The
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE THREE RIVERS REGION, PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA
Current
FIRST QUARTER 2016
AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE, A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE Held on the grounds of the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, this annual event is one of the top Concours in the nation, second only to Pebble Beach. Several Three Rivers Region members attended. The threat of rain brought an early end to Sunday’s 21st annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. But despite a few light showers, rain held off as thousands of attendees saw more than 300 superior cars and motorcycles on the fairways outside the host hotel. A rare 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Town Car from the Nethercutt Collection won Best of Show Concours d’Elegance. Concours founder and chairman Bill Warner, a dedicated staff and almost seven hundred unpaid car enthusiasts present the three-day event, honoring two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Hans-Joachim Stuck this year with 18 of his past race cars. The possibility of rain forced the show judges to start their work at first light so the show would end about two hours early. Previous experience with heavy rains forced everyone inside the RitzCarlton, so they compressed this year’s event to avoid it. The concours also celebrated the 100th anniversary of BMW, honored America’s Cord car company and showed off the 1914 Lautenschlager Mercedes race car that won the 1914 French Grand Prix. Crowds formed
constantly around Janis Joplin’s outrageous 1964 Porsche 356 C 1600 Cabriolet. A unique pairing of eleven race cars and the famous trophies that they won, including the 5-foot, 3-inch-tall Indy 500 Borg-Warner Trophy with the 1970 Indy 500-winning Johnny Lightning race car, brought smiles from the attendees. The concours has raised more than $2.5 million for Community Hospice of Northeast Florida and other charities since the event began originally. One of the big attractions this year was the presence of Jerry Seinfeld and a number of cars from his private collection. He put up eighteen vehicles for auction and after it was all said and done, he’d sold seventeen cars and brought in twenty two million dollars. The winning bid for his 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder was $5,335,000. Wow. The Seinfeld cars sold went as follows: 1959 Porsche 718 RSK, which sold for $2,860,000; a 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR, $2,310,000; a 1990 Porsche 962C, $1,650,000; a 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster, $1,540,000; a 1994 Porsche 964 Turbo 3.6 S Flachbau, $1,017,500; a 1998 Porsche 993 3.8 Cup RSR, $935,000; and a 1963 Porsche 356 B 2000 GS/GT Carrera 2 Coupe, which went for $825,000. Next year’s event will be a main feature in the Three Rivers Region schedule, so plan ahead for March 10 - 12, 2017. Reservations are encouraged way in advance.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Spring is here and it’s the perfect time to bring out your favorite Porsche and join us at a club event. You’ve got a great opportunity coming up on Saturday, April 16th from noon until 5:00pm at our annual Pine Island Concours. Our traditional fundraiser for Camp Kemo, it’s a people’s choice car show and picnic with brats and all the
fixings. See the page in this newsletter with a convenient registration form to get signed up right away (you don’t want to miss out on this one.) Speaking of missing out, surely there is a talented person in our region who’d love to be the newsletter editor. As this edition of the first quarter publication is reaching you at the END of
the firsts quarter, clearly I’m not able to get this additional task completed in a timely manner. Please contact me at melissasprouse@aol.com if THREE RIVERS you can help take this duty.
REGION PRESIDENT Until we find a MELISSA newsletter editor, future communications will be sent SPROUSE via email blasts only. BROWNE Come out and enjoy your club!
