L AL E U Q R TO MBER 2019 E T P E S / T S U UG ISSUE 136 A
SIMPLY PORSCHE 2019 Our club’s annual event with over 1,000 Porsches
TESTING THE 992 The latest 911 on loan from Porsche Centre Chester
STEPPING STONE Investigating the ‘first ever Porsche’ as it heads to auction
WWW.TIPEC.NET LIVE & BREATHE THE MARQUE
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ALL TORQUE 136 AUG/SEP 2019 All Torque is published bi-monthly by TIPEC (The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club) Text & images are © their creators. Front cover images: Simply Porsche 2018 at Beaulieu, photographed by Stuart Watson. All Torque is based entirely on submissions from TIPEC members. This is your magazine! Submissions for issue 137 (October/November) must be in before Sunday 1st September 2019. Editor & designer: Tony Blow tony@typescape.com Flat 2, 2 Bowmont Terrace, Glasgow G12 9LP Printed by: The Lavenham Press Ltd, Suffolk (01787 247 436) Advertising in All Torque is managed by: Sean Smallman, Walnut Tree Farm, Grain Road, Lower Stoke, Rochester ME3 9RE (07500 332 790) Website: www.tipec.net Twitter: @Porsche_TIPEC Search for us on Facebook TIPEC Chairman: Sean Smallman (07500 332 790) sean.smallman@tipec.net Treasurer: Paul Bird (01922 428 409) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk Advertising & sponsorhip: Sean Smallman (07500 332 790) sean.smallman@tipec.net Media Director: Paul Ffelan (07391 510 054) paul.ffelan@tipec.net Membership Director: Sue Simmons (07530 312 700) sue.simmons@tipec.net TIPEC Membership: Lavenham Group (01787 249 295) membership@tipec.lpl-uk.com TIPEC Valuations: valuations@tipec.net
All Torque & TIPEC are entirely independent of Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, Porsche Cars GB Ltd and its dealers. All registered Trade Marks owned by Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, including the word ‘Porsche’, the Porsche Crest and Porsche Script are acknowledged as such and are their property. Whilst all due care is taken in the production of All Torque; neither TIPEC, its officers or the editor can accept responsibility for the advice, information or opinions expressed herein. Opinions contained in any article published herein are of the author or editor and do not reflect the official position of TIPEC, its management or membership, unless clearly stated by a club official.
IT IS QUITE hard to believe that the tickets for Silverstone Classic have just arrived and two thirds of the year have been and gone. There have been lots of highlights and the last few months have been non-stop. Simply Porsche was followed by a trip to Yorkshire with the Kent Region; the wettest road trip I have ever been on. When you live in Kent you usually turn left onto the M20, take a train and head into Europe. This time we turned right and headed North, for some fabulous driving roads and stunning scenery. The car showed a temperature of just six degrees at the top of Holme Moss, it felt like winter not flaming June. The photo opportunity was swift to say the least, bracing would be an understatement. In previous chats I have written about how we can all play a part in helping to move the club forward. Whether that be by attending events, or using social media to share what we are doing. It is definitely working and I am delighted that so far this year, every month sets a new membership record. It is an amazing achievement and we go from strength to strength. A few regions have had to change venue to accommodate the growing numbers attending.
Most regions are doing well and it would be remiss of me if i did not mention the North West who are taking membership to new levels. Well done, the growth in the region over the last few years is a testament to the spirit in the camp and the communication. The above said we still havea couple of opportunities for Regional Organisers in the South Yorkshire & Notts area and the North East. It would be great to fill these roles as a presence in those areas would be good for us. A very warm welcome to all our new members, please try and get along to a local club night. It can feel a little awkward at first but you will soon make lots of new friends and find more ways to enjoy the cars. You’ll learn where the best places are to go locally and you’ll find help when and if you need it. As members you are invited to attend any event that is taking place across any of the regions. Check out the back pages and if there is an event or trip that you would like to join, contact the relevant RO and book a space. Andrew Harris has picked up the Valuations from Steve Tatham. This is an important role for the club and we have a good reputation when it comes to understanding the insurance requirements of our prized assets. Thank you both, we appreciate your hard work in delivering this service for our members. Let’s hope we have a very long, dry summer. Sean
REMEMBERING DUNC WESTON PARK, OCTOBER 20th IN THE LAST issue of All Torque, we featured ‘Dunc’s day’, where a number of club members and other Porsche enthusiasts helped make some petrolhead dreams come true for Duncan, who was battling stage four cancer. Duncan has sadly passed away since that event. Andrea Webster has arranged for the club to visit Weston Park as a thank you to members for their help and as a memory for Duncan.
You may remember Weston Park (www.weston-park.com) as home to the Lombard RAC Rally many years ago and this is a very special invitation that is not normally offered. There will be a drive through the grounds at Weston Park, with the opportunity to have pictures taken in front of the house. Contact Richard Simmons, RO for the Shropshire & Mid Wales Region, on richardjjs@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to be kept updated.
CIRCUIT HISTORIQUE DE LAON MAY 29th–JUNE 1st 2020 THE LAON HISTORIQUE rally in northern France has proven popular with Porsche Enthusiasts Club members over the past few years and bookings are now open for the next event in 2020.
CLUB SHOP NEW SUPPLIER WE HAVE A new club regalia shop, run by Ewood Print Bar. After several conversations with UKCarclubs about the quality of both their products and service we made the decision to find a new supplier. Please do not order any more products from them. Our new supplier is Ewood Print Bar. Our dedicated club store web page is www.yourclubmerch.co.uk/ product-category/clubs/tipec They offer all the usual regalia produc ts, including T-shir ts, hoodies, jackets and polo shirts. These will be offered with your region and your choice of 911, front-engined, or Boxster logo. If there is anything that you would like that you cannot see on the club page, please give them a call.
MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT CONTACTS THE CLUB HAS a professional membership management agent. The contact details for any TIPEC membership renewals, changes of address, queries, etc. are detailed below. Please make sure you mention that you are contacting them about TIPEC, as they deal with multiple car clubs:
The annual celebration of classic cars includes a 100-mile road rally on the Saturday, a street display of cars on the Sunday, and attracts almost a thousand entries (plus many more visiting spectators). Something for every petrolhead, and in a beautiful setting.
For details including a discount for all Porsche Enthusiasts Club members, contact Emma, James or Tom at Scenic & Continental Car Tours on 01732 879 153 and quote TIPEC-LAON or book online via www.my-holiday-booking.co.uk/ availability/check/index/i/13/t/ LAON-TIPEC
ALL TORQUE SUBMISSIONS
CLUB WEBSITE WWW.TIPEC.NET
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE magazine are always very welcome – All Torque is your magazine and we rely on your articles, reports and photographs to keep it full of varied, interesting, Porscherelated stuff.
YOU CAN USE the club website to register or renew your TIPEC membership, advertise cars and parts for free, view old issues of All Torque, and keep up with local or national events.
Anyone can contribute – we only ask that it is all your own work (both writing and photography). Email tony@typescape.com
01787 249 295 membership@tipec.lpl-uk.com TIPEC Membership Arbons House, 47 Water Street, Lavenham CO10 9RN www.tipec.net Go to the membership renewals tab. Password: tipecmember
Sue Simmons of the Bristol, South West and South Wales region did this trip with Scenic & Continental Car Tours a few years ago and recommends it as a great weekend.
Sometimes there simply isn’t room for everything, so please bear with us if your piece hasn’t been printed in this issue – we’ll hold some over for the quieter months when less events are on.
At the top-left of the homepage, you will find a link to TIPEC’s online discussion forum. This is the place to trade banter with fellow club members on a day-to-day basis, ask questions and share knowledge with your fellow club members, up and down the UK (and worldwide!)
We really do appreciate the effort made by our club members and contributors, and value ever y individual submission. 3
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A quick ‘fire round’ with our club’s insurance partners. IT HAS BEEN a while since we last had a full insurance overview, so we have asked the team from ClassicLine Insurance, TIPEC’s insurance partners, to provide us with a quick, updated guide to the TIPEC specialist Porsche insurance scheme. ClassicLine Insurance have been the club’s insurance scheme provider since 2016 and Ian, Darren and the team are familiar faces at Simply Porsche. The insurance scheme has evolved over time with the support and input from the TIPEC committee and members, our competitor research shows us that our cover is the highest quality Porsche insurance on the market and is offered at highly competitive prices. Because our expert UK based team understand the Porsche and what a joy it is to drive, this means we can spend more time listening to your individual requirements. If there is something specific you need, just let us know. So, with the summer season flat out, we have the long evenings of August to look forward to as well as an array of early autumn events. It’s the perfect time to enjoy your car knowing you are properly covered.
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No vehicle is exempt from the odd mechanical breakdown or need for recovery, so that’s why we include a UK & European breakdown and recovery service as part of our TIPEC scheme. When calling, don’t forget to tell the operator what ground clearance you have, at the lowest point of the car, and, advise the height, length and width if your vehicle is oversized or modified so they can source the appropriate recovery vehicle.
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WEDDING WHEELS AUTHOR STEFANIE MAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY STEFANIE MAHAN
CASSIE (OUR BOXSTER) and Rosie (our 968) heard that Stephen and Briana’s wedding day was coming up and their Boxster wanted some Porsche friends in the photos. The happy couple had decided to get hitched the same weekend as Porsches on the Prom at Llandudno, so many of their Porker friends were heading into the Welsh hills for the weekend. Our girls were sitting at home though, so we headed over to Middleton Hall to congratulate the bride and groom and pose for some photos … well Cassie does like getting dressed up for a wedding!
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As well as Porsches dressed for the occasion, there was also a beautiful VW Camper waiting to congratulate the happy couple. T h e b r id e l o o ke d s tun n i n g and the groom looked ver y handsome too. Whilst they were having photos taken the guests were admiring the grounds, enjoying the refreshments with a musician playing oil-can guitars in the background – while the petrolheads in the wedding party admired the beautiful cars.
With a wedding reception to get to, the Camper and Boxster headed off into the distance. Cassie and Rosie congratulated the bride and groom once more, before we headed home via the picturesque Peak District countryside. It was lovely to be a part of an amazing couple’s special day (thank you!) and we wish you all the best for the future as Mr and Mrs Bickley, making many memories and enjoying every second – especially those Porsche miles shared together.
A BIG WEEKEND AUTHOR BOB STEPHENS PHOTOGRAPHY BOB STEPHENS
WITH A TOTAL of 27 people in 15 cars, the Surrey & Sussex region’s 21st annual ‘Weekend of the Year’ away was our largest to date. It was quite a task (which we were not always successful at) trying to keep us all together! Many familiar faces were in attendance and a few blasts from the past also turned up. Old friends returning, Gill & Graham Muncey (BMW cabriolet), could only stay for one night as they were off to Sicily on the Sunday and longterm member Steve Haylor arrived in a newly acquired Cayman S, foregoing his long-term project 944 turbo. Chris and I led off in our Morgan Plus 4, Chris’s Cayman S being left behind pending check over for ‘engine noises’. Being Porsche enthusiasts, not necessarily owners, our fleet for the weekend included 10 Porches, three BMWs, a Morgan and an MX-5. Our first stop was the Imperial War Museum at RAF Duxford where we met up with Nick & Jane Barnes (928) and Ian & Eirian Robson (944 cab). The displays are normally static but with a big show on the following weekend we had the bonus of seeing many of the aircraft in the air practicing their displays. There is so much to see at Duxford that we could not fit it all in and many of our group plan to return. We then made our way to Flitwick Manor, our accommodation for the weekend, a grade II listed manor house dating back to the 17th Century set in parkland in the old part of Flitwick village.
