Ranjit Pratap – The big dream of owning a Porsche in India

For Porsche, India is a steadily growing market, and that’s not solely from the brand’s sales performance. The local collectors’ eagerness to experience and fall in love with a Porsche is possibly at an all-time high. Many notable collections have already got a special place for a 911. To further understand this, we chat with Ranjit Pratap, a well-known classic car aficionado whose car collection gets stronger. It has just been enriched with the presence of two distinct Porsche 911s, and we thought what could be a better time to talk cars with him than this!

Hi, Ranjit, thanks for having me! Firstly, could you lease tell us a bit about yourself?

Ranjit Pratap (RP): Hi, I’m Ranjit Pratap, an industrialist based in the city of Chennai, India. I’ve been around cars for a long time. Over the past few years, I’ve built a collection of cars that I love. From the humble Morris 1000 convertible to the Aston Martin DB11 Volante, I care for and regularly drive every car that I own. Porsche has been elusive, but not anymore.

So, how did the Porsche story begin?

RP: You know, as kids, we would always say things like ‘I want to buy this/that… a Ferrari, maybe.’ But somehow I had a fascination for German cars. And everyone around me said Porsche was the best. I didn’t know much about the technicalities those days. Still I knew it was a fast car, reliable and well-built, and the whole rear-engine layout fascinated me.

He was going around the track at a blazing speed, and I remember saying to myself, ‘One day I will own that car.’

Ranjit Pratap

My first notable exposure to it must’ve been in 1972 when business tycoon and motorsport enthusiast (also the man behind Force India F1) Vijay Mallya got a 911 to the Sholavaram racetrack on the outskirts of Madras (now called Chennai). It was I think a ’72 model. It looked very trendy, and it had the distinctive whale tail. I was just 16 years old back then, and it didn’t take too long for me to be fascinated by that car. That was my first experience of Porsche: seeing it in the flesh, it was also the first time I heard its growl. He was going around the track at a blazing speed, and I remember saying to myself, ‘One day I will own that car.’

What was your first Porsche, then?

RP: When in the early 2000s, they announced that Porsche was going to make an official entry into the Indian market. I knew I had to buy one. This was a long-time coming, and I couldn’t have waited any longer. The Porsche Boxster (987) was just under Rs 50 lakh if I remember correctly. That was equivalent to a little over $100,000. It seemed like the one to go for. I bought that, enjoyed it for about three years, and then moved on to something better. But no matter what I tried, there always remained a gap in my collection — a longing for the 911.

But no matter what I tried, there always remained a gap in my collection — a longing for the 911.

Ranjit Pratap

Before we get into that, please tell us a bit more about your journey with cars in general

RP: Due to the strict import laws at that time, we couldn’t get brand-new imported cars. The second best option was to get nearly new cars through the now-defunct State Trading Corporation auctions – or STC, in short. It was thrilling, the access to some exotic machinery, even though it wasn’t brand-new.

I’ve always been into cars. During my university days here in Madras – modern-day Chennai – I had a 1969 VW Beetle 1300. It was a left-hand-drive, but I got it at a bargain price in 1971. It was essentially a smaller, simpler Porsche 911… 

Ranjit Pratap

A few years later, after coming back from the US, where I did my masters from the Indiana State University, I got busy with business. You know, the rigmarole, but thankfully I didn’t lose interest in cars. I soon bought a Mercedes-Benz W123, ran it for a few years, and replaced it with an ex-consulate W116 S-Class. This, of course, didn’t end there.

You mention the US; did your Porsche fascination pick up there?

RP: Even there, Porsches weren’t the most common cars. But whenever I got a chance to be around one, I would just stand and appreciate the fine creation the 911 was. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the styling of the earlier models. But the G-Model onwards, I began to like them more. Regardless of the model, though, I always thought Porsche was beyond my means.

Regardless of the model, though, I always thought Porsche was beyond my means.

Ranjit Pratap

Please tell us about your current Porsche collection

RP: I am now a proud owner to a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera (992.2) and an equally charming 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Targa. My younger son, who’s just finishing his engineering course, was aware of my liking for the brand. He became a reason for me to finally take the proverbial leap of faith. We went to the Porsche dealer here in Chennai and with the 992.2 just around the corner, I told them that I didn’t mind waiting for the new model.

Is there a reason you didn’t get a more focussed model?

RP: I didn’t want the 911 Carrera GTS because it was too stiff for my use case. At my age, speed isn’t what I’m entirely after. The same goes about cars like the 911 GT3, too. For everyday driving, the 992.2 Carrera suffices — and then some. The 911 was always my dream, and having specced the car myself with the right set of options, I was thrilled to see the car come to life.

How’s the 992.2 to live with?

RP: The new 911 Carrera is a proper sports car. It’s got a lot of usable power, and I don’t even have to rev it too much to make progress. A quick downshift and the car would just fly. We were also invited by Porsche to the famous Madras International Circuit to experience the car better. It just surprised me and my son in the way it drove. The overall stability is impressive and, like how my son put it, it’s an outstanding car.

What about the ’89 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2?

RP: Like I mentioned previously, I wasn’t as big a fan of the 911’s design until the arrival of the G-Model in the seventies. Having said that, the older shape has certainly grown on me. But it was no surprise that when the time came to look for a classic 911, it was the G-Model that sat on the top of my list. During my trips to the UK both for work as well as to meet my son, I would go looking for classic Porsches. And while the prices have certainly shot up in the last few years, I had to get one.

The search ended as a friend phoned me saying he had found the perfect car for me. The car’s previous owner, a gentleman in his 80s, was looking to offload his Porsche collection: a total of four cars, one of which was this clean, well-maintained 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Targa Sport. A solid car with full service history. It was the one for me, although strong residuals and heavy import duties meant the total cost turned out to be quite substantial.

Since we’re talking 911s, how do the two compare?

RP: The 911 Carrera (992.2) is an amazing car, but it’s also stiffer. It corners really well, and the track outing showed me its true potential. The 911 Carrera 3.2, on the other hand, is definitely softer and hence more comfortable for everyday driving. The newer car is distinctly more modern and suits the modern driver more, I feel, while the 911 Carrera 3.2 has a more universal appeal. It’s a great car for people like us who want to use it frequently. It is an absolute beauty! 

Getting two 911s within a span of six months means a lot to me, and having got them photographed together feels quite special. It’s a dream come true…

Ranjit Pratap

Find your own Porsche 992.2 Carrera on Elferspot now!

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© photos: Paranjay Dutt