UPCOMING EVENTS •April 9: Zone Three Presidents Meeting - Greenville SC. Any comments you want carried forward to the zone rep, please advise Melissa before this date. •April 16: Pine Island Concours. Join us for the most fun you can have with your car, your friends and beautiful Lake Murray! We gather every year to have a People’s Choice car show and cookout with brats and the works from 12-5p. Rain or shine - we just pray for the shine! $25 entry fee; contact Rock Webb to register: webbs911@aol.com or 803-530-1142. •April 18: Three Rivers Region Board meeting. 6:00pm, 101 Medical Circle, West Columbia, SC 29169. Open to all members. •April 30: Pinehurst Concours. The Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance field of exclusive show cars will compete Saturday, April 30 on the emerald green fairways of Pinehurst Resort, an industry leader in the sport of golf and true trend setter in Southern hospitality. Location: Pinehurst Resort Clubhouse 7:45 a.m. - 5K run. 9 a.m. - Gates open to the public. 12 p.m. - Opening Ceremonies. 2 p.m. - Award ceremony begins. 4 p.m. - “Best in Show” Crowned. 5 p.m. - Live Concert by the Commodores. Cars & Concert on the Fairway: The Commodores. Continuing a tradition started last year with Three Dog Night, the Commodores will showcase their immense talent on the fairways of the Pinehurst Resort following the awards ceremony at the 2016 Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance. The concert is included as part of the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance event ticket. See more at: http://pinehurstconcours.com •April 30: Cars on State Street. Second Annual event on State Street in West Columbia. This year, organizers say there’ll be a food truck, more liquid refreshments, shade and more. Contact Buddy Delaney with Best Mattress to register your car: 803-429-6024. •May 14-15: Winery Tour. Shelton Vineyards in Yadkin Valley, NC. See full notice in this edition of the newsletter for more details. Sign up for the tour with Dick Lane, 803-238-6912 or dicklane@bellsouth.net. •May 17: Monthly membership meeting. Held at Bistro on the Boulevard in Irmo, SC on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30p unless otherwise scheduled. RSVP to melissasprouse@aol.com.
ANNUAL CHILI COOK-OFF February’s meeting was our annual chili cook-off. This year, Bill Eaddy was kind enough to host us at his garage in Rosewood, which is the perfect set-up since it has a full kitchen in addition to the garage. With close to forty members and guests, there was plenty of food and drink to go around. In the chili cook-off, seven entries were vying for top honors. From traditional chili to heart healthy, veggie and more, plates were heaped to overflowing with chili, sides and desserts.
Tracey McDaniels Miller from McDaniels Porsche shows off the variety of high quality prints she currently has available at the dealership. Each one is matted and ready for framing. If you’re looking for a gift for that favorite Porsche enthusiast, give her a call at 803-754-1113 or stop by the store to see them in person. Chili cook-off winners pose with Melissa. From L to R: Jane Mann, Rock Webb and Connie Cashwell.
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911 Gen2 Launch “I ordered a sunny day,” said Tracey McDaniels Miller about the surprisingly perfect weather for the March 19th launch event held at the Blue Marlin room in the Vista. And how could the sun not come out to see the silver glory of the latest version of Porsche’s iconic 911. An upscale buffet was enjoyed by everyone and guests were treated to complimentary rides from the parking garage to the event venue in an elegant Cayenne, driven by Scott Miller. The core of the McDaniels Porsche staff was on hand for the
unveiling at 6:45pm and educated us on the particulars of the new model. Les Stabler brought out his family’s 914 to show a contrast in the evolution of the Porsche line.
To see the newest 911 for yourself, please visit McDaniels Porsche at 6409 Two Notch Road in Columbia, SC.
SHELTON VINEYARDS TOUR JOIN US ON MAY 14 AND 15, 2016, for a Tour to the Shelton Vineyards in Yadkin Valley, North Carolina.
