1971 PORSCHE 911T

The members of the Kansas City Region Porsche Club of America see it happen often when Al Bolte brings his turquoise 1971 Porsche 911T to events or the weekly Saturday breakfast at Le Peep in Lenexa.

It doesn’t matter if the parking lot is filled with newer Porsches that might thrill a teenager looking at a car for pure power.

Bolte’s 911T is a classic. Often, women walk right past the newer Porsches and stop at the turquoise one.

“These guys started calling it the chick magnet,” said Bolte in the Le Peep parking lot.

Stan Thorne, the editor of Der Sportwagen, a bi-monthly newsletter for the KCRPCA, is one of the members who started saying it about Bolte’s car.

“Usually when a lady comes out, she surveys the parking lot and says, ‘Oooh, what’s the pretty blue one over there?’” Thorne said. “That is the one she always goes to first.”

In 1974, when Bolte bought the 911T, he wasn’t thinking in those terms. He wanted a reliable car that both his wife and he could use on a daily basis.

While in Germany in the 1960s, Bolte discovered he really liked the Porsche and thought one day he would own one.

By 1974, Bolte was ready to trade in his BMW and start looking for a Porsche.

Bolte found what he wanted at Art Bunker Porsche Audi, which no longer exists. The car had 28,000 miles on it.

“It had belonged to a major at Fort Leavenworth,” said Bolte, who lives in Lenexa. “His wife wanted a 914. I talked to him after I bought it, and he said he would really like to have it back. I said I’m sorry.”

Forty years and 50,000 miles later, Bolte enjoys the car as much now as when he was 35 years old and spent $7,500 for it.

“I really haven’t driven it much except to Porsche events the past four or five years,” Bolte said. “The prices keep going up on it. I am more careful with it.

“It has been a good car. It hasn’t caused that (many) problems over the years. It is pretty easy to work on compared to the new ones. The new ones you can hardly see the engines.”

The casual car observer enjoys looking at the turquoise 911T. On several occasions, Bolte’s Porsche has been in the Kansas City Art Institute’s Art of the Car Concours.

The annual event features more than 200 vintage, classic and special-interest vehicles, including cars, trucks, racing cars and motorcycles belonging to collectors from eight states. The proceeds benefit the KCAI scholarship fund.

Bolte has gotten more enjoyment out of his Porsche than he ever imagined when he bought it.

“It has been fun to drive,” he said. “Probably the main reason I bought it. It is fun to drive.”

On Saturday mornings throughout the year Bolte will tell stories and listen to others from Porsche owners in the Kansas City area. Bolte said he has been a member of this club since 1984.

“We are here every Saturday morning, rain or shine,” Thorne said.

When Bolte shows up, they know they have at least one car that grabs attention.

This story was originally published November 28, 2014 at 6:00 PM.