Automotive photographer Larry Chen has seen some of the world’s most incredible cars, so it takes something special to genuinely surprise him. During a recent trip to Thailand, however, he stumbled upon a private collection that left even him struggling to find the words.
The opportunity came at an inconvenient time. Chen had been awake for nearly 20 hours when a mysterious collector invited him to see his cars at around 1 a.m.
There was one catch: the owner was leaving early the following morning, so Chen had to visit immediately. Despite his exhaustion, he wasn’t about to turn down an invitation like that.
The collection had never been filmed before, and Chen wasn’t allowed to reveal its owner or exact location. What he could show, though, was an extraordinary assortment of rare Porsches, Japanese performance legends, and exceptionally well-preserved classics.
A Porsche Collection That Defies Belief
One of the first cars Chen encountered was a 1988 Porsche 959 S, described as chassis number one of 11, with just 258 miles on its odometer. Its original interior, tri-color cloth seats, and exceptionally well-preserved condition made it an immediate standout.
Nearby sat a rare Porsche 993 GT2, two 993 Carrera RS models, and a 997 GT2 RS. There was also a Porsche 918 Spyder, which somehow managed to blend into the background among so many special machines.
The collection continued with a 991 GT2 RS, a 911 GT3 Touring, and several other desirable 911 variants. In most garages, any one of these would be the centerpiece, but here they’re just blending in.
Some Seriously Rare Porsche History
Perhaps the most unusual discovery was a Porsche 964 Speedster fitted with a Tiptronic automatic transmission. According to Chen, it was one of just two such cars commissioned by the Sultan of Brunei, both of which eventually ended up in Thailand.
Another highlight was a 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0, a model built in extremely limited numbers. Chen described this particular example as exceptionally well preserved, with an interior that looked almost new.
There was even a dedicated exhaust-extraction system that allowed the owner to start and warm up the cars indoors. Clearly, this wasn’t an ordinary storage facility.
Japanese Legends And BMW Icons, Too
Porsche wasn’t the collector’s only obsession. Chen also spotted a yellow Honda NSX-R, a Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R with approximately 11,000 kilometers, and a pair of BMW E30 M3s.
One of the biggest surprises was a Toyota AE86 in the classic black-and-white panda color scheme. Showing just 13,791 kilometers, it was among the cleanest examples Chen had ever encountered.
By the time filming wrapped up, the sun was almost rising. Chen was exhausted, but judging by his reaction, losing a night’s sleep was a small price to pay for seeing a collection like this.