Instgram: @estevezbreton

About the driver

Francisco Estevez-Breton is a Colombian art director skilled in the works of graphic design to broadcast design for TV. Estevez-Breton grew up in Colombia and in 2000, during his early twenties, moved to Germany. In Germany, while Estevez-Breton nurtured his passion for design, he was also getting introduced to the world of classic cars. From vintage BMW to the native Porsche, Estevez-Breton fell in love with the details and make of the cars and decided that one day, he would buy and re-design a classic car of his own. After three years in Germany, Estevez-Breton moved back to Colombia, got married, and worked on a few projects with online design and the transition to motion graphics until he ultimately decided to pack up and move to the U.S. Estevez-Breton now resides in Miami, Fl and enjoys music, movies and drives with his favorite co-pilot, his Toy Fox Terrier, Jimbo.

Q & A

Q: How many years have you've been driving/riding?

A: I learned to drive as a teen in Colombia, so I'd say I've been driving for more than 25 years now. Most of the cars I was exposed to at the time were stick, so I learned how to drive manually pretty quickly. My first car was actually a French car called a Peugeot 205 and I remember it having a 5-speed gearbox.

Q: How many years have you've been driving Porsche?

A: I've been driving Porsche for about 6 or 7 years now. My first was a 1968 Porsche 912, tangerine-colored with black interior. The 912 model is very light and nimble, so when driving the car, you have to be very much on top of it, which is what I loved most about it. That car was also the first car I ever did mechanical work on. The more I worked on the car with my own hands, the more I built a connection with it. I wanted to put my own signature and personality into the car. I ended up selling that 912 to a guy in Australia for triple the price that I had originally bought it. 

Q: When doing work on a car, do you ever incorporate some of your background in creative design into the job? 

A: All the time. As an art director, I pay close attention to detail and the little things, so when it comes to cars, I always look for unique traits and something that makes the car individual. Originality is very important to me. About three and a half years ago, I bought a 1966 Porsche 912, white/light ivory colored with red interior from Costa Mesa, California. When it came to modifying the car, I made minimal touches. To this day, the car has matching numbers and even the color has remained the same. To me, originality adds more class to the car.

The originality of Estevez-Breton's 66' Porsche 912 has drawn the eyes of many Porsche enthusiasts. The car has won awards such as "Best Class for the 912" at DRT and second place in the 912 class at the Porsches by the Bay event at the Mandarin Oriental hosted by Gold Coast Region PCA. The 912 has also received attention from automobile enthusiast and fashion designer, Magnus Walker, who drove the car while on a drive with Estevez-Breton. 

Q: For drives, is the 912 your go-to car?

A: The 912 is more for cruises and drives within the city. I take it out for things like Cars and Coffee and quick day drives with Jimbo because it is not reliable enough to make a long drive. I also have a 1995 Porsche 911/ 993 with black exterior and interior, which I use more for long drives, like trips to the mountains or the keys. I'm actually also thinking about taking it to the track some time. I found the 911 in New York and bought it from an ill gentleman.

Q: Did you also keep the 993 the same as bought or were modifications made?

A: I did make some modifications to the car. I took out the car's original wheels and added black wheels to give the car the whole classic black look. I also lowered the car's suspension and just last year I installed a MOMO Mod 07 steering wheel. 

Q: What has been one of your favorite memories driving with either of your cars?

A: Yeah, I actually had one of the best drives in my 993 when I went up to Georgia with the crew for the Vintage Vices Targa Georgia 2019 drive. I really appreciated those five days driving the cars with the boys because it was a way to create new connections and bonds with people who share your same passion. Vintage Vices lets you create friendships through the cars, and in the end, the cars just end up being an excuse to go hang out with your friends. It builds a whole new community. The drives with my 912 are more calming and I love to take out Jimbo for drive. He feels more at ease in the 912. The sound and speed of the 993 terrifies him. I've even took him with me to DRT in 2019.

          Breton and Jimbo heading to DRT in the 912 in 2019. 

Estevez-Breton is eager to expand his Porsche collection in the future, and already has some options in mind. If it were up to him, he'd have a 911 Longhood, with a 6-cylinder engine in either conda green, silver or aberdeen. You can catch Estevez-Breton cruising the streets of Miami, windows down, glasses on, and Jimbo in the back seat.