked it on the street in the East Village..."
A version of the famous Porsche 911 sports car made in the early 1990s. It looks classic but was the first 911 to get modern features like power steering and better brakes.
The 964 generation of the Porsche 911, produced from 1989 to 1994, brought significant modernizations to the classic sports car, including coil-spring suspension, power steering, and ABS brakes, while retaining the traditional air-cooled flat-six engine. It is highly sought after by enthusiasts for balancing vintage character with improved usability.
Angeles Crest Highway
"You know, from where I'm sat right now, I'm 16 miles south of perhaps the greatest. One of the top 10 greatest roads in the world, Angeles Crest Highway."
A famous, twisty mountain road just north of Los Angeles that car enthusiasts love to drive on because of its beautiful views and challenging corners.
Angeles Crest Highway (California State Route 2) is a scenic, two-lane highway that winds through the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. Reaching elevations over 7,900 feet, its continuous series of sweeping curves and dramatic drop-offs make it a legendary destination for local sports car drivers and motorcyclists.
Porsche 356
"...you know, I ended up acquiring a 356, which I wasn't even looking for. You know, I've always said I'm not cool enough to own a 356."
The very first car that Porsche ever made. It is a small, lightweight, bubble-shaped sports car with a beetle-like engine in the back.
The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile, featuring a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with an air-cooled flat-four engine. Produced from 1948 to 1965, its lightweight construction, exceptional handling, and aerodynamic design laid the foundation for the iconic 911.
Emory Motorsports
"...especially if you want something like an Emory build or Will Hoy or some sort of hot rod outlaw type of thing."
A famous custom car shop that takes very old Porsches and rebuilds them with modern parts to make them look cool and drive much faster.
Emory Motorsports, founded by Rod Emory, is a world-renowned restoration shop famous for pioneering the 'Outlaw' Porsche 356 movement. They specialize in highly customized, performance-oriented restorations that blend vintage Porsche aesthetics with modern chassis, suspension, and engine components.
Outlaw Porsche
"...especially if you want something like an Emory build or Will Hoy or some sort of hot rod outlaw type of thing. And I've always sort of actually fun to drive."
A vintage Porsche that has been customized and modified for better performance and a cooler look, rather than being kept exactly how it came from the factory.
An 'Outlaw' Porsche is a vintage model (most commonly a 356 or early 911) that has been modified with non-period-correct performance parts, custom styling, and personalized details. This style intentionally breaks from strict factory-original restoration standards to create a faster, more aggressive, and highly individualized machine.
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
"...where we're acquiring vintage Rolls Royce's from the 60s and 70s shadows. And these remind me of when I first got into Porsches..."
A classic, ultra-luxurious British car from the 1960s and 70s. It is famous for its incredibly smooth ride and elegant, boxy styling.
Produced from 1965 to 1980, the Silver Shadow was a major modernization for Rolls-Royce, featuring unitary (monocoque) construction and a high-pressure hydraulic self-leveling suspension system licensed from Citroën. It is powered by a 6.25 or 6.75-liter V8 engine and offers an incredibly plush, quiet ride.
G-Body
"Shows me a photo. It's a G body. So of course I don't need a 76 silver 911..."
A term for Porsche 911s made between 1974 and 1989, famous for having thick, black rubber bumpers on the front and back to meet safety laws.
The 'G-Body' or 'G-Series' refers to the generation of the Porsche 911 produced from 1974 to 1989. It is easily distinguished by its prominent impact bumpers, mandated by US safety regulations, and represents the longest-running body style in 911 history.
CIS fuel injection
"...and converting from CSI to carburetors and swapping exhaust."
An old-school mechanical system used to spray fuel into a car's engine. It doesn't use computers and can be tricky to tune if it sits unused for a long time.
Bosch K-Jetronic, commonly known as CIS (Continuous Injection System), is a mechanical fuel injection system used widely in European cars from the 1970s to the 1990s. It continuously sprays fuel into the intake ports rather than pulsing it, relying on mechanical pressure differentials to meter fuel.
Mulholland Highway
"So I go, let me take the scenic route four or five to Mulholland and Mulholland's like this great stretch of road..."
A very famous, twisty road in the hills of Los Angeles that has been a favorite spot for car enthusiasts and racers for decades.
Mulholland Highway is a famous scenic road in Southern California, winding through the Santa Monica Mountains. It is legendary in car culture as a historic testing ground for sports cars, hot rods, and motorcycles, featuring challenging curves and scenic vistas overlooking Los Angeles.
Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI
"...some of them were significant, the 65, 6, the 7, the 2, 7, MFI car, GT2, GT3, but I'm not regretting."
A very rare and fast version of the classic Porsche 911 from the mid-1970s. It used a special mechanical fuel system that made it drive like a race car.
The Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI (Mechanical Fuel Injection) was produced for the European market from 1974 to 1976. It utilized the same legendary 210-horsepower engine as the iconic 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, offering raw, high-revving performance in the updated G-Series body style.
TWR Supercat
"It's a little bit like these projects that I did with TWR on the SuperCat, the V12 Supercharged Hot Rod..."
A modern, high-tech remake of a classic Jaguar sports car from the 1980s. It has a massive, supercharged V12 engine and a lightweight carbon-fiber body.
The TWR Supercat is a modern, highly modified 'restomod' based on the classic Jaguar XJS, developed by the revived Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) brand. It features a supercharged V12 engine, aggressive carbon-fiber widebody styling, and modern performance suspension.
Pininfarina
"...the V12 Supercharged Hot Rod and the project, I did with Pinofarina."
A highly famous Italian company that designs some of the most beautiful and expensive sports cars in the world, especially Ferraris.
Pininfarina is an iconic Italian car design firm and coachbuilder founded in 1930 by Battista 'Pinin' Farina. They are legendary for designing some of the most beautiful cars in history, most notably for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Peugeot.
Ferrari Luce
"...at I will say. So if it's a good design, like the luce, you know, people hate it because it's a Ferrari...."
This is a high-performance luxury car made by Ferrari that looks like a sporty, two-door station wagon. It was designed to carry four people and their luggage comfortably at very high speeds.
This entry refers to the Ferrari GTC4Lusso (often phonetically transcribed as 'Luce'), a front-engine grand tourer produced from 2016 to 2020. It features a controversial 'shooting brake' (hatchback-like) body style, four seats, and an advanced all-wheel-drive system. It is often discussed because its wagon-like shape polarized Ferrari purists who prefer traditional low-slung sports cars.
Gordon T50
"For example, you know, I haven't done a film on YouTube in over a year. And the last one I did was the Gordon Murray T 50. And, you know, it's one of those things where you want to roll things,"
The T.50 is a very rare and expensive sports car built by Gordon Murray Automotive. It features a driver's seat placed directly in the middle of the cabin and a unique fan on the back of the car that sucks it to the road for better grip.
The GMA T.50 is an ultra-exclusive, lightweight supercar designed by Gordon Murray, the legendary creator of the McLaren F1. It is powered by a bespoke, high-revving Cosworth V12 engine and features a prominent rear-mounted fan that actively manages aerodynamics. It is highly celebrated in the automotive world for its uncompromising focus on analog driving purity and lightweight engineering.
Volvo P1800
"...or meeting a guy who is a consultant to India that has a P 1800 that I saw on the side of the road..."
A beautiful, classic sports car from Sweden made in the 1960s and 70s. It is famous for its stylish design and for being incredibly reliable.
The Volvo P1800 is a classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car produced by Volvo from 1961 to 1973. Renowned for its gorgeous Italian-inspired styling and legendary mechanical durability, a 1966 P1800 holds the Guinness World Record for the highest certified mileage on a personal car, with over 3 million miles.
Citroën SM
"...and they all happens to have a Citroen SM, like all these different stories..."
A highly unusual, futuristic French luxury car from the 1970s. It combined incredibly soft, self-leveling suspension with a powerful engine made by Maserati.
The Citroën SM is a high-performance grand tourer produced from 1970 to 1975, combining Citroën's advanced hydropneumatic suspension and self-centering steering with a sophisticated Maserati V6 engine. It remains one of the most technologically advanced and aerodynamically unique cars of its era.
Steve McQueen
"...or like, you know, if you think of what made Steve McQueen, quote, unquote, cool, there was no algorithm for it back then."
A famous Hollywood actor from the 1960s and 70s who was known as 'The King of Cool.' He was a real-life race car driver and loved fast cars and motorcycles.
Steve McQueen was an iconic American actor nicknamed 'The King of Cool.' He was a passionate, real-life racing driver and car enthusiast, famously starring in and performing his own driving stunts in films like 'Bullitt' (featuring a legendary Ford Mustang chase) and 'Le Mans'.
Toyota Crown
"Yeah. But Steve McQueen drove one in the Thomas Crown affair, the 67 Shadow Coupe, right? So we know it..."
The Toyota Crown is a large, premium car made by the Japanese company Toyota. It is designed to sit slightly higher off the ground than a normal sedan, offering a more comfortable ride and a hybrid engine that saves fuel.
The Toyota Crown is one of Toyota's longest-running and most prestigious nameplates, traditionally sold as a luxury sedan in Japan. For its sixteenth generation, Toyota reintroduced the Crown to global markets as an unconventional, high-riding crossover sedan. It is likely discussed in the podcast due to its unique design, premium positioning, and its departure from traditional sedan styling.
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