Saturday saw a day out of a very different kind when most of us went to Newmarket for a day at the races. The sights and sounds were amazing, and that was just the punters, there was also a Spitfire and a Hurricane on display that we recognised from Duxford and we were able to get right up to the planes to check them out in close detail. Sunday saw us off to Cambridge to enjoy the delights of academia including punting on the river with a very informative chauffeur (that’s what they call punt drivers). Some people had to get back for work commitments on the Monday but that still left 21 of us making our way to Woburn for a tour of the house and gardens. The signposted route seemed to take us right around the outside of the whole estate and then having found the entry gate and counted everyone in, under the strict gaze of the gate keeper, we went through the deer park which led us back to side of the estate that we had passed half an hour previously …
The Surrey & Sussex region’s 21st annual ‘Weekend of the Year’ was our largest to date.
A very enjoyable weekend with great company, here’s to next year for WotY 22 in mid Wales. Come and join us! 7
SIMPLY PORSCHE 2019 Photos from our club’s main event at Beaulieu. WE SAW ANOTHER fantastic turnout at Simply Porsche, the Por sc he Enthusiast s Club’s key show for the year, and it was great to see so many club members in our section at this years event. I hope you agree that the marquee gave us a stronger presence and more opportunity to socialise. The pictures tell the story far better than I can, a thousand Porsches are quite some spectacle. A special thank you to everyone that helped on the day, we could not have pulled this off without your support. The date for Simply Porsche 2020 is Sunday 7th June.
AUTHOR SEAN SMALLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY MARTIN BROADRIBB, MATT GALE & STUART WATSON AT 136
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928 ITALIAN ADVENTURE AUTHOR CLIVE RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY CLIVE & JANET RICHARDSON
IN THE SUMMER of 2018 I was of fered the oppor tunit y to attend a work conference at Lake Garda in mid-September. It was expected that partners would accompany us and so a plan was hatched. Rather than just fly out for the two day event, we could turn it into a two week road trip and holiday. Fe r r y o rg a n i s e d a n d ro ute planned, we booked some hotels for the journey there plus an AirBnB for nearly a week in the Lakes and another for a stop off in Aosta on the way home. The first day was a blat across northern France and Belgium to Luxembourg (where we topped up with cheap fuel) then into Germany for our overnight in Karlsruhe, a run of about 450 miles which the 928 managed without missing a beat. The second day was to be a bit shorter, but slower, as although the first part was on deristricted autobahns, where we managed to stretch the cars legs into three figures quite happily, we then entered the slower roads in
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Austria, then Switzerland and up into the Alps. There had been a hold up on the autobahn in Germany due to an accident which temporarily closed the road and this meant that it was mid-afternoon by the time we got into Switzerland. We still had a fair distance to go to get to our hotel on the far side of the Stelvio pass. We used the train tunnel to get from Klosters to Sagliains then took the scenic route through the Swiss National Park using the Ofenpass, which was not too testing and seemed to have a number of work vans wanting to play ‘chase a Porsche’. We then turned right and took the Umbrail Pass. This was more interesting and challenging, with a fantastic climb up narrow roads with tight hairpins and vertical drops beside the road. At the top we reached the Italian border and the junction with the Stelvio pass. After a brief stop at the summit we started on the 48 hairpins on the way down. We were about a third of the way down when I put my foot on the brake pedal and
not a lot happened! Being an automatic transmission (I’m lazy I know) the brakes had taken quite a beating and had overheated. By pumping the pedal I got enough stopping power to slow us to a fast crawl and locked it in second gear, then used the handbrake instead of the footbrake when necessary for the rest of our descent. Janet sat with her heart in her mouth, unable to breathe or speak as we slowly made our way down with darkness falling. Our hotel was in the village of Stelvio at the bottom of the pass, and it was quite a relief to pull into a parking space outside and leave the car to cool down. After dinner I went out and tested the brakes, which had returned to normal since they had cooled down. Whew – we would be OK to get to the conference in the morning. A 150-mile run the nex t day took about three hours as it was mainly single carriageway and busy roads, but by midday we arrived at the conference hotel and parked right out front, next to a modern 911 driven there by one of the German delegates. Our trip
was quite a talking point during the conference. Some thought we were mad not to have flown out in a few hours, rather than spending two and a half days driving a 30-year-old car there, but we knew we had had the best trip, and it wasn’t over yet. After the conference we stayed on the edge of Lake Iseo, using the car to sightsee all around the lake and into Brescia, where the Mille Milgia museum is housed. Then after several days, a drive west to Aosta, ‘the Rome of the north’ for a couple of days soaking up the history before a drive back over the Grand St Bernard Pass (the old road over the top, not the tunnel) and a stop at Schlumph Collection in Mulhouse to see the chandelier maker Mathieu’s collection of Porsches before heading home. In all we had covered over 2,000 miles and, apart from the brake issue, without incident. I was glad I had had the aircon re-gassed before we left as the weather was gorgeous for the whole of the trip. I did work out the fuel consumption, but I’ve conveniently forgotten what it was! 11
TATTON PARK CLASSIC CAR SPECTACULAR
WHILE THE SOUTHERN regions were busy preparing for the Simply Porsche show at Beaulieu, Cheshire and Staffs were putting the final touches together for their annual club display at Tatton Park Classic Car Spectacular. As the show is a two day event some members attended for the whole weekend, with some members camping, whilst others came for whichever day suited them. On the Saturday we had 28 Porsches on display with various models to admire, such as a 914, 928s, 944s, 924s, Boxsters, Carreras, a GTS, a 911 Super Sport … and the list goes on. It was an amazing sight to see and the sea of colour across our treasured Porsches was like a rainbow – though the pot of gold was not to be found unfortunately (those Cheshire people have it well hidden!) AT 136
The weather held off, only giving us a few downpours throughout the day. I can’t deny that Tony and Sharon did a fantastic job with the refreshments and bacon baps (thank you), the community atmosphere continued when homemade cakes and biscuits came out. Thanks to Stef Ward and Joan for baking those for everyone, they were delicious and went down a treat. Everyone had a lovely day of chatting all things Porsche with many fellow Porsche and classic car enthusiasts alike, as well as being able to admire the other car club displays, have a rummage in the autojumble and have a look at the stalls to see what goodies can come home! Well you never know what tools or gadgets you might pick up.
