On The Beautiful Monterey Peninsula, It’s Auction Time!

Gooding & Company presents a nice line up of  top-shelf Porsches this year. Here at PML we’ve picked three of the lots we think will perform well: A gorgeous ‘64 356C Cabriolet, a beautiful ‘64 904 Carrera GTS, and an early ‘65 911 Coupe

Other Porsches slated to cross the Gooding Auction block at Monterey are:

1. ‘69 911E Coupe
2. ‘58 356A Speedster
3. ‘68 911 “Soft window” Targa
4. ‘67 911S Coupe
5. ‘71 911E Coupe

Gooding & Company will conduct their auction August 20th – 21st at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center located within the Pebble Beach grounds . The Monterey Peninsula is a real pleasant place to be this time of year. Better plan ahead: the downside is local hotel accommodations get real expensive (and generally sold out) real fast during “Monterey Historics Week” – the basic laws of supply and demand still work.

We’ll see you there!

'64 356 C Cabriolet: Done In A Beautiful Color Combination

'64 356 C Cabriolet: Interior Is Just Flawless With A Wooden Wheel Topping It All Off

'64 356 c Cabriolet: A Very Well Maintained Example, Ready For Its' New Home

'64 904 Carrera GTS: A Superb Example Of A True Porsche Icon

'64 904 Carrera GTS: Shown Here Is The Amazing 4-Cam, Twin-Plug 2.0ltr Engine

'64 904 Carrera GTS: Has Not Been Tracked Since The Recent $800k Restoration

'65 911 Coupe: Beautiful Red Example Of An Early Short Wheelbase 911

'65 911 Coupe: Immaculate, Period Correct Interior

'65 911 Coupe: Perfect Addition To Any Porsche Enthusiasts' Garage

On The Beautiful Monterey Peninsula, It’s Auction Time!

Bonhams presents a nice line up of  top-shelf Porsches this year. Here at PML we’ve picked three of the lots we think will perform well: A ‘66 Type 906 Carrera Race Car, An outstanding ‘79 935/80 Race Car with British  GT Championship history, and most notably, the Sebring 12 hour champ: The ‘86 Type 962 IMSA GTP chassis # 962-121

Other Porsches slated to cross the Bonhams Auction block at Monterey can be found here.

The Bonhams Auction takes place August 18th – 20th at The Quail Lodge Golf Club, located in Carmel, California . The Monterey Peninsula is a real pleasant place to be this time of year. Better plan ahead: the downside is local hotel accommodations get real expensive (and generally sold out) real fast during “Monterey Historics Week” – the basic laws of supply and demand still work.

We’ll see you there!

'66 Type 906: Possibly The Most Aesthetically Pleasing Of All The "White Race Porsches"

'66 Type 906: The Porsche 901/20 Race Engine Was Standard Equipment

'66 Type 906: It's Understood That 66 Examples Were Ultimately Built

'79 Type 935/80: The 935 Is Likely The Fastest Production-based Race Porsche Of All Time

'79 Type 935/80: Current Owner Has Had This Car Since 1984

'79 Type 935/80: Current Owner Has Campaigned This Car At Monterey On Numerous Occasions

'86 Type 962-121: This Was One Of The Most Successful 962s To Compete In IMSA Racing

'86 Type 962-121: Jochen Mass And Bobby Rahal Won Sebring In 1987 With 962-121

'86 Type 962-121: This Car Is Quite Active On The Vintage Race Circuit

On The Beautiful Monterey Peninsula, It’s Auction Time!

Russo & Steele presents a nice line up of  top-shelf Porsches this year. Here at PML we’ve picked three of the lots we think will perform well: A ‘63 356 Cabriolet, an outstanding ‘73 911 Carrera RS 2.7 “Touring”,  and a very low mileage, showroom condition ‘08 997 GT2.

Other Porsches slated to cross the Russo & Steele Auction block at Monterey can be found here.

