Magnus Walker is a Porsche builder, driver, and collector whose name is never missing in outlaw Porsche discussions. An intriguing figure, many know Magnus Walker as the long-bearded collector and customizer of classic Porsches. But he is a gearhead, who has also owned other cars like a 1965 Ford Mustang, 1967 E-type Jaguar, 1979 308 GTB Ferrari and two Dodge Super Bee muscle cars. Still, he eventually sold them and narrowed down his focus to Porsche cars.
Walker's expansive Porsche collection includes a few very rare, low-production, and customized Porsches - it is the stuff of legend among gearheads and Porschephiles. He started buying Porsches aged 25 and eventually joined the Porsche Club Of America in 2002.
But even before he came to the limelight, Magnus Walker was already an established self-made fashion designer. Through lots of creativity and hard work, Magnus was able to climb up the ladder in the fashion industry with his designs being worn by Madonna, Alice Cooper, Bruce Willis, among others. With the proceeds from fashion, he was able to live his dream — buying lots of Porsches. However, there is much more that people don't know about him; here are 10 fast facts about Magnus Walker.
10 Magnus Walker's Early Life
Magnus Walker was born in Sheffield, England, in 1967. He went to school in Sheffield, but dropped out in 1982 with two O-levels but no degree. Trying to find his path in life, he got into the punk rock and metal scenes. The projects he was involved in didn't materialize into something he could pursue long-term.
That's when he decided to leave England for America in 1986. In the US, he worked for Camp America as a summer camp counselor in Detroit, planning to save up enough money to move to Los Angeles.
9 Has Worked As A Style Icon And Fashion Designer
After a year in the camp, Magnus was able to go to Los Angeles in search of better opportunities. His first visit was to a second-hand clothes market to get a change of clothes. Since the pair of pants he got was too small, he was forced to modify them, which made them unique.
Rocking them in a club, he was approached by Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat, a popular glam metal band at the time. He ordered 8 pairs, which the band was happy to buy at $25 each. Magnus realized this was a big opportunity to get into the fashion industry and was soon earning $2,000/weekend. Over time, he became an established fashion designer and even launched a rock-fashion clothing line, with the venture growing to become a multimillion-dollar business.
8 An Automobile Enthusiast From An Early Age
Magnus Walker's enthusiasm for cars started when he was just a boy, aged 10. While he was used to seeing trucks in Sheffield, the first-ever sports car he saw was a white 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo at the 1977 Earl's Court motor show. It not only fascinated him, but also made him fall in love.
Magnus Walker finally managed to buy his first Porsche – a 20-year-old 911- for $12,000 in 1992. After a further $30,000 in modifications that included a bigger engine new rims, among other things, his journey as a Porsche builder, driver, and collector began.
7 Applied For A Job At Porsche Headquarters, Aged 10
Having fallen in love with the first Porsche he ever saw, Magnus Walker penned a letter to Porsche headquarters expressing his interest in becoming a Porsche designer. The reply letter advised him to contact Porsche when he got older.
36 years later, Porsche followed up before he even contacted them and invited him to visit their headquarters. This was after his modified Porsche collection came to light via the documentary Urban Outlaw.
6 Famous Because Of His Customized Porsches In The Urban Outlaw Film
Magnus Walker blew to fame by being the subject of Urban Outlaw – a short film released in 2012. He is revealed as a Porsche collector not afraid of modifying his car's bodies, tuning their engines, installing bespoke parts, and even custom painting them with vivid racing liveries.
This image of a Porsche rebel/outlaw caught the attention of many, as it was a big contrast to the typical buttoned-up European car owner that would never reinterpret their car. Interest and praise poured from all over; Porsche enthusiasts were now interested in him while brands like Nike, HotWheels, and even Porsche starting to contact him for collaborations.
5 Porsches In Magnus’s Spectacular Collection
Magnus Walker stores and customizes his Porsches in a 26,000-square-foot, two-story brick warehouse in LA's Arts District. The showroom space has been used to film several movies and was where he ran his previous business, Serious Clothing, at its peak.
The most notable cars he has owned include a 1965 Brumos 911,1966 Porsche 911,1967 Porsche 911 S, 1971 Porsche 911 T 277, 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo, 1980 Porsche 924 Carrera GT, and a 1990 Porsche 911 (964). Other special builds are a 1978 911 SC/HR and a 1972 Porsche 911 STR II. While he has already sold some of his cars, 25 Porsches remain, of which most are 911s he has emphasized he is not selling.
4 Walker & His Porsches Have Been Featured In Various Films and Video Games
The Urban Outlaw short film (2012) was just the start for Magnus Walker. From there, he got a chance to appear in documentaries like I am Steve McQueen (2014), Motor City Outlaws (2016), and TV shows like How I Rock It (2013), (2019), Jay Leno Garage (2015) as himself. He was also an actor in Best Of Top Gear (2019).
Magnus Walker's most recognizable outlaw Porsche – the 1971 Porsche 911 T 277- was featured in the 2015 Need For Speed video game. Being so popular, Hot Wheels made six different versions of it.
3 Magnus Walker's Networth
According to DriveAndReview, Magnus Walker's net worth is around $26 million. While he made much of his money from his Serious Clothing fashion line ($7.5million), most of his personal fortune today revolves around his Porsche collection worth over $8 million as of 2022. His real estate investments are estimated to be worth $13.2 million, while he also owns 15-20 watches worth about $90,000.
Other business and creative endeavors earning him money today include brand partnerships, his YouTube channel, selling merchandise, paid posts on his Instagram account, and Urban Outlaw: Dirt Don't Slow You Down – a book he published in 2017.
2 The Magnus Walker MOMO Signature Series Steering Wheel
Magnus Walker has always been a big fan of MOMO steering wheels, having used them in most of his outlaw hot rods. For the Italian racing parts producer to mark its 50th anniversary, they collaborated with him for a custom Magnus Walker MOMO Signature Series Steering Wheel that cost $329.99.
Debuting at the 2015 Porsche Rennsport Reunion V, the 200 steering wheels produced in either black or silver sold out in a week. With the project, Walker was able to join an esteemed group of legendary motorsports icons like Nikki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart who've also had a MOMO Signature Series wheel.
1 A Nike SB (SkateBoarding) Sneaker Collaborator
Nike SB (skateboarding) sneakers inspired by famous cars like the Porsche 917 in Steve McQueen's Le Mans film have recently become a big success for Nike. In mid-2021, Magnus Walker (in collaboration with Pro skater Ishod Wair) revealed his Nike SB' 277' Dunk-Hi Sneaker. The limited-edition sneaker ($120) was inspired by Walker's iconic 1971 Porsche 911 T 277.
It came with the car's red/white/blue color palette and number "277" branding. Though the beat-up look (optional when buying) initially divided opinion among sneakerheads, the shoes ended up selling out immediately. For those who missed out, Magnus has stated that he is already thinking about a follow-up shoe project.