February Member Profiles

Member Profile: Brad Phillips

By:JamesB.BeavanIII

Member Names & Join Date: Brad Phillips & Dr. Maida Finch; PCA National since about 1997, Chesapeake Region since about 2012. Former Rocky Mountain Region (Denver, Colorado) and MusikStadt Region (Nashville, TN)

Current Porsche: 1987 911 Carrera Coupe

Past Porsches: 1968 911T Coupe, 1968 911 Normal Coupe, plus a wreck of a 1965 912 that was parted out.

“Other” current fun cars: 1966 Sunbeam Tiger, 2005 E46 BMW 325i, 1996 Lincoln Town Car (hey, it’s mint!)

“Other” Past fun cars: About 40 or so altogether, but a few of my favorites:

1969 Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3

1965 Mustang 2+2

1983 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole 1997 BMW 540i (6 speed)

1955 Willys CJ-5 Universal 1977 Chevrolet Suburban C20

1992 Toyota Century (RHD)

1918 Willys-Overland 90B Touring

1970 Jaguar XKE Coupe

1994 Saab 9000 Aero

1960 Triumph TR3A

Have you served on any Regional or National committees: Not yet, but happy to help. (Ed: How about Chesapeake Challenge?)

What encouraged you to join the Porsche Club of America:

My first “old car” I ever owned was a 1968 Porsche 911T, I bought when I was in my 20’s in about 1997. I knew nothing of maintenance or restoration on Porsches, and I needed the community! It’s been a love affair with Porsche ever since.

When it came time to buy a vehicle, what made you choose your Porsche and is this your first Porsche (if not please detail prior Porsche's):

My current 911 I have owned since about 2015. I was always an early Porsche guy, specifically with short wheelbase (1968 and earlier) cars. When I sold my 1968 911 Normal, I assumed I would just “move up” to my dream car, a 67 911S. Well, the market took off and an early S quickly zoomed out of my budget. A friend of mine (Keith Martin of Martin’s German Service) had taken this ’87 in from a

Bettina enjoying a nice drive in the BMW along the bay.

good client and recommended it to me. I am so glad he did. I had no idea that this G-body would be everything I loved about the earlier cars, just more of it! Add in air conditioning, a great blend of power and handling, plus the ability to roll for simply hours and hours on a tank of fuel on long road trips- this car is made for me. My wife also fell in love with it, and she drives it easily as much as I do. The car is completely stock and perfect, just amazing. I’ve driven it thousands of miles on tours and rallies, including Greenwich,

the Carolinas, the Boston Cup, and an annual back roads journey all the way to Amelia Island. Drive, drive, drive!

What are your favorite Regional &/or National events:

I have been to several Nationals and Werks Reunion events, as well as some “fun drives” with various regions. My work carries me all over the country, so it’s always fun to have a home with a club wherever I go. My favorite events are driving tours, I think getting people out and driving is just the best way to make new friends and have fun with the cars. I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, so getting over for regular meetings is not that easy for me, but I keep an eye on it! I am friends with the National PCA folks in ColumbiaVu and Rob particularly- and we chat often.

What is your favorite PCA memory:

So many things. I have two letters I wrote back in the late 90’s to PCA HQ that I think are fantastic, and both relate to my first Porsche, the 1968 911T. One was a request for valuation for insurance purposes, and the other was for technical help on the best way to jet my IDT Webers for altitude. It’s

a great reminder on how easy it is these days to get this kind of information from the internet, but it wasn’t so easy then! I have also moderated several panel discussions at Werks Reunions at Amelia Island and Monterey and being able to talk Porsches with the crowd is always fun.

What advice about PCA or Chesapeake would you give to new members:

I’d say just put yourself out there when you go to a first meeting or event. Many people have more social anxiety than they would care to admit, and I will tell you to just go for it. Clubs always want to bring on new members and get them integrated in a meaningful way. So don’t be shy, you’ll be amazed at how many new people you will meet through PCA that will become wonderful, long-term friends.

If money was no object, what Porsche would you love to own and why:

Well, a 917 would have to rank up there as a dream car of mine, but not terribly practical for the street. I’d have to go for a 959 Sport- you can do anything with it, they are reliable, comfortable, and an absolute weapon on the track or open road. Maybe also a 1989 911 Turbo if that doesn’t appear too greedy, along with the 1967 911S I mentioned before.

Anything additional you would like to share about yourself (Family/Work/Etc):

I’ve been very fortunate that much of my career has enabled me to play with cars. I’m currently the SVP of business development for RM Sotheby’s, the largest collector car auction house in the world. Prior to that I spent about 15 years in collector car insurance, helping analyze collections and make friends in the hobby. It’s been a great run! My favorite thing is to get out with a group of enthusiasts and hit the back roads.

Fast Five with Brad Phillips: Travels with the Newest Member of RM Sotheby’s Team | RM Sotheby's (rmsothebys.com)

Member Profile: Mark Hubley

By:JamesB.BeavanIII

Member Names & Join Date: Mark Hubley. I joined PCA in August 1999.

