Seventy years of marriage, countless roads travelled and still craving speed. Most couples celebrate a milestone anniversary with a romantic meal or maybe a cruise, but for John and Margaret Baxter, only the raw energy of a Porsche 911 GT3 would do.
Their purchase stunned the staff at a London dealership. Here were two nonagenarians, crisp in their driving caps, coolly signing for a £160,000 sports car capable of 0-62 in under four seconds. When asked why a GT3, John just grinned and pointed to the rear wing. Margaret chimed in: “We wanted a car that keeps up with us.” The sales team scrambled for cameras, capturing the moment for posterity and the local news cycle.
Rather than cruise quietly into their twilight years, the Baxters chose the six-speed manual. John insists on driving every outing. Margaret reads the sat-nav and picks routes where the canvas top can be dropped and the flat-six can rip.
Friends and family shook their heads, but the couple shrugged off the predictable concerns. “You’re only old until you quit living,” Margaret declares. Their anniversary run began with a blast up the M1 (top speed: undisclosed), napkin-wrapped sandwiches in the boot, and no destination beyond the next great curve.
Seven decades on, the Baxters are still collecting stories and grins.