The Russo & Steele Auction takes place August 18th – 20th at the Marriott, located in downtown Monterey. The Monterey Peninsula is a real pleasant place to be this time of year. Better plan ahead: the downside is local hotel accommodations get real expensive (and generally sold out) real fast during “Monterey Historics Week” – the basic laws of supply and demand still work.

We’ll see you there!

'73 911 Carrera RS 2.7: Fitted With Some Great Period Options

'73 911 Carrera RS 2.7: The Interior is Well Preserved And Correct

'73 911 Carrera RS 2.7: Wears Older, Grand Prix White Paint, But Still Very Presentable

'63 356 Cabriolet: Just Finished A Very Comprehensive Restoration In 2011

'63 356 Cabriolet: Leather Interior In Original Natural Cuoro, Freshly Restored

'63 356 Cabriolet: Top Has Been Redone With All Correct Parts

'08 997 GT2: Lighter And More Powerful Than A 911 Turbo - Seriously Fast

'08 997 GT2: Options Abound In The Sport Seat Equipped Leather Interior

'08 997 GT2: 18 Miles On Odometer - This Is An Extremely Rare Opportunity

On The Beautiful Monterey Peninsula, It’s Auction Time!

RM Auctions presents a nice line up of  top-shelf Porsches this year. Here at PML we’ve picked three of the lots we think will perform well: a Black over Red 356B Super 90 Cabriolet, an outstanding  Red over Black ‘67 911S “Soft Window” Targa, and the Grey over Black “Steve McQueen 911S” .

Other Porsches slated to cross the RM Auction block at Monterey include a ‘61 356B Coupe, a ‘72 911 RSR Coupe, an ‘04 Carrera GT, a ‘73 911 Carrera RS Touring, and a ‘57 356A Speedster

The RM Auction takes place August 19th – 20th at the Portola Hotel and Spa (Monterey Conference Center), located in downtown Monterey. The Monterey Peninsula is a real pleasant place to be this time of year.  Better plan ahead: the downside is local hotel accommodations get real expensive (and generally sold out) real fast during “Monterey Historics Week” – the basic laws of supply and demand still work.

We’ll see you there!

1963 Super 90 Cabriolet - Pre Auction Estimate: $130k - $160k

1963 Super 90 Cabriolet - This Appears To Be A Top Notch Restoration Of A Great Car

1963 Super 90 Cabriolet - Beautiful Engine Compartment

1967 911S "Soft Window" Targa - Pre Auction Estimate: $185k - $225k

1967 911S "Soft Window" Targa Recently Completed A Full, Bare Metal Restoration

1967 911S "Soft Window" Targa Has Sports Seats And A Gorgeous Steering Wheel

1970 911S Coupe - The "Steve McQueen Le Mans" Car

1970 911S Coupe - This Lot Will See Some Competitive Bidding

1970 911S Coupe Interior - The "King Of Cool" Had Air Conditioning!

Celebrate History and Drive Lung Cancer Off The Planet

On Sunday, October 16, 2011, the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation host the exclusive Porsche Race Car Classic at the Quail Lodge, in Carmel, California in collaboration with Porsche AG and Porsche Cars North America. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Thoracic Oncology Program and the Foundation.

From Le Mans to Sebring to Riverside, the cars that made Porsche the most revered name in racing are coming to The Quail. Purpose-built race cars and production cars with significant race histories from Porsche’s break-out era are coming together for a day of appreciation and celebration. Gmünds, Glöcklers, 550s, 550As, 718s, 718/2s, 804s, 904s, 356 Coupes, Speedsters, Convertible Ds, Elva Porsches, Dreikantschabers, Dolphins, and Poopers. You name it. If it raced between 1950 and 1965 it’ll be here.