Current Cars, Previous Cars: I currently own a 2015 Cayman GTS. My gateway drug into Porsche was a 1986 944, which I bought in August 1997. I have also owned a Boxster, a 996, a 924S, and (briefly) a 944 Turbo.

Have you served on any Regional or National committees: At various times over the past twenty years, I have served as Patter editor, secretary, executive vice president, and part of the autocross committee. (Ed: After writing this Mark accepted Greg’s offer to rejoin the autocross committee, thanks Mark!)

What encouraged you to join the Porsche Club of America: Shortly after getting my 944, I attended a local Porsche car show. I can’t remember whether it was organized by Chesapeake Region or Potomac, but people at the show were very friendly, and that led me to join the club.

When it came time to buy a vehicle, what made you choose your Porsche and is this your first Porsche (if not please detail prior Porsche's): In the summer of 1997 I owned a 1993 Dodge Shadow ES. A month after paying it off, a guy driving a full-size pickup truck rear ended me while I was stopped at a traffic light. That killed my Dodge, and I went car shopping. My wife, Susan, was my fiancé at the time, and shortly after the accident we were looking at used cars on a lot in Annapolis. That’s where we saw the 944. I was going to pass it by, but Susan looked at it and said, “That car looks nice.” And that was that. Although Susan is not much into cars, she has been wonderfully supportive (enabling?) of my car habit.

What are your favorite Regional &/or National events: My favorite activity is autocross, which I have been doing regularly since 2001. I was into driver’s education track events for a long time, but that has been on hold since the motor in my 996 failed at Road America in 2020. My Boxster was a gorgeous car, and I used to show it in concours events. It got first in class in every event I entered, including two Porsche Parades! I think about doing that with my Cayman, but maybe my days of cleaning nooks and crannies of a car with Q-tips are over?

Bettina enjoying a nice drive in the BMW along the bay.

What is your favorite PCA memory: I am thinking of one of the Chesapeake Challenge weekends; I believe it was 2014. I entered my 996 in the concours, even though it wasn’t really a concours-worthy car. Of course, the main point of attending the Challenge was to hang out with friends and have a good time. Two new friends I met that day were Kathy, and her teenage daughter, Nina, who was making the rounds and seemed really interested in all the nice cars. After the concours judging was completed, many people started getting ready for the rally. I had never done a rally and wasn’t planning to participate; I figured I would just hang out until it was time for the dinner. While the rally was still being organized, I bumped into Kathy and Nina, and somehow we came up with the idea that I would drive the rally, and Nina would be my navigator. Between the two of us, we had zero rally experience, and Nina didn’t even have a driver’s license, but we had a really great time together. If I remember correctly, we came in fourth place! I was somewhat disappointed we didn’t do just a bit better, as I would have loved to send Nina home with a trophy. But we both came away with great memories.

What advice about PCA or Chesapeake would you give to new members: Chesapeake PCA puts on all sorts of different events each year, and I recommend new members sample a variety of events. You might find that you really like something you thought you wouldn’t. In particular, I recommend that people try autocross. It is a great way to experience the performance of your Porsche in a format that is very safe and inexpensive. If it turns out it’s not for you, that’s fine, but give it a try.

If money was no object, what Porsche would you love to own and why: A GT3 Touring for track events. (Ed: Touring for track events, I would think the non-touring as better for the track)

Anything additional you would like to share about yourself (Family/Work/Etc): After the motor in my 996 failed in July 2020, I wasn’t sure if I would find myself back in a Porsche any time soon. I had put a lot of money into that car for track use (safety equipment, suspension, etc.), and in 2018 I spent a lot of money on the motor. When that rebuilt motor blew, I just sold the car as it was. I also sold my ’06 BMW, and with the proceeds I bought a 2017 GTI. Another Porsche would have to wait.

Mark & Nina at CC with 996

My father, Robert, was something of a car guy. In my early teen years, he had a subscription to a car magazine (Motor Trend?), and he liked to watch Motor Week on PBS. He showed me how to change oil, and I remember him showing interest in cars like the Mazda RX7 and Toyota Supra. What cars did he buy in those days? A Honda Civic (1979?), a 1983 Nissan Sentra, and a 1985 Subaru wagon. I’m not sure why he didn’t buy something more fun. It may have had something to do with my mother, Dorothy. Dot Hubley was a wonderful woman with a friendly, loving personality and a great sense of humor. She was also very frugal, which is understandable given that she was born in 1924 and raised during the Great Depression by a single, working mother.

When my father passed away in 1995, he left my mother in pretty good financial condition. Soon after, Dot moved in with my older sister, Christine, in North Carolina. Christine and I encouraged our mother to travel to Europe, buy a new car, and such, but she just wasn’t interested. She was content to spend time with her friends and family and lead a low-key life. Dot Hubley passed away in October 2021, a week shy of her 97th birthday.

I inherited certain qualities from my mother; but whatever virtues I may have, frugality is not one of them. While I have been responsible with most of the money I inherited from Bob and Dot Hubley, it was that inheritance that enabled me to get back into a Porsche with the purchase of my Cayman GTS. I still think my father should have bought a cool car when he had the chance. I decided I wasn’t going to make that mistake. I just wish he lived long enough to ride with me in the fun cars that I had the privilege to own.