Unusual to look at, it may be. But a concept with potential, it certainly was. Birthday presents don't get any better than this.

The German sports carmaker gave Dr. Ferry Porsche a 1989 Porsche Panamericana concept as a present for his 80th birthday. It looked unlike any other Porsche: an unconventional two-seater concept unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989. People ogled at it, and loved it. The car got its name from a renowned race held in Mexico and the concept was primarily aimed at a lightweight 911 for the track. The Panamericana's design was a mix of a dune buggy and a 911 Targa. It might appear a bit oddball the first time you look at it, but it genuinely isn't all that bad.

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Steve Murkett was the man behind the Porsche Panamericana's looks. The two-seater came with a bespoke body made from carbon fiber and fiber glass to keep it light; it was also based on the 964 Carrera 4. The dark green paint is tastefully done, and the overall silhouette is sharper than that of the Carrera 4. Tilted headlamps and muscular front and rear fenders give it its distinct identity. The tail lamps were somewhat inspired by the ones on the 928. Right above the engine are two vents that hark back to the Porsche 356, and while the roof could be removed in three pieces, the rear window gave you the option of lifting it off completely. Come to think of it, it'd be a great idea to resurrect this concept as a production off-road model, considering its stance. The 17-inch wheels were designed by Porsche, but produced by Speedline. The Goodyear tires have specially hand-cut patterns for the thread that look darn cool.

The interior, sadly enough, is as boring as a Friday night without Netflix and mayonnaise-dipped nachos. Although it featured four-point seatbelts, a bit of purple trim and bucket seats, the rest - including the cluttered dashboard - was lifted straight off the Carrera 4. It'd be safe to say that today's 911's cabin has come a long way in terms of looks and feel.

Ulrich Bez, who later became the CEO of Aston Martin, was the engineer behind the drivetrain and powertrain of the Panamericana concept. He decided to source the air-cooled, flat-six engine from the Carrera 4, which made 250hp and 229 lb-ft of torque, with power being transmitted to all four wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. Porsche claimed a 0-62mph sprint in 5.8 seconds.

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Porsche wasn't particularly sorted as far as the finances were concerned, so what was hoped to be a limited-production two-seater, eventually got shelved. The design partly influenced some for the Porsche 911s that followed. Rumor has it that there are only two in the world as of today: one belonged to Ferry Porsche himself, while the other was used as a display car at the Tokyo and Frankfurt Motor Shows. Porsche even gave out its employees small scale models of the concept!

Rehan got published for the first time at the age of 17, having written a feature on a Triumph Herald in print. He uses his writing as a tool to express his fondness for all things automotive even today, aged 28. Collecting scale models is a hobby close to his heart, and he wishes to sprinkle pixie dust on them only to see them grow into full-sized cars. He now represents HotCars.com.