While honoring Porsche’s on-track victories you will also be helping to fight lung cancer. Lung cancer kills more people each year than the other major cancers combined and yet it’s the least funded. All net proceeds from ticket sales as well as sponsor contributions will go directly to two world-class organizations, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program, to aid in their fight to drive lung cancer off the planet.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of Porsche Cars North America and Porsche AG, and more than 3,500 attendees are expected – including special guests and celebrities.

A Note From Steve Heinrichs – Event Organizer:
“The Porsche Race Car Classic is a unique event in several ways. I think it is fairly clear to most folks that the cars at the event will be very special and that nothing quite like this event has been held before or is likely to be held again. Once-in-a-lifetime, I like to say.

The event is also unique in that, unlike most all other car events, we really intend to raise significant money to “make a difference” by helping to fund lung cancer research. Specifically, we hope to “net” $2,000,000 that will be given equally to the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation.

Our reasons for raising money for lung cancer research are multifold. Many in the Porsche community, and in the potential ticket buyer base, are directly or indirectly touched by lung cancer. More than 225,000 people in the U.S. alone were diagnosed with lung cancer last year and nearly 160,000 Americans died of the deadly disease. That’s more than a jumbo jet a day. Lung cancer causes more deaths than the other six top cancer killers combined. Moreover, survival rates, five years after diagnosis, are stuck at about 20% while (thankfully) survival rates for breast cancer and prostate cancer are in the mid-90% level.

To achieve our goals, we set the ticket price at $400 per person. That’s the same price that’s charged for “The Quail” – a comparable car event which happens each August at the Quail Lodge. The food, beverages, setting, and ambience will be similar. There is a difference however: $350 of your ticket price is tax deductible (for U.S. taxpayers).

Those who attend the Porsche Race Car Classic will have an unparalleled Porsche experience. The food, wine, and camaraderie will be wonderful. The opportunity to meet “Pilots” of the era will be extraordinary. The “silver cars” will most all be seen here and nowhere else. And, along with this, there is the priceless opportunity to help save a few lives.”

Join us in celebrating Porsche’s glorious racing history while feasting on local gourmet specialties and sipping heavenly wines from thirty leading wineries. Your all-inclusive ticket also entitles you to commemorative gifts.

Mark the date, October 16, 2011, and be there when the vintage Porsche racers gather at the Quail Lodge. To purchase tickets click here.

Note: All are invited to attend the Porsche Race Car Classic. $350 of the $400 Ticket Price is tax deductable (U.S. Taxpayers)
Cars included by invitation only. Please contact Car Coordinator Carolyn Clary-Macy, at Carolyn.Clary-Macy@ucsfmedctr.org

Please join us.

And This Is Only A Sample Of What’s To Come…

Hurley Haywood, five-time winner of the 24-Hours of Daytona sitting on the Brumos Porsche Copenhagen sponsored 962 at Rennsport I

ATLANTA – For the Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV taking place at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in October, it’s both the men and machines that are expected to draw one of the largest crowds in track history. And, if early sign-ups are any indication, both elements will not disappoint.

Just a glance at the guest list reveals names that are well entrenched in Porsche Motorsport history.  How about (in no particular order) Vic Elford, who won the Monte Carlo Rally and scored Porsche first overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona – on back-to-back weekends; James Weaver, Porsche 962 driver for Dyson Racing – Daytona and Sebring winner; Gijs van Lennep, Dutch Porsche 917 and 911 driver – won Le Mans with Helmut Marko and the last Targa Florio with Herbert Mueller; Chip Robinson – IMSA champion with Al Holbert in a Porsche 962; George Follmer – took Penske Porsche 917 to Can-Am championship; Dan Gurney – scored Porsche’s first successes in Formula 1; and Hurley Haywood, most successful Porsche endurance driver with wins at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans; and that’s just a sample.  More than 50 drivers of similar stature have already said “yes” to Porsche’s invitation for the October 14 – 16, 2011 Rennsport event, and the rest of the names will be announced as the event gets closer.