AUTHOR STEFANIE MAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY STEFANIE MAHAN
Before the Saturday show concluded we headed over to the prize tent to see what prizes had being won. Joan won first place for the Best Modern Classic category, followed by our club winning the first place trophy for Highly Commended Club Stand. Massive congratulations to Joan and to everyone who attended and made the club trophy come home. A fantastic day was had by all, though for some members this wasn’t the end of the day but just the start … so those who were camping headed to the campsite area to see the evening in.
With the ‘club camping’ area now full the BBQs roared into life (quiet literally with Gareth’s blowtorch!) the drinks were flowing, chatter filled the air. With some birthday cake and disco lights the ‘party’ was in full swing! Though no camping evening is complete unless you have marshmallows to toast on the campfire … well, we had marshmallows and they were toasted beautifully on the oak fire we had roaring. As the early hours fast approached everyone retired for the remainder of the night, before the morning ‘alarm clock’ awoke us.
The sun rose over Tatton Park but the last day of the show began overcast – it looked like we were in for a duller day. With everyone parked up we had a grand total of 30 Porsches on display, with varied models again. The stunning 914 from yesterday was now swapped for another true beauty – a 930 flatnose. This attracted people of all ages and was the most talked about car of the day, though in saying that there were steady discussions all weekend about all of our club members cars, you could hear the love and passion when they were talking about their beauties to fellow enthusiasts.
An enjoyable weekend was had by all, we won two trophies within the club/region and signed up some new club members too – welcome lads and ladettes, we look forward to seeing you all again soon on one of our many adventures. If you wish to join us at the next show at Tatton Park, Passion of Power is held on the 17–18th August. Please contact Gareth or myself in the Cheshire & Staffs region.
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992 Test driving the latest 911 AUTHOR RICHARD SIMMONS PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD SIMMONS
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PORSCHE CENTRE CHESTER very kindly lent me the new Porsche 992 Coupé for a test drive at the beginning of June … what a car! The 992 is currently available in the Coupé or Cabriolet body shape and only available in the ‘S’ variation with the option of a two or four-wheel drive system. It comes as standard with an eight speed PDK gearbox. The 992 has the shape of a 911 updated to a more modern look. At the front, infinitely variable vents automatically open and close to increase aerodynamics. The model I drove had the fantastic PDLS plus headlight system with dynamic cornering lights. At the side, the alloys are 20" on the front and 21" at the rear as standard, for the first time on a 911. The door handles are flush – opening as you approach the door and retracting a few seconds later. The back of the car is totally new. A full width light unit with a three-
dimensional ‘PORSCHE’ badge and model designation are proudly displayed. There are nine vertical bars either side of the ‘11’ shaped brake light, proudly symbolising the 911. The vertical bars are in black on the two-wheel drive vehicles or chrome if it is fourwheel drive. A bit of a ‘Marmite’ feature as quite a few enthusiasts don’t like it. Maybe it’s something we will get used to. Opening the rear, you can only see two large fans. To get to the engine you have to remove the rear PU. Opening the door and sitting inside is impressive. Four digital dials, with an analogue rev counter in the centre, are controlled by the multifunction steering wheel and a huge 11" touchscreen monitor in the centre of the cabin. My thoughts are that it is too big for a sports car but I guess you would get used to it. Gone is the gear lever to be replaced by a ‘direction mode selector’. Flick it forward for reverse, back for drive. There are buttons for manual and park mode.
The car I had was two-wheel drive and I found the front twitchy, maybe this would be overcome by the four? The PDK gearbox now features an eight speed transmission with the gears split between two shafts (almost two gearboxes) 1,3,5,7 on one shaft, 2,4,6,8 on the other. Each is controlled by its own permanently lubricated wet clutch – one moves forwards the other back. As one gear is engaged the next is selected allowing instant gear changes to be made. I found this mind blowing and can find
no reason for buying a manual gearbox car instead. I could change down as many gears as I wanted to achieve heavy engine braking. Acceleration to 70 was so smooth and quick. Love it! The car I had was two-wheel drive and I found the front twitchy on certain surfaces, maybe this would be overcome by the four? I also found it ‘hunted’ on the motorway and felt I needed to lock the box. Overall the car was stunning! I was stuck in traffic with about half a mile straight foot down using click down and I was doing 70 as I passed all the cars. I can’t believe the performance. My 1989 Quattro was 5.1 seconds 0–60 in the wet, but this is about 3.4 seconds. That’s 30 years of progress. I took the car up to lake Vyrnwy and Bala and it got tons of comments. “How long have you had it?” an American man asked. “About three hours” was my reply (I didn’t tell him I had to give it back!) 15
DRIVING BLIND AUTHOR STEFANIE MAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY STEFANIE MAHAN
THE CHESHIRE & Staffs region of the club have supported the Galloways Visually Impaired and Blind Society at their driving experience day held at Three Sisters Circuit in Wigan twice a year. The event in May this year was another truly humbling day for everyone who took part. We had a variety of Porsches and a VW Corrado (Porsche wannabe) for them to choose from and they were spoilt for choice – with two 911 Turbos, Cayman, two Boxsters, a 944 and a 944 cab. There were dif ferent groups on track, one at a time, and the modern classics like ourselves were grouped together offering passenger experience laps. Whilst the driving instructors’ cars were taken out by those with limited or no sight, so they could experience driving first hand in a safe and controlled environment. They could also experience what it is like in an articulated truck on the open road.
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her vision a few years past – her dream to sit back in the driving seat was fulfilled as Tony kindly offered to make that a reality. I am very sure would have started the engine had Tony not snuck the keys out of the ignition!
With every passenger seat firmly filled for each of our times out on circuit, ever yone (drivers and passengers) enjoyed the experience of driving and chatting, learning about each other and our cars, our love of cars and our past driving experiences (if any). It is lovely to catch up with familiar faces and listen to memories of previous years … it turns out I am still the highlight of some people’s memories for my past spin off escapades – all tyres stayed firmly on the tarmac this year you will be pleased to know!
