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Classic Porsche Crushed For Fashion Ad, Igniting Uproar

Rag & Bone, a New York fashion company whose clothes are racked at high-end stores like Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue, filmed a campaign for its 2015 catalog using actress Gabriella Wilde.

Nothing out of the ordinary there, except that the film they created has car enthusiasts in uproar.

The directors wanted the campaign to be edgy, different, and “unexpected.” So what they did was find a stunning black 1979 Porsche 911SC — a car that’s value is beginning to soar — and drop a massive chunk of concrete on it, destroying the machine in the name of chic fashion.

“The campaign concept speaks of the contradictions New York is rife with, and exactly what makes it such a cool city,“ said Rag & Bone’s Marcus Wainwright. "The unexpected is something we also relate to as a brand and try to inject into all we do, from our collections to imagery.”

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In English this is translated to, “we crushed the car because it will garner attention.” Only the attention it has garnered is not favorable.

As of writing this, the video has amassed 37,064 views. Of that, 36 people like the film (presumably Rag & Bone employees and the odd hater of all things air-cooled) and 4,502 people dislike it. And yet dislike seems too mild of a word: The comment section is filled with more curse words than a scene from “Jay and Silent Bob.” Here are some of the nicer comments:

“How did they ended up thinking this was a good idea, what a waste, use CGI instead.”

“You destroyed a part of automotive history to promote your clothes? May your brand face the same destiny for that.”

“I wanna see a 911 doing burnout on top of a pile of Rag & Bone clothes and burning the whole pile.”

“Use PRIUS next time!”

And finally…

“Reported for hateful and abusive content and terrorism.”

The level of anger is growing, too, filling internet forums across the globe. Why? Because a 1979 Porsche 911 is a defining model, and to a car enthusiast, some are considering it as heinous as what that dentist did to Cecil the lion. That’s possibly a bit extreme, but the message is received — people frickin’ love old 911s.

In Rag & Bone’s defense, it says the 911SC used was just a shell, saved from destruction at a scrap yard. However an appreciating asset such as this is unlikely to be scrapped unless it was in appalling condition, and given the pristine looks of this one, commenters are not entirely convinced.

1979 911 Turbos can be seen today in the classifieds for over $140,000. A good 911SC, however, won’t fetch near that price, but as every day passes, it’s value is rising. But the value is not what has car lovers’ undies in a bunch; it’s the sentiment, and the fact that vintage machines such as this should be preserved like Stonehenge or an Egyptian pyramid.

Surely the reaction to this campaign is not a massive surprise. Regardless, Rag & Bone will be praying the theory “any press is good press” turns out to be more than just a fashionable statement.