A tour of the winery just for us will start at 4:00 PM and will take about an hour. There will be time to check out all the wine and other items for sale at the winery The Shelton Vineyards are owned by the Shelton brothers, Ed and Charlie. They grew up in Yadkin Valley before we go next door to the Harvest Grill (also owned by the Shelton brothers) for dinner. We will have dinner and spent many years in the construction business together, ordering off the menu. around Charlotte, NC. In the 1990s they bought the land in Yadkin Valley when it became available, not knowing what they would do with it. On a vacation After dinner we will proceed to the hotel, about two trip to France, they discovered the soil and climate of miles from the restaurant, which is also owned by the the land they bought was perfect for many different Shelton Brothers. It is a Hampton Inn and Suites and varieties of grapes. So, they decided to grow grapes is very nice. We have a block of rooms that they will and make wine. After a few years, they sold their hold until April 22, 2016. Call the hotel and make construction business and went full time into the wine your reservations as soon as possible. The number business. is 336-353-9400. Tell them you are with the Porsche Club. On Sunday you will be on your own. There are For the tour, interstate highways will not be used except several other vineyards and wineries in the area if you for about 15 miles. Time from Columbia to the Shelton choose to do more wine tasting. Go on line to www. Vineyards is about 5.5 to 6 hours including pit stops and YadkinValleyVineyardTours.com to find them. To register for the tour call Dick Lane at 803-238-6912 time for lunch. We will have lunch at the Sagebrush and don’t forget to make your hotel reservations. Steak House near Mocksville, NC and will arrive at the vineyards around 3 PM.
PINE ISLAND | APRIL 16, 2016
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The Midlands long standing premier Porsche charity event returns to Pine Island on April 16, 2016. Some of the rarest Porsches have been known to show up for this car show. It also attracts some the most interesting collector cars to come out and play with the Porsches. British Sports Car Club, BMW Club, Ferrari Club, Muscle Cars, Hot Rods, and the VW Club, have been in attendance in the past. We have raised thousands of dollars for our local charity, Camp Kemo, over the years so let’s do it again. Everyone will want to show see if we crown our first five time winner of best Porsche.
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PINE ISLAND CAR SHOW and PICNIC (This event is Peoples Choice.)
SATURDAY, APRIL 16TH, 2016 | 12pm - 5pm
HOSTED BY THE THREE RIVERS REGION, PCA
To register, please fill out the following form and mail with a check to address below. Registration will also be available at the event, but please RSVP for lunch beforehand. Name___________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip____________________________________________________________ Email______________________________________Phone________________________ Car #1: Make__________________________Model _____________________Year__________ More than one car to register? Fill out additional lines as needed. Car #2:
Make__________________________Model _____________________Year__________
Car #3:
Make__________________________Model _____________________Year__________
Number of Cars registered
__________
$20 per car
Number of People for Lunch
__________
$5 per person
Total $__________ REGISTRATION: $20 per car & $5 per person for lunch – make checks payable to: Three Rivers Region PCA. All profits go to Camp Kemo so the more cars that register, the more money we can donate! LOCATION: This event will be held at 150 Pine Island Rd, in Columbia SC at beautiful Lake Murray. No pets allowed on the Island. LUNCH: We will be serving brats and fixings. QUESTIONS: Contact Rock Webb at webbs911@aol.com or call 803-530-1142. Mail checks and registration to:
Rock Webb • 912 Ontario Drive West Columbia, SC 29169
PORSCHE STORIES
by Gary Raymond
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This story is going to be the first 1st Porsche story in our newsletter. Let’s not make it our last. We need to make this feature a regular part of newsletter, but we will need all of you to share your stories of how you got bit by the Porsche Bug. My story starts way back in 1964, I was 16 years old and had just passed my driver’s exam in the great state of Ohio. I had been saving my paychecks from assorted menial teenage jobs, such as caddying, busboy, dishwasher, and general grocery clean-up guy. I felt the VW Bug was a good practical car to buy for my first car. I decided to go straight to the source and hitched a ride to Cuyahoga Falls, about nine miles from my hometown of Kent, where the VW dealer’s used car