Birch Green Porsche 911 Carrera: a lifelong love story

The Birch Green Porsche 911 Carrera that found its owner

How a rare 1970s Porsche colour became the defining detail of one owner’s dream 911

June 10, 2026 | 8 min read

Birch Green Porsche 911 Carrera beside beach hero desktop

For John Cowell, a Birch Green 1975 Carrera is more than a rare Porsche colour. It’s a thread running from childhood memories to family history, personal identity and a lifelong connection with the air-cooled 911

Fast facts: Birch Green

Birch Green is a Porsche paint colour also known as Light Green – or Lichtgrün in German

Its paint code is commonly listed as 253 in Porsche colour references

Birch Green is closely associated with Porsche sportscars of the 1970s, and has a strong connection with competition colours, including the 911 RSR used in the 1974 International Race of Champions

Birch Green is no longer a standard Porsche production colour, but the shade is available today through Porsche Paint to Sample on selected models

It was a 2am WhatsApp message from Europe when John Cowell knew he had found the car of his dreams. After a year of failed searches, a 1975 Birch Geen 911 Carrera appeared on his phone. “I was just like, holy smokes. I knew instantly that was the one,” says John.

After a long and frustrating search – and almost on the verge of giving up – John wasn’t prepared to let this one get away. “I booked a flight, literally a 36-hour stay in Holland… woke up the next morning, went and saw the car and flew home the next day,” he adds.

John, who lives in Los Angeles, was born and raised in New York City and now works in finance on the East Coast. But cars – and Porsche in particular – have been part of his life from the very beginning. “The first words I ever spoke were identifying cars on the street,” says John. “It’s just part of my genetics.”

His mother drove a Porsche 356B, 912 and 911 Targa, while his father was a Car and Driver magazine writer, Cannonball Run participant and avid collector.

“My mom’s first car was a 356B in 1962,” he adds. “I don’t know how many 16-year-old girls in the US were driving a 356 at the time. Some of my earliest memories were in the back of her 912… and then she had a ’73 911T Targa.”

Those formative years really left their mark on John from a young age. He recalls a story about his father’s 911. “I remember being about six and getting in that Carrera. We were going someplace and he asked me if I wanted to go fast or really fast. And I was like, let’s go really fast,” says John. “That just left an indelible mark on my soul.”

So much so that, several decades later, John’s passion for Porsche burns as brightly as ever. Today, he owns several modern and classic Porsche sportscars, but it’s his 1975 911 Carrera in Birch Green – the car that he describes “found” him – that’s the most special.

Image 1 Birch Green 911 Carrera parked beach ocean background — John Cowell has owned his Birch Green 911 Carrera for two years and describes it as the car that found him Photo: Kevin McCauley

The 911 that found him

“Every single car I looked at, we would get really far and there would be some issue with it,” John says about his search for a classic 911. “Originally, I wanted a ’74 because I love the ducktail. But I’m a little bit of a period-correct sort of person.”

He’d been to see a dozen cars at this point with no sale in sight. John was about to give up on his search – “It’s getting expensive and I’m tired,” he thought to himself at the time – when that Birch Green 911 found him.

John came close to buying the car unseen. But at the final moment, he decided the decision was too important to make from photographs alone. So he booked a flight to the Netherlands. The 911 Carrera was owned by an older gentleman who lived just outside Amsterdam and rarely drove it. When John finally saw it in person, the feeling was difficult to put into words.

Seeing the Birch Green 911 Carrera in person confirmed what the first photograph had already suggested. This wasn’t simply the end of a long search, but the beginning of a relationship. And much of that connection begins with the colour.

Watch a film about John’s 911 Carrera in Birch Green

?si=xzCeUkdjFtYuTXtD

Birch Green: a Porsche love story

“It’s hard to articulate what that felt like,” says John on seeing the car for the first time. “When emotion is really pure, there aren’t words. I was just sort of beside myself.”

That feeling hasn’t faded. More than two years later, the car still has the same effect on him, not just because of what it is, but because of the way it looks. In Birch Green, the car seems to shift with its surroundings, changing character with the light.

“I love that it moves with the light,” he says. “Sometimes it looks green, sometimes sort of like a lime green. Sometimes it’s chartreuse. Sometimes it looks like it’s actually illuminated.”

Unlike modern cars, John’s 911 has a single-stage paint, so the colour and gloss are contained in one layer of paint. Single-stage paint can have a softer, warmer, more “alive” look.

And because there isn’t a thick clear layer sitting on top, the colour can feel more direct and less glassy. On an older car, it can also age, polish and react to light in a way that feels more organic, giving the car depth, softness and character.

“There’s something about that early single-stage paint, the way it came from the factory, that gives it its own life and its own moods,” adds John. “It could be five different cars based on what the light conditions are.”

