Nothing says born-into-wealth like a 5-year-old driving around in his own mini Porsche 911 engineered by the same folks at Zuffenhausen. Back in the 1980s, Porsche created a very limited run of children’s cars christened the 911 Junior, complete with a gas engine, brakes, and suspension. Only 224 or so were said to be built, and the parents of future hedge fund managers presumably snapped up all. Or wealthy Porsche enthusiasts looking to expand their collection with arguably one of the rarest Porsche 911 models out there, available exclusively through Porsche dealerships.
Sure, the 911 Junior is but a scaled-down version of the real thing, but with a top speed of up to 40 mph on some restored units, that’s plenty for Jr to get into trouble. Considering this children’s car has its engine in the rear, just like a real 911, there would’ve been plenty of physics lessons along the way.
The miniaturised sports car was available in single or double seat models and sold as officially licensed products. Power originally came from a 2.5 horsepower gas engine, complete with a two-speed gearbox with a reverse gear. The top speed was originally in the region of 19mph, though some restored models take that higher. The 911 Junior also has real rubber tires that needed to be filled up with air, disc brakes and working lights all around.
If you think a Porsche 911 Junior is on the affordable scale for a 911, think again. Few examples of the 911 Junior have popped up at auctions over the years, with price tags between $17,000 to $28,000. That’s more than the asking price for several variants of the real thing, but there aren’t many Porsche 911s as rare as the Junior.