And it’s not just drivers that made their Porsche race cars famous.  Attendees will include Norbert Singer, recently-retired Porsche Motorsport engineer, known as the father of the Porsche 962; Hans Mezger, who headed up the Porsche Motorsport racing engine function from his Dan Gurney F1 motors through the 917, 935, 962 and McLaren F1 engine; and Alwin Springer, former Vasek Polak 917 crew member who later built engines at his company Andial and served as president of Porsche Motorsports North America.

Norbert Singer, Porsche Factory Engineer involved with all 16 Porsche Le Mans victories (left) talking to Derek Bell, five-time winner of Le Mans at Rennsport I

And then there are the race cars.  How about Carlos de Quesada – a Rolex 24 winner himself in 2004 in a Porsche – bringing his 1980 Porsche 935 K3 – the 1980 Sebring overall winner driven by Dick Barbour and John Fitzpatrick (and, by the way, both drivers will be at Rennsport as well); early Porsche 911 race cars like the 1967 2.0-liter 911T entered by David Alvarado – both a Daytona and Sebring class winner; a rare Porsche 906 driven by such Porsche luminaries as Monterey’s own Don Wester, Milt Minter, and Bob Kirby (entered by Dann Boeschen; 1989 Porsche 962C driven at Le Mans by the father and son team of Derek Bell/Justin Bell (entered by Jimmy Castle, Jr. – Derek also plans to attend); or the one of the more recent Porsche championship winners – the Petersen/White Lightning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (996) which took Joerg Bergmeister to the ALMS title with Patrick Long.  Joerg, Patrick, and the rest of the current Porsche factory drivers, will all attend Rennsport.

More cars?  The 1961 Porsche RS61 driven by Herbert Mueller to the 1963 European Hillclimb Championship (entered by Stanley Gold); 1979 Porsche 935 of John Paul, Sr./John Paul, Jr. (entered by Steve Goldin); 1968 Porsche 908K works car driven by Vic Elford and Jochen Neerpasche (entered by Cameron Healy); 1967 Porsche 910 driven to second in class finish at Sebring by Hans Herrmann and Jo Sieffert (entered by Thors Johnson); and even a 1958 Porsche Speedster/1600 cc – went to the SCCA National championships 33 years in a row – has 55,000 race miles on it (entered by Ernest Nagamatsu).

And, with over 200 cars already entered – and the list above only scratches the surface – Porsche is waiting for some of the large collectors – the Collier Collection, Brumos Racing, Gunnar Racing and even the Porsche factory museum – to announce which cars they are bringing to the event.

In addition to the already full Rennsport Reunion IV weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Porsche Race Car Classic, an exclusive display of more than 180 of Porsche’s silver race cars from the 1950’s and early 60’s will be held on the lawns of the nearby Quail Lodge in Carmel on Sunday, October 16.

The Race Car Classic will provide a unique experience for the true connoisseur. Set in the serene Quail Lodge in the lovely part of the Monterey Peninsula, each extraordinary car will tell its own fascinating story of how it all began. Explains Steve Heinrichs, producer of the Porsche Race Car Classic, “this once-in-a-lifetime gathering of vintage Porsche race cars solely from Porsche’s break-out era of 1950-1965 will raise critical funding to directly support lung cancer research. We’ll have Gmünds, Glöcklers, 550s, 718s, 804s, 904s, 356s, Abarths and more – in numbers and provenance never before seen.”

While the cars are by invitation, the event itself is open to the general public. Special guests, celebrities, and era pilots will be on hand, and fine wines and gourmet specialties will be on the menu. Importantly, all net proceeds from the event will directly support lung cancer research.

For more information on the Porsche Race Car Classic or to purchase tickets visit www.porscheracecarclassic.com or contact Mr. Heinrichs at 775-691-2217.

