Bill Drysdale saw a Porsche 904 at Silverstone racetrack when he was 26 and decided he would own one someday. The price rose above £1m over the years, making purchase impossible. After retirement, Drysdale chose to build the car himself instead. He attended night school to learn welding and began assembling it piece by piece.
Drysdale grew up in Wigtown, Scotland, where cars held family significance. His grandfather worked as a chauffeur, and his father introduced him to racing at age 12 and taught him to drive at 14. The two would listen together to the Le Mans 24 Hour race on the radio from their kitchen.