He could write pretty much the same article about owning an OG Chrysler minivan, which is arguably a more historically significant vehicle but built by a make that prompts sneers about reliability and credit scores from most here, and it would just be considered trashy or prompt pearl clutching by most of the readership.
Amazing the breadth of preconceived notions that can be leveraged with a badge on a grill. Having the presence of mind and ability to leverage readership demographics like this is what really separates good writers and editors from the mediocre.
There's a difference between bad cars and hilariously bad cars. The OG Chrysler minivan was historically significant. I respect people who still use them as work vehicles, or people who embrace the hacker mentality to turn them into something they weren't originally (there are a few minivan dragsters). But they aren't celebrated as great driver's cars.
A better comparison to the Porsche 914 would be an MG roadster - or if you want to stick with Chrysler, then a Dodge Omni GLH. By modern standards both of these are unreliable, uncomfortable, and hard to drive, but like the 914 they are celebrated by enthusiasts. Part of the reason is because despite their flaws, and despite being relatively hard to drive, they reward skill. While slow to accelerate, they handle well - allowing a skilled driver to make good lap times on a track.
You might be overanalyzing a bit. I think it really comes down to sports cars being cool & vans being…vans. All the “Porsche” part really does is get more clicks (because people know what it is).
I think most people here would be fawning over the article were it a Toyota Previa or some other car that does not bring to mind "transportation that a day laborer would have driven circa <10-15yr after its model year>" which is what happens to a lot of successful vehicles.
The starting rituals reminded me of my '77 Olds Cutlass with the junkyard intake and monster carbs and all sorts of other unwise additions to an already crappy and clapped out machine. Only two people could start that car, and what with the bailing wire holding the axles and frame together no one ever wanted to try towing it.
Amazing the breadth of preconceived notions that can be leveraged with a badge on a grill. Having the presence of mind and ability to leverage readership demographics like this is what really separates good writers and editors from the mediocre.