lot was located. As I cruised thru the lot checking out the Bugs and Busses, I spotted a low slung green convertible, kind of looked like a VW, similar headlights, four on the floor, rear engine, but just looked faster. But no VW insignia, only P O R S C H E on the back below the engine lid and what is this 1600 super mean? Never heard of it. About that time the used car salesman showed up, a big grin on his face, opening doors, hood and engine lid. He saw the “deer in the headlights” look on my face and must have felt he had a sucker to move this convertible to in a hurry. I only heard part of what he was saying, $1700, ’61, 47,000 miles, better than Bug. He was eager to pop the question, “Would you like to take it for a drive?” Would I ever! The answer just flew out of my mouth. I jumped into the driver’s seat and the salesman into the passenger seat, who turned to me and held up the keys, which I snatched out of his hand. I put thte key into the ignition switch and it fired right up and settled into a nice throaty sound. Then I popped my question, “Can we drive it to Kent, and have our foreign car guru check it out?” The salesman responded “ Sure” with a strange look on his face. Off we went, the acceleration was much more of a rush than a Bug, handling was very crisp and accurate. I was in awe and falling in love. Off we went, to get Bob Ward’s opinion about this little green beauty. Bob was very accommodating, dropped what he doing, pulled it into an empty bay and put it up on the lift and started going over it with a trained eye. In a matter of minutes, he pulled me aside and whispered to me “Do you really want a car like this? If you do, I have a customer that has one that is in better condition and costs less. This ’61 B already has a rusted out battery box, so get rid of the salesman and this car. Come back and I’ll give you my customer’s number.” I drove back to the dealership even more excited with the prospect of buying one of these wonderful cars for the cost more in line with my pocketbook. It took a couple of hours to get a ride back to Kent, after telling the salesman that I would get back to him about the little green convertible. When I got back to Bob’s he smiled and handed me the number of his customer who owned Ravenna Dry Cleaners, six miles away from Kent. I called him right away and the car was still available, so we made an appointment for the next day to see the car. I got to his house a half hour early and was extremely excited to hear about this car. As he was walking to the garage, he started telling me about the car. It was a stripped down 1958 Porsche, and the original motor had been replaced with a motor from a wrecked ’62. He unlocked the garage door and when he raised it, there sat this low slung, off-white convertible that read in gold letters on the front fender, SPEEDSTER, no rust, red interior, black top that was in need of replacement, and baby moon hubcaps. He told me that engine had more horsepower than the original and it had come out a wrecked Super 90 coupe.
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He then brought up the price, saying he needed to get $1,000 out of it. Boy was I in luck, because I had a savings account with $1,156 in it. He got in and fired it up. What a sweet sound. We took it for a spin around the block and I was in love. I told him I needed to go to the bank and did he need cash or a check. He said that a cashier’s check would be fine. He promised that he would not sell it to anyone else.
My brother gave me a ride to the City Bank in Kent and we raced back to Ravenna, arriving only an hour after we left. Driving home in the Speedster, I realized I had my hands on a quick little hot rod. The freedom I experienced driving it, took my breath away, in the next three months of summer I only had four activities: driving, eating, working, and sleeping. I put 9,000 miles on it before my junior year of high school started. Unfortunately I did not know what I had when I had it. I was young and stupid, but that is the rest of the story for another time.
Three Rivers Region
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT #1098
101 Medical Circle Drive West Columbia, SC 29169 www.threeriversregionpca.org
THREE RIVERS REGION LEADERSHIP PRESIDENT Melissa Sprouse Browne (803) 791-3800 O (803) 312-4051 C president@threeriversregionpca.org
VICE PRESIDENT Karl Sease (803) 781-5902 H vp@threeriversregionpca.org
SECRETARY Helen Lane (803) 261-9430 C secretary@threeriversregionpca.org
TREASURER Kathy Webb (803) 530-1142 C treasurer@threeriversregionpca.org
MEMBERSHIP Dick Lane (803) 238-6912 C membership@ threeriversregionpca.org
EVENTS Gary Raymond (803) 798-3712 H events@threeriversregionpca.org
COMMUNICATIONS/NEWSLETTER VACANT communications@ threeriversregionpca.org
ZONE THREE REP Vic Rola (865) 207-4303 C vicrola1@gmail.com