Ewan McGregor loves classics, but he’s letting go of his 1972 Porsche

Ewan McGregor isn’t just a Hollywood heavyweight—he packs quite a punch when it comes to cars. The Scottish-born actor has eclectic taste, as well as the money to buy pretty much whatever he wants, but he doesn’t always hang onto his automotive treasure.

Two years ago, McGregor sold a 1927 Buick Master Six sedan for $28,000 on BringATrailer.com because, he says, he moved to a house on a hill and the car struggled to make it up the incline. Now he’s back on BaT with a 1972 Porsche 911T Targa that he acquired in 2020.

McGregor has also owned a number of other classics, including a 1969 Aston Martin DBS, which he sold in order to buy a 1967 split-windshield VW Westfalia Camper.

So where did McGregor’s love of classic vehicles come from? He told Top Gear that he likely caught the bug from his grandfather, since his dad wasn’t much of a car guy. Volkswagen Beetles were the family’s car of choice when McGregor was growing up, but he was first attracted to motorcycles. He started with a 1978 Moto Guzzi T3, and later moved on to a Ducati and some Spanish Ossa dirt bikes. Cars came later.

“I bought my first ‘proper’ car when I was in Australia doing Moulin Rouge,” he told Top Gear. “A member of the crew had a 1972 Ford Mustang fastback, and he always parked it outside my dressing room because he wanted me to buy it. Anyway, for some reason I found out about another Mustang that was being sold in Sydney at the time—a 1965 convertible. It was the color of vanilla ice cream with a light blue roof. I fell in love, bought it and shipped it back to Britain because it had been converted to right-hand drive. That was my only car for a long time because I was always on my bikes.”

McGregor began collecting cars when he moved to the United States in 2008. Among his many purchases: a 1960 Silver Cloud II, Porsche 718 Cayman, two rat rods (one based on a 1920 Dodge and and the second “a ridiculously slammed 1927 Ford Tudor”), a 1937 Wolseley that served as the family car in the 2018 film Christopher Robin, and several VW Beetles, one of which is an electric-converted 1954 model that he commissioned from SoCal specialist EV West. McGregor also plans to buy a Volkswagen ID Buzz when it hits dealerships in 2024.

As for McGregor’s 1972 Porsche 911T Targa, bidding has reached $93,000 with three days remaining in the BaT auction.

According to the vehicle description, the Targa had been stored from the late 1970s until 2019, and it was acquired by McGregor the following year. Finished in black paint over black leatherette and Pepita fabric, the German sports car is powered by a 2.4-liter flat-six that’s mated to a five-speed 915 manual transaxle.

Features include a removable roof panel, stainless-steel Targa bar, 911S-style front spoiler, four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, driver’s sport seat, right bucket seat, fold-down rear seats, staggered-width 15-inch Fuchs alloy wheels, and factory air conditioning. A timing chain update kit, Porsche Classic radio (with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, and USB charging ports), and replacement speakers have recently been installed. Performed maintenance includes a valve adjustment, resealing the transmission, and replacing the clutch, flywheel, shifter bushings, various engine oil seals, and ignition components.

This 911T Targa comes with a Porsche Production Specifications certificate, as well as the owner’s manual, recent service records, spare parts, and a clean California title in the owner’s name.

The Porsche’s left front fender was repainted prior to McGregor’s ownership, and the antenna has been relocated to the right front fender. The front has rock chips, and the paint has other imperfections as well.

The car wears 185/70 Vredestein Sprint Classic tires and retains its factory-equipped ventilated disc brakes. The rear shocks were replaced in 2020.

The five-digit odometer shows 38,000 miles, but the car’s true mileage is unknown. Also unknown is why McGregor has decided to part with the car. Perhaps he has his eye on another Westfalia.

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