The Porsche wannabe VW was admired by many and made the day of one gentleman who had always admired them from afar. He described the car’s capabilities as worlds apart from the Porsches, but alike at the same time. I can’t deny I do love that VW.
Tony had a lady who made a beeline for his 944 and asked if he would kindly take her out, which he happily obliged. She truly loved being in the passenger seat of his stunning guards red 944, though ultimately, she wanted to be in the driver’s seat more. She had once spent many happy years loving every second in that seat (well not Tony’s specifically). She reminisced to Tony about having cherished four 944s over her motoring years before losing
The Cayman was a real machine around the circuit and Mark had some admirers who insisted on him taking them out for another experience, as they had fallen in love with him and his car last year. the 911 Turbos were amazing to hear and to watch roar off into the distance after overtaking you. Being behind the wheel was also an amazing experience and one that I will never forget – thank you to Damien for trusting me with his beauty.
The Boxster is a very different experience as the wind blows the cobwebs away. You can hear more going on around you whilst feeling planted to the ground like a go-kart (which the circuit is usually used for). My passengers could tell me more about what was going on around them from audio sound than they could when I was driving the Corrado, which I have to agree with. Try it as a passenger in a Boxster (or any convertible) – just close your eyes and listen to what is around you, things are very different. Everyone (drivers and passengers) had an amazing day and like every year, the way our cars were defined and interpreted by those who cannot see them as we do was fascinating. Worlds apart, but very alike at the same time. See www.galloways.org.uk/post/ ben-s-blog for Ben’s account of the day … one of the many reasons why we support this event. Roll on September when we do it again.
“The 911 Turbos were amazing to hear and to watch roar off into the distance after overtaking you.”
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AT 136
“ GORDON
BENNETT! ” Alan Aspden and his wife took their newly-acquired 356 C to Ireland and drove the Gordon Bennett route. But who was this Gordon Bennett bloke anyway?
AUTHOR ALAN ASPDEN PHOTOGRAPHY ALAN ASPDEN
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GORDON BENNETT! How many of us use that as a term of exclamation without knowing where it comes from? I certainly did, but in May I found the source of this widely used phrase. My wife and I went on the Gordon Bennett memorial run in Ireland in our recently acquired 356 Cabriolet. Our trip was taken with Scenic and Continental Car Tours, who sorted the ferry, the hotel and entry to the event which was organised by local enthusiasts. Scenic also provided a folder with information on local attractions that were possible side visits. All this was very useful but their maps/instructions to get from the ferry terminal to the hotel were less so. Gordon Bennett himself was an American millionaire and general character. He set up the first motor race in Ireland in 1903 as racing was not allowed in the UK. There were less than 200 cars on the roads in Ireland at the time so the locals must have been amazed – most of them never having seen a car before, let alone a motor race. The circuit was a roughly 100 mile figure of eight based around Athy on dirt roads. These were sprayed with a mixture of diesel and tallow just before the race to keep the dust down. The winner, Belgian Camille Jenatzy, managed an average speed of 56.7mph over a distance of 327.5 miles in his Mercedes. Our tour was much more sedate. On Saturday we had a drive around the local area and the highlight was a visit to Russborough House. All the cars parked up in a static display and we did the guided tour of the house which was fascinating. After lunch we did the optional drive around Blessington lakes before winding our way back to the hotel.
AT 136
This was our first overseas run in the car and it never missed a beat. On Saturday evening there was a gala dinner at a different hotel where rallying legend Rosemary Smith was the guest of honour. She used to drive Sunbeam Tigers and there were 14 of them in attendance over the weekend. Sunday saw us drive the route of the old race itself, only one lap but that was enough. We started at a motor themed cafe called Treacy’s and headed to the original start point near Moate of Ardscull. The route included some superb roads, fortunately driven in decent weather with the top down on our 356. Lunch was at the Quaker village of Ballitore where we also visited a superb little museum. Of course the route has been built up substantially over the intervening years, but how they managed such speeds in 1903 is beyond me. There were some superb cars on the event including an Aston Martin of 1930s vintage with a very interesting family history and a Rolls Royce that was ordered as a courtesy car for the Titanic but delivered late. There was a clutch of Porsches and lots of British sports cars, not forgetting more humble machinery including a pristine MG. On Monday there was another route planned again starting at Treacy’s. We joined the group for breakfast but rather than do another tour around the same area we headed to the Wicklow mountains were we enjoyed some superb roads and scenery. Sadly the trip was coming to a close and on Tuesday morning we headed for Dublin and the ferry home.
The organisation of the event was really good, not based on the ‘ish’ times we normally associate with Ireland. The food and the hospitality were of course superb, as only the Irish can do. We came back with more stories than I can possibly recount here, including several different versions of the source of the ‘Gordon Bennett!’ exclamation. All in all a really good long weekend. Huge thanks go to all the volunteers who make all this possible, it can’t be easy to arrange such an event safely for 177 cars! And the car? This was our first overseas run in it (but not the last!) and it never missed a beat. There was a minor leak from the top of the windscreen but it is nearly 60 years old, it’s forgiven! This lovely old Porsche replaced an ’83 911 Targa in our garage and of course is much less capable than that, but I prefer older cars. The 356 is not only achingly beautiful, it is also fun to drive at much lower speeds and for me that is what matters in these days when cameras are everywhere. If I get caught enjoying myself a bit too much I still might get a slap on the wrists, but at least they won’t throw away the key!
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While this car is being touted as ‘the first Porsche’ I think that it would be more correct to see it as the ‘10th body style on the Beetle’. THERE IS A LOT of Dollar-driven hysteria surrounding the forthcoming auction of the surviving original Volkswagen Type 60K10, popularly referred to as the Porsche Type 64. While the car is being touted as ‘the first Porsche’ I think that it would be more correct to see this ‘10th body style on the Type 60 (Beetle)’ as one of the stages that led from the pre-war VW (or KdF-Wagen) to the post-war 356 and for that reason it needs to be set in context rather than viewed in isolation.
