Bill Gates has always been fascinated by cars. He didn’t recognize the idea of driving with a driver — he liked to be behind the wheel himself. He was especially fond of Porsche. His favorite was the Porsche 959, which Gates brought to the United States in 1988, despite the fact that the car did not meet the emissions and safety requirements that were in effect at the time.
The Porsche 959 Comfort was a technical breakthrough: 2.85-liter opposed twin-turbo engine, all-wheel drive, electronically controlled suspension. And all this in a lightweight and extremely fast body. At the time, it was the fastest production car approved for public roads.
The car was also very rare: Porsche produced only 337 copies. And Gates couldn’t resist. He bought the car, knowing that it did not meet the requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
As a result, the car was detained in the port of Seattle. Fortunately, it was not destroyed, but it was not allowed to be imported into the country. It remained in the warehouse. Gates had to pay a fine of $28 a day for storing the car, and he did. Every day. For 13 years.
As a result, when the amount exceeded $133 thousand, it was already half the cost of the car itself (at that time, the Porsche 959 cost about $225 thousand). But Gates didn’t refuse — he waited.
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On August 13, 1999, the federal Show and Display amendment came into effect in the United States. It allowed cars of historical or technical value to be imported into the country, even if they did not meet safety and emissions standards. But with a restriction: they are allowed to be used no more than 2500 miles (4 thousand kilometers) per year, and mainly for exhibitions or collections.
In 2001, after 13 years of waiting and $133 thousand in fines, Bill Gates finally took his Porsche 959 home.
Today, such cars are a collector’s dream. Their market value reaches $1.5 million. Gates’ story is not only about cars, but also about stubbornness, love of technology, and the ability to wait for something that is really worth it.
Source: autoevolution
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