Moin Moin from Hamburg!

As I’ve said before, Hamburg is one of my favorite cities in Germany: good vibes, nice surroundings and of course a lot of Porsches! During one of my visits to the city, I met with Stefan, a good Instagram friend of mine with an amazing 964. Luckily, we had the last sunny day before Winter to shoot his car in a well-known location – the Harbor of Hamburg. I was very excited to photograph the car. It always caught my attention since I started to follow Stefan on Instagram, and finally, we made it!

I asked Stefan some questions about the story behind his Instagram star, the 964. I hope you enjoy it!

Tell me about you.

Moin, Moin from Hamburg! My name is Stefan – I am a 37 years old proud dad, husband and car nut. After some years in big design companies, my partner Tim and me founded our own design studio in 2012. Its called Bräutigam & Rotermund – just like our surnames – and our main focus is brand design.

What was your first car?

Since I grew up in a “BMW-Family” my first car was an E30 318iS  in sterling silver. This car was great, no ABS, no power steering, no air condition, no electric windows, just pure driving pleasure. Unfortunately, I traded it way too early for a modern car.

How did you first become interested in cars and why especially in Porsche?

My father was a car mechanic and still is a car enthusiast too, so I got used to loving cars from my very early years. Every weekend we went to the workshop and worked on our cars. I learned a lot from him during that time. When I moved to Hamburg I decided that I did not need a daily car anymore. So I sold the daily car and bought a BMW again, but this time a classic 1802 from 1975 in Inka Orange. Of course, I’ve always been interested in Porsche as well. At the age of 30, I bought a Porsche 944. First as a winter-fun-car but in the following summer, I restored the car and later sold it to my best friend.

The Porsche 911 has always been a childhood dream.

How did you come across the 964?

 First I was looking for a late G-Model but after a year of searching and many disappointments, I came across the 964. I found it in Bielefeld. When I met the previous owner and he showed me his Porsche Collection including a 993 RS I knew immediately that I had found a guy who you can trust, so then I bought my Porsche 964 without any doubts.

What condition was the car in when you bought it? Do you know about your Porsche’s history and previous owners and do you have any particular story to tell?

The 964 was in perfect condition, optical as well as technically. It’s a German car with a full checkbook and almost in the first paint. I know every previous owner and got many bills from the last years. Even though the Porsche has run over 200,000 km, he has always been treated with love.

Did you restore it or was it already restored when you got the car?

There was no need to restore the car. The Porsche got some updates like the Bilstein RS Coilovers, a performance exhaust system by Dieter Weiß and a cup air filter. The Engine got some adjustments so it delivers 290 horsepowers today.

Being a designer, what’s your favourite detail or what do you love most about your car?

Of course the classic shape of the iconic 911 and the design history. 

Every child recognizes the car as a Porsche 911.

In your Instagram account, I saw many journeys photos with the 964. Which was the longest trip you ever took with it?

Usually, I take the 964 only for longer trips. I don’t enjoy driving around the city. When we are going to our holiday home on Sylt, that’s the perfect distance. My longest trip was a road trip with my daughter visiting some old friends in southern Germany. I love driving the Porsche, just like she does. This year I will go for a trip in the Alps. I am very excited about this journey.

I saw some cool photos and good engagement on your Instagram account. Are you an Instagram addict?

I wouldn’t go that far, but yes, I love Instagram! As I am a designer, I am a very visual guy. As a car nut, this platform is just perfect. Before I came across Instagram, the photos I took just stayed on my iPhone. One of the best things about Instagram is that I can meet people sharing the same passion for cars.

Personally, I think the black wheels of the 911 fits perfectly, and make it very individual from any other 964, what’s the story behind it?

When I bought the car it had original Cup 1 rims. I like so much the original RS looking, so I decided to restore the wheels. During the restoration process, something at the paint shop went wrong and they could not deliver on time. Spring came and I got a little nervous because I could not drive. So I bought a second set of wheels on eBay. I got some very affordable Cup 2 and painted them in black. The feedback on this triple-black-look was overwhelming and so this temporary solution became some kind of Trademark. When I bought a third set of wheels for the new season I offered the black Cups on eBay and some guys who knew the car from Instagram wrote Messages that I should keep the black wheels. Next season you will see the 964 on silver 18“ Speedlines, but you´ll never know what happens next. 

What’s the story behind your Porsche Design watch, does it have any special meaning to you?

I guess car guys also like watches. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche who didn’t only design the iconic 911, he revolutionised as well the watchmaking world with the first all-black Chronograph. The Orfina Porsche Design Watch has the same functional design as the instruments of my 964. I am wearing it every day, it let me think about the good times with my 964. By chance, I found the watch on eBay here in Hamburg. Julian the seller, collects everything that is beautiful and in addition to watches, he also has an old Range, a Jaguar and a Ferrari. Of course, the sales conversation quickly became a minor matter and now we are friends.

Is there any other Porsche you would like to have?

A 911 without compromise, it must be light, powerful and just for fun. Pure driving pleasure, no further purpose and exactly according to my ideas. But what I like best is the project itself. Hope one day I will have enough time, space and money…

Follow him on Instagram: @stefanbraeutigam

The article was created in cooperation with Carphiles