Image 2 bonnet view Birch Green 911 Carrera driving along mountain road — Every joy is a drive, but for John, this car brings out a caring sensibility in him that he compares to parenthood Photo: Kevin McCauley

Naturally, John’s car is a magnet for attention. Although for him, the appeal of Birch Green is not simply that it stands out but also the way it stands out. “The reaction people have when they see it is so friendly,” he says. “It’s so disarming. It’s so attractive.”

That, for John, is part of the magic. The colour doesn’t just change the look of the car. It changes the conversation around it. “The people who would never inquire about a car are curious about it,” he says. “I really like that. I like the inclusivity of that colour.”

And in a world where many high-performance cars are designed to shout, John’s Carrera does something different. It draws people in.

A car to care for

The emotional connection John has with his Carrera isn’t only revealed on perfect roads or memorable drives. In fact, he says it is often clearest when things don’t go to plan.

“It hasn’t been perfect,” he says. “I’ve had to get it towed to the shop.” For some owners, that might become a frustration. For John, it seems to have deepened the relationship. He remembers the fuel pump failing in downtown Hollywood, leaving him to push the car into a parking lot. The moment was inconvenient, but his first feeling was not irritation.

“When this car has problems, I almost feel the same way as I did when my daughter was a little girl and got sick,” he says. “I just wanted to take care of her and make sure she was okay.”

That says a lot about the place this Porsche occupies in his life. It isn’t just something to drive, polish or admire. It’s something he feels responsible for.

“The way I feel about the car when things aren’t going great is more indicative of the connection that I have to it than the amazing drives I’ve had through the canyons of Malibu on a perfect weather day,” he says.

Those drives matter, of course. But for John, the quieter moments are just as meaningful. “When I walk through the garage to grab my bike to go on a ride, I stop, look at it and take it in,” he says.

Image 3 man looking at classic Porsche 911 Carrera Birch Green — John grew up surrounded by sportscars and Porsche in particular. It’s a history that has led to a love affair with classic Porsche cars Photo: Kevin McCauley

The Porsche connection

That connection is not limited to this one car. John and his wife own several Porsche models, each with its own story. There is his wife’s 1966 912, which originally came from his family’s dealership in Texas, and a 1969 hot rod, one of two cars he says was built “soup to nuts” by Andial. There’s also a rally-inspired 1981 911 SC and a Macan for daily duties.

But the thread running through them all is John’s affection for air-cooled Porsche cars.

“There’s something about a vintage Porsche,” he says. “They’re the only cars I care about, truly.”

For John, part of that feeling comes from the human quality of older Porsche cars. The hand-built nature. The imperfections. The sense that every car carries something of the people who created it.

“When I get in any one of our cars, I feel like I’m absorbing the energy of the hands that built them,” he says. “I think that’s a big part of what builds that connection.”

Image 4 Porsche 911 Carrera Birch Green parked beside coast — Would he sell it? It’s a question he’s often asked, but one that comes with a very clear answer Photo: Porsche

Birch Green 911: the car he couldn’t part with

Perhaps the clearest proof of John’s deep affection for his Birch Green 911 came when someone asked if he would sell it. John’s answer, at first, was that it would take “stupid money”. So the potential buyer asked what stupid money meant. John named a figure more than double what he had paid. The answer came back: could he come and see it?

“And that’s when I realised that even for stupid money, I couldn’t [sell it],” says John.

In that moment, the car became something more than valuable. It became irreplaceable.

“It’s something I just feel like I’m supposed to have,” he says. “It’s brought out parts of my personality that I didn’t know existed. It’s helped me make connections. It has fulfilled my life in ways that I never in a million years would have anticipated.”

That’s why, for John, this Birch Green 1975 911 Carrera isn’t simply a rare colour or a reliving of his youth. It’s the car that found him. And, more than two years into his ownership of it, it still feels like the one he was always meant to have.

Black classic Porsche 911 Carrera S/C driving on Tokyo street

Inside Tokyo’s hidden sake bar with a Porsche soul

In central Tokyo, local legend Taca crafts unique experiences at his invite-only sake bar. The same passion and attention to detail has led him to building an impressive Porsche collection, with its community playing a huge role

Composite CGI image of Porsche employee working in development workshop environment_hero thumbnail

Shaping Porsche: the development workshop leader

Patricia Bernstein leads the Engineering Workshops department at Porsche. She explains her role, discusses her participation in triathlons and reveals why she’s using her experiences to champion women in the car industry

Man leaning on cream coloured 1987 Porsche 911 outside French stone built restaurant thumbnail

Expert tips on restoring a classic Porsche 911 – and why you should drive it daily

Since he was a child, Porsche has soundtracked Nicolas Plasmondon’s life. He explains how his annual visits to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a boy led him to a dream car resto project