The Porsche Race Car Classic will focus on the beginnings of Porsche’s motorsports history while Rennsport Reunion IV will offer plenty of excitement, noise and on-track racing action by Porsche’s ever more powerful race cars from the late Sixties up to today.

Text/Photos courtesy Porsche Cars North America, Porsche Race Car Classic Poster courtesy of PRCC

New Study By Market Research Institute J.D. Power

Stuttgart. The Porsche 911 reaffirms its top quality: according to the latest “Initial Quality Study” by the renowned American market research institute J.D. Power, the internationally much in demand sports car from Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is the best vehicle of a European manufacturer.

Based on detailed surveys of more than 73,000 car buyers, the Initial Quality Study examined the level of satisfaction with vehicle quality in the first three months after delivery of a new car. A total of 234 car models (model year: 2011) were evaluated according to 228 criteria. They included entirely different categories – for example “driving experience” or “engine and transmission”. The second-best European car after the Porsche 911 was the Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo, which has been produced at the state-of-the-art plant in Leipzig since 2009.

“Increasing complexity in automotive technology and rising customer demands concerning premium vehicles represent a great challenge. Porsche is not only tackling this challenge, it is also continuously setting new standards in this respect”, says Stefan Knirsch, Head of Corporate Quality at the sports car manufacturer.

International Experts’ Conference At Leipzig Plant Deliberates On Future Programs

Stuttgart/Leipzig. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is girding itself for tomorrow’s challenges with a forward-looking quality strategy. The growth in vehicle production, an increasingly diverse model range and technical complexity, innovative drive concepts and discerning customers’ individual expectations of premium sports cars require the continuous development of all quality criteria. That is the goal of the international quality conference for which 150 experts from the sports car manufacturer’s development, production, purchasing and worldwide sales areas are meeting at Porsche’s ultramodern Leipzig plant.

“The degree of transparency of our customised lean production processes is one of the primary guarantors of our sporty vehicles’ extraordinary product quality”, said Wolfgang Leimgruber, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Production and Logistics. Porsche production methods are constantly being refined within a continuous improvement process, collectively by all employees. They are held up as an example in expert circles worldwide – and are even transferable to totally different industries. Mr Leimgruber said: “The highly efficient Porsche principle gives us the flexibility to deliver on our customers’ many and varied individual equipment preferences while at the same time not merely maintaining quality levels but enhancing them. This cannot be taken for granted in the industry.”

The Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer does however depend on reliable partners. “The only way in which we can reliably achieve our objectives is if we and our suppliers adhere to the same jointly determined rigorous principles. That is why we believe in long-term partners we can cultivate and develop close ties with. At the end of the day quality does not stop at the factory gate”, explains Mr Leimgruber.

Dr. Stefan Knirsch, Director of the Corporate Quality department is pursuing a holistic approach with his strategy: “For us a perfect and fascinating product goes without saying. But that is far from being the whole story. Of all people, customers who purchase a high value vehicle expect premium quality in all aspects. Only if each customer care experience is perfect; before, during and very long after purchase as well, can brand quality achieve its full credibility.”

This is why Knirsch rigorously ties all parts of the company into a quality concept with uniform standards and objectives. He does though value individual solutions when it comes to delivery: “We engage with our customers’ different cultural needs with an empathy that rivals the precision with which, for example, we tailor our sports cars to extreme climatic differences in our more than 110 markets around the world. That too is quality.”

Success Story: 15 Years Of The Boxster Model Line

Stuttgart. A nice round number to celebrate the birthday: Almost exactly 15 years to the month after production began, the Porsche Boxster together with its sister model, the Cayman, exceeded the 300,000 mark for the number of vehicles built. Together with its timeless attractiveness, this two-seater, mid-engine car from the Dr. Ing. h.c.H. Porsche AG, Stuttgart has what it takes to make yet another sports car icon. As an anniversary model, a Boxster Spyder with Platinum Silver metallic finish and Carrera red natural leather interior trim rolled off the Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen production line in June, destined for a German customer.

