Porsche Profiles Lifelong Driver & Enthusiast Peter van der Spuy
A talk with a man whose colorful life has included a longstanding passion for all things Porsche.
Peter van der Spuy is a die-hard Porsche fan and one of the most acclaimed jet pilots for business travelers, politicians and celebrities. His most prominent passenger was Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela, who would have turned one hundred this year. van der Spuy loves to talk about Mandela, his life in the air, and especially Porsche. He’s spent years as an avid collector, driver, racer, and enthusiast. Porsche’s Christophorus magazine sat down to chat with van der Spuy, in between calls from his Porsche mechanic.
Very few can say they have secured a place on Nelson Mandela’s office wall. But Peter van der Spuy has that rare distinction. The now-famous photograph captured the senior leadership of the African National Congress (ANC). “Mr. Mandela asked for a copy of this photograph from me, ” explains van der Spuy. “I gladly obliged,” he says with a with a chuckle. There’s an unmistakable touch of pride in his voice. The image from the year 1993 shows the lanky pilot with Nelson Mandela in front of a private airplane, surrounded by the senior leadership of the ANC at the time.“One day, Mr. Mandela called and asked for this photo, as it was one of the last ones that showed the leadership together,” recalls van der Spuy. “I sent him a copy of it in a beautiful frame and I understand that it ended up in his office.”
In the pilot’s house in the Cape Town suburb of Gardens, the photo hangs above van der Spuy’s work alcove—a space whose furnishings say a good deal about his second passion, after flying: The office chair is a repurposed seat from his old Porsche 911 Turbo. And on a counter comprised of a winglet—the tip of the wing on a Gulfstream jet—there’s a race suit, shoes, gloves, and a jet-fighter-style helmet. Not for his next flight, but for the next start by recreational race-car driver van der Spuy in his Porsche. These items share his living space with a redundant lounge suite from the refurbished yacht of the famous Hollywood actor, Nicolas Cage, which was donated to van der Spuy. Another memory from his travels across the world.
The South African has flown Arab sheikhs, Russian oligarchs, Hollywood stars—and countless illustrious politicians and global captains of industry. It is they who feature most prominently on van der Spuy’s personal wall of fame. Present in each picture: Peter van der Spuy himself, whose moustached mien in the older photos gives him the air of Tom Selleck’s Magnum, P. I. Today the man with the alert eyes, fit physique, and sun-drenched complexion of a Capetonian perfectly embodies the motto of baby boomers around the world: Sixty is the new fifty.
But how did his connection to the political elite of the country come about? “A good friend of mine was an ANC member—one of the few white members in the 1990s who fought against apartheid and supported Mr. Mandela’s course. I had helped out as pilot for a confidential endeavor of Mr. Mandela prior to the negotiations with President F. W. de Klerk. Some time later, Mr. Mandela thanked me and said, ‘I have to travel a lot in the coming period; can you fly me?’” And that’s how van der Spuy came to fly one of South Africa’s most prominent politicians all around the country on his mission to abolish apartheid. “Mr. Mandela was an unsurpassed bridge builder. Once, we were in his home region of Transkei in today’s Eastern Cape province. They were holding a traditional celebration in his honor. I was the only white person present in his inner circle and it was then that I experienced the ‘Madiba Magic’ that touched so many people across the world. In accordance with tradition, Mr. Mandela, the revered leader, was given the first piece of char-grilled ox. And what did he do? He passed it on to me. I was completely stunned and whispered to my neighbor, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ He whispered back, ‘Eat it. That’s the greatest honor that he can bestow on you.’ That’s how Mr. Mandela was.”
The South African is just about to launch into the next anecdote when the ringing of his cell phone interrupts the proceedings. It’s the mechanic who regularly maintains van der Spuy’s Porsche. After all, he’s been racing in the GT series for the past five years. He also takes part in hill climb races. “I had to wait until I earned enough money; it’s not a cheap sport by any means.” But he’s all the more successful for it today.
Cruising or racing, in everyday life, van der Spuy drives a 911 cabriolet, 964 model range. This year he aims to start in the South African Classic series as well. That he’s been driving Porsches for decades is down to his early years behind the wheel. “In my late twenties—even before I started flying—I bought a dismantled Porsche. Its owner had wanted to restore it but eventually tired of the project. We agreed that I could assemble the car in his garage. For over a year I worked on the car every weekend. It was a long slog, but as I was building it I really came to appreciate the incredible precision with which a Porsche is designed.”
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