STEPPING STONE AUTHOR MARTIN BROADRIBB PHOTOGRAPHY PORSCHE AG & RM SOTHEBY’S
Below: The car to be auctioned pictured post-war still in Dr Porsche’s ownership, registered in Austria.
I think that it is always best to regard the 356 as ‘the first Porsche’ as it was the first car that was actually built by the Porsche company to carry their name, unlike the two pre-war proposals from the Porsche consultancy that became the T60K10. However, through Dr Porsche’s work at other companies and then through his design business there are many creations which contain elements of the cars which were to finally bear his name and some of these can definitely be seen to be pointing towards his own production models. The car in question is a case in point, occurring very late in the period prior to the break in private car production caused by WW2, the conclusion of which saw Porsche overcoming some serious obstacles to re-establishing its business and reconstituting itself as a manufacturer. Had the war not intervened it is interesting to speculate that there might never have been a Porsche motor company at all, as by 1937 the Porsche designers were working on a sporting variant based on the Type 60 ‘People’s Car’ that they were in the process of bringing to the brink of production and this sports model might have eventually developed into a separate VW line. Then again, when the question of financing prototypes of the T64 version of the T60 were raised over the winter of 1937–38 the authorities were not receptive and so the company changed tack and offered to buy the necessary components and build the car they had in mind on their own account, one that was to use an alloy body and a 50% increase in engine capacity over the 1.0L VW unit. While this might have been the ideal solution and would indeed have marked the beginning of Porsche as a car maker, AT 136
Right: The surviving car at the Porsche villa immediately pre-war with the original tail lights. The incorporation of the required KdF-wagen reference is particularly obvious from this angle.
Left: The surviving car looking a little well-used in 1945. Note the trafficators fitted for road use.
The car as it is today, with its delightfully well-used interior, regrettably still bearing its Goodwood FOS stickers (as do so many other old cars these days). The survivor still wears the well-known Tyrol registration of Otto Mathé, as also used on his Gmund-built 356/2.
for the sidelining of the T114 project, but with almost half of the race taking place on the new autobahns, streamlining was of the essence in obtaining the maximum performance from the uprated engines, which ultimately – and reliably – delivered double the standard output. To this end the coachwork (made by Reutter) also drew heavily on the T114 drawings and scale models, but with all wheels now fully enclosed. Certain design references to the standard KdF car were cleverly incorporated into the flowing aluminium coupe and the co-driver’s seat was set back due to the narrow cabin. With two front-mounted spare wheels and a longrange fuel tank the car still weighed in at less than 550kg and was good for 90mph, but of course it was never to compete. The race, like the KdF-Wagen (of which only a handful were made) was overtaken by world events, but the first 60K10 (#38/41) was already being tested before hostilities broke out. This was then used by high-ranking SS officer and Labour Front head Bodo Lafferentz until he crashed it and it appears to have been rebodied in June 1940 with the coachwork intended for the third car (#38/43).
it was found that a government organisation was legally prohibited from supplying a private company and so that idea was curtailed. Despite these setbacks, Porsche father and son were still very interested in making a sporting car of their own and so set about utilising whatever spare design capacity existed within their company, which in part relating to its VW commitments relocated to Zuffenhausen in June 1938. Known as the F-wagen in a reference to their first names and carrying the designation Type 114 (then as now, Porsche type numbers tended to jump back and forth) drawings were made from September 1938 to early 1939 and although they were never completed and the car never built it was a remarkable concept. Taking its cue from the Auto Union GP cars that Dr Porsche had designed earlier in the decade, the engine was to be mounted before the rear axle with the transmission behind, although whereas the Grand Prix cars utilised a V16 of 4.4L and upwards the road car was to have a 1.5L V10, a cylinder layout also being explored at the same time for a military application but at 10 times greater capacity. That tank unit was air-cooled, while the T114 was to utilise water cooling, with four shaft-driven overhead camshafts and three carburettors. Suspension, though original, followed VW principles and the whole was to be clothed in an aerodynamic body, a long and low bonnet set between high wings leading to a two seat passenger compartment and a sloping tail with enclosed rear wheels. Two additional variants were projected, a wider
three passenger touring version and a narrower competition model, but the full set of detailed drawings required to produce the car were never completed.
Subsequently often utilised by Dr Porsche to provide swift transport for his wartime travels within Germany, the car must have seemed like some sort of spectre as it moved quickly along the lightly-trafficked roads at night, with only small amounts of light emanating from its masked headlamps. It remained with the company until 1949, when fellow Austrian and early Porsche racer and special builder Otto Mathé purchased it and after using it successfully in competition he retained it until his death in 1995. Now still only with its fourth owner, this is the car to be auctioned shortly.
That was because external events took a hand in this very unsettled period. In Germany even motorsport was under the control of the Nazi party and in 1938 the department responsible for internationally-recognised events conceived a Berlin to Rome road race in conjunction with the Austrian and Italian authorities. Scheduled for September 1939 it would use autobahns, mounta in p a s s es a nd o rd in a r y ro ad s amounting to 800 miles, all sections being closed to other traffic. Ever keen to promote their country through sporting achievements (as they had been doing in GP racing since 1934), the government via its various agencies commissioned special entries from BMW and also, at the suggestion of Dr Porsche, from VW. With KdF-Wagen production scheduled for a belated start in the same month as the race there was obviously publicity to be gained, but the dumpy 24bhp 1.0L Beetle-in-waiting was never going to be in the running for overall honours.
The second car (#38/42) was finished late in 1939 and was retained by Porsche for experimental purposes, sometimes being used by another Austrian, Jacob Werlin, who had become a confidant of Hitler and his contact with official car supplier Mercedes. He was also involved (somewhat sceptically) with the KdF project and this was the car which at the end of the war was ‘liberated’ by the Americans to the extent of their cutting off its roof and then driving it to destruction. However, when Hamburg’s Prototyp Museum acquired Otto Mathé’s Fetzenflieger special after his death they were astonished to find the remaining components of #38/42 among the two truckloads of spare parts that accompanied it. Commissioning a replica body they incorporated these into a faithful and fully operational reconstruction that is now displayed there.
With what must have been a flourish of ‘here’s one that I prepared earlier’ Dr Porsche was able to offer the authorities a potentially racewinning concept based on his discarded T64 design and so was given the go-ahead for VW to produce three streamlined cars based on the humble T60 saloon platform and suspension. It was this development in early in 1939 that may have been at least in part responsible
Was the T60K10 the first Porsche? Despite the involvement of men like Komenda and Rabe who would go on to play a big part in the Porsche manufacturing company and discounting that PORSCHE lettering on the front (actually added by a young Ferry Porsche in the late Forties!) I see it more as one of those automotive stepping stones that formed the path leading the 356 and all that has followed. 23
SUNSHINE IN SARDINIA AUTHOR IAN JONES PHOTOGRAPHY IAN JONES
AT 136
AFTER ALMOST A year of planning our trip to Sardinia began with a quick blast down to Portsmouth to catch the overnight ferry to Bilbao, only to be hit with “Houston we have a problem, my cars broken” coming over the radio from Adam & Sarah’s Boxster S. “Oh Bother” or words to that effect, followed by relief that the issue was only a snapped windscreen wiper blade. Despite a quick dash to get a replacement we failed to find one before sailing, but Ian came up with a solution – he swapped the rear screen wiper from his 996 as a quick fix. Leaving all that traffic behind, we boarded the overnight ferry and partook in a G&T or two. We arrived in Bilbao greeted by sunshine and blue skies. With
the satnavs programmed for the first leg, we set off and were immediately told to go in totally different directions. We finally managed to all get on to the same route up into France, along the northern edge of the Pyrenees. There were a couple of minor detours and some spirited driving – maybe just a little too spirited for the local law enforcement who encouraged us to slow down a little with a smile and a wave (Ooops!) Then we were then off onto some amazing back roads. The scenery was getting better with ever y passing mile as we headed to the snow-capped mountains. After passing through Lourdes, we turned south into the Pyrenees proper to head for our overnight stop at Bagneres-de-Bigorre and our own private chateau, which was very nice indeed.
We awoke to the sound of rain, but with an excellent breakfast under our belts we set off for a splash of fuel and into the heart of the Pyrenees to our next target – the ferry at Barcelona. After another bout of satnav wars, we were off, with the rain and mountain mists lifting to expose some very dramatic scenery. After one very long ascent, we passed a very bedraggled car tour coming the opposite way laughing and shaking their heads, well it wasn’t long until we discovered why. With another few thousand feet climbed and the temperature dropping and wind rising, the snow was soon whipping in fast as we reached the summit. With a very quick stop for a very silly impromptu snowball exchange
we were of f down the other side and within a thousand feet of descent the snow and sleet had all but stopped. The sun miraculously appeared as we descended with as much gusto as we could manage on damp roads. We had a brief stop to regroup and change drivers. Mandy took to the hills like a woman possessed with some very spirited driving indeed. With yet another detour initiated by our TomToms we ended up in a very rural village only to be told turn around and go back 15Km. I wouldn’t normally say the roads were windy but when you need to shunt to get around the hairpins, I think windy is justified! After a bit of a Mexican standoff with a local at a very tight bit of road, we were off to find some lunch with the heart of the mountains behind us.
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We gained a few extra hours as our ferry departure was put back, so after some very filling sustenance (Ian) and excellent cof fee we were off for a night on the town in Barcelona! Of course, when in Spain we tried the local cuisine, and a very nice Indian it was (not!) With the rain back on, we made our way to the port and Grimaldi lines! We arrived to the most shambolic loading of a ferry I’ve ever encountered. Absolutely zero information, so just a bit of a free-for-all. We boarded three hours behind our scheduled departure time and pushed off at 2am. On board was no better, with rude and unhelpful staff. We gained a couple of hours back on arrival, only to be delayed again by the offloading organisational skills of a sack of potatoes. But we arrived in Sardinia, our home for the next 10 days.
AT 136
On leaving Porto Torres we came across the most horrendously maintained piece of road I have ever had the misfor tune to encounter! Thankfully once off that stretch the roads became outstanding, going on epic, for rest of the trip. The only hiccup was that whilst in the roadworks and various tunnels we got split up. It was no surprise that we managed to go in oddly different directions, so it was up to the satnavs to do their bit. We all eventually arrived at our first mini stop at San Teodoro – a great location with long sandy beaches between stretches of mountains and picturesque villages. An ideal place for a few days of ‘eat-beachrest-repeat’. On our fifth wedding anniversary, which was the excuse for our trip, it was a little damp, so we ventured into Olbia. We did some sightseeing, found a fantastic
little restaurant for lunch on the aptly named White Beach, then enjoyed some souvenir shopping. We had a nice romantic meal planned for the evening, which was promptly gatecrashed by the other couples! Well it was the best restaurant in the area, a great end to our special day. After our mini stop we set off for the next leg down to the south of the island. Ian & Therese’s car had developed a squeaky suspension problem, no doubt due to the excellent port road, and so they opted for the direct route. Adam, Sarah, Mandy and myself took a more adventurous route, over fantastic mountain roads into the national park then onwards to the southern coastal road. Neither road disappointed though they were a little sketchy at times, with co-pilots acting as speed limiters on occasion (sorry ladies).
Even though both our routes were of similar distances, Ian & Therese managed to beat us to the pool in Carbonia by several hours! Now it was Adam & Sarah’s turn to develop an annoying rotational tick coming from the rear right wheel. Answers later to keep you guessing … (prior to the trip he’d replaced the rear tyres with some slightly wider than standard ones on his Boxster S on GT3 split rims). With our keys hung up for the day, we headed off into town for a mooch about and ended up underground in a coal mine for a guided tour, as one does, which was a godsend as the sun had decided to make up for its lack of show over the previous few days. After being cooked, cooled, then reheated it was back to the pool for a dip and a much deserved beer or four, with a trip into the capital, Cagliari, by train planned for the next day.
O n ce we’d s us s e d o ut th e station’s ticketing system our day trip began. The old city was great, narrow street upon narrow street and very steep to boot. We were all glad we decided not to drive, as it would’ve been rather stressful after watching a Fiat 500 shunt around a corner with typical exuberance and waving of hands, accompanied by the honking of horns all Italians have mastered. The next morning, we tramped down to the garage to look, or r ather listen to, Adam’s mysterious tick. After checking tyre pressures, we checked that no nails or stones were trapped in the tread, the bearings were all ok, no trapped stones in the brakes or pads, no warped disc, or broken suspension mounts, etc. Finding nothing amiss we replaced the wheel for a quick spin around. Yes, the noise was still there – as we ran alongside trying to pinpoint it! (With some funny looks at those mad Englishmen.) Off came Adam’s wheel again, replaced by the space saver. No noise. Wheel back on? Noise. We swapped the rears over and yes the noise changed sides – so it was the wheel itself! We consulted Google for the answer, and it pointed to tyre fault. But they’d only been put on two days before we started with no cuts, bumps or bulges. And the noise was now quieter for some reason! We returned to the ladies we’d left roasting by the pool for the last couple of hours, in need of beer as we’d lost at least half our body weight during our efforts. Af ter a late star t we headed off to explore San Antioco and its surroundings, with Adam reporting back that the mystery noise had all but disappeared!
Adam & Sarah led our drive up to Stintino, followed up by Ian & Therese with their still creaking suspension, Mandy & myself bringing up the rear just in case of any problems. Once again the scener y and roads were spectacular with a mix of sea and mountain views, then dropping down to the plains as we headed further north. After six hours of fantastic roads we arrived, booked in and stretched our legs around the local marina to find a cosy little restaurant for some afternoon tiffin (beer actually). Later on we shared the restaurant with the Indian beach wrestling team – it seems the world finals were being held nearby. Exploring the northern areas of the island, we were getting into the swing of Italian driving by using every speed limit sign as a target. We had a day trip to Alghero planned for the next day including a boat trip out to Neptune’s Grotto, only to be told on arrival that the sea was too rough. So with a few hours to kill we did the tourist bit and mooched around the best town yet with medieval sea walls to protect from the invading French and Spanish. The old town was a delight, full of back alleys which had not changed for centuries. With the boat trip cancelled we decided to head out on the overland route to the grotto high up on a curtain of rock with a 500-foot drop into the sea, only a stone’s throw from the edge. Once we’d reach the top Adam confirmed the noise was
getting worse, so the space saver was redeployed. With a long slow drive back to base, we’d hopefully get it sorted the next day before our departure. By this time we had sussed the problem. Pat yourselves on the back if you guessed – it was a loose split rim bolt. Well, a few of them actually! After an hour or so’s slow driving, we spotted a garage which still had its shutters open at 7:50pm. With much pointing and ver y very little Italian we managed to tighten all but one of the split rim bolts. A few were very loose, but problem solved. After initially refusing any sor t of payment, we convinced him by uttering the words ‘vino, vino’, to which he finally accepted some remuneration for his help … and possibly the longest drive home ever! We rewarded ourselves with one of the best steaks we’d had, and quite a few celebratory drinks. With the pressure off, the last day on the island was made up of boys being boys on the beach and rocks up by the Pelosa straights. Adam had a run in with a rather large reptile, which grew with every rendition of the story. We had a very naughty start time the next morning of 3:45am to get to the ferry (just like being back at work). On arrival at the port we were told the ferry was delayed by two hours, with another hour-long loading. Grimaldi lines at their best. Then we were held outside Barcelona because we’d missed
the berthing slot! Now running over four hours late we had to dash to find a 24-hour petrol station, which was easier said than done. Our next hotel was 180 kms away in Lleida, from where we were up and away again by 8am for the ferry at Bilbao, and a hot and sunny crossing, arriving back in Portsmouth ahead of schedule.
We met heavier traffic on our return run from Portsmouth to Essex than we had in total over the past 16 days. If you like driving, venture abroad and enjoy some freedom! 27
MEMBERS’ LETTERS
Images from Invisible Touch Detailing by Ian Sutehall
INVISIBLE TOUCH DETAILING
ARE CLASSIC CARS A THING OF THE PAST?
A WARNING FOR BOXSTER OWNERS
From Ian Sutehall
From Bob Stephens
From Bob Bull
FOLLOWING A CLUB regional visit to Invisible Touch Detailing in Ripley, Surrey, I decided to have my 981 Boxster GTS paint protection filmed and ceramic coated.
IN THESE DAYS when the last Vulcan bomber was grounded not by being unairworthy but because nobody could support the computers that ran the aircraft, will we get to the point where car companies say “Sorry we no longer support that software”?
BOXSTER OWNERS BEWARE. I recently heard an unusual noise on startup which I believed to be the steering pump.
Christian, the owner of Invisible Touch, has incredible attention to detail. He highlighted the PPF benefits, but also the realities of what the film won’t provide protection for. Christian uses best in class XPEL Ultimate Plus film, which self heals. He has a plotter to precut the sections of film to shape before applying. My car received a 95% PPF coverage as well as a ceramic coating to the bodywork and wheels. A follow up check takes place two to three weeks after installation to ensure all is well. I could not recommend Invisible Touch Detailing highly enough, I think they provide a first class service at competitive prices, and offer a 10% discount for Porsche Enthusiast Club members! InvisibleTouchDetailing.co.uk 07876 166 077 AT 136
We had a 2009 Jaguar XKR, a wonderful car with all the bells and whistles, all run by computer. When a fault light came on the dashboard we took the car to the local main dealer who replaced an ECU under one of the seats, “That will be £500, thank you very much”. No question of repairing a faulty unit, just throw it away and put