There are solid reasons for this long-standing success: The Boxster and Cayman are continuously developed based on a rigorous mid-engine concept and are therefore deemed to this day to set the standard for sports cars of their class. In the important export market that is the United States, this is the tenth year already that they have been ranked among the “10 Best” vehicles and occupy second and third places in Germany as the vehicles that hold their value the best, hot on the heels of the 911.

The Boxster’s origins testify to the typical Porsche blend of capability, courage and farsightedness. In economically straitened times the company decided to go onto the offensive and unveiled a concept car for a classic mid-engine roadster at the 1993 Detroit Motor Show. In its design language, the show car was reminiscent of the 356 »No. 1« and the 550 Spyder. The overwhelming public response clinched the decision to proceed to series production of the Boxster, which began in the summer of 1996.

Dynamic lines, outstanding performance and an attractive price quickly catapulted the mid-engine sports car into the bestseller list while attracting new customer circles to Porsche. To put the successful concept on a broader basis, Porsche also developed a Coupé based on the open-topped, two-seater platform, that made its world debut at the 2005 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show as the Cayman. The enormous demand resulted in the Boxster and Cayman being built at Valmet Automotive in Finland in addition to Zuffenhausen.

The model range currently comprises the four open-topped variants, the Boxster, Boxster S, Boxster S Black Edition and Boxster Spyder. These are complemented by the Cayman, Cayman S, Cayman S Black Edition and Cayman R Coupés. The engine variants for the two model lines range between 255 hp (~ 188 kW) and 330 hp (~ 243 kW); thanks to Porsche Intelligent Performance fuel consumption is between 9.4 l/100 km (~ 30 mpg imp.) and 9.8 l/100 km (~ 29 mpg imp.).

Strong Demand For Cayenne And Panamera

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart again delivered significantly more cars to customers worldwide in June 2011. Deliveries increased by 29.5% compared with the same month the year before to reach 10,677 vehicles. The sports car manufacturer delivered a total of 60,659 new vehicles in the first half of the year, 36.8% more than from January to June the year before.

Bernhard Maier, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Sales and Marketing, signalled his satisfaction with developments: “We managed to increase our deliveries significantly again in June. This is accompanied by better-than-expected sales figures. The significant increase in new vehicle orders, especially for our front-engined sports cars, Cayenne and Panamera, also gives grounds for anticipating good sales figures in the coming months.

In June 2011 Porsche managed to grow in almost every region worldwide. The response from Chinese customers was again especially strong: Deliveries more than quadrupled to 2,423 compared with the same month the year before. The most successful model apart from the Cayenne off-road vehicle was the Panamera. With 2,546 vehicles Porsche announced growth of 18.9% for the US market in June 2011. In the domestic German market, the sports car manufacturer delivered 1,344 vehicles in June, broadly in line with the same month the year before. The diesel version of the Cayenne was especially popular. On the other hand were weaker sales in a number of European markets such as Great Britain, the Netherlands or Austria that translated into a 6.5% Europe-wide decline in customer deliveries in June. Conversely, the Russian market showed a significant increase last month with 63.6% to reach 216 vehicles.

The Cayenne again enjoyed especially strong demand. In June alone the sports car manufacturer sold 4,994 of the sporty off-road vehicles, 69.2% more than in the same month the year before. First half-year deliveries almost doubled to 30,055 compared with the same period the previous year. This included more than 2,000 Cayenne S Hybrid, making Porsche the global market leader for hybrid off-road vehicles. In June the Zuffenhausen company sold 2,318 Panameras, 14.1% more of the sporty sedans than in the same month the year before. The sports car model lines also slightly exceeded their previous year’s level in the reporting month. 2,015 vehicles of the 911 model line were delivered – up 1%. With 1,350 vehicles delivered, the Boxster model line, which also includes the Cayman, posted growth of 6.5%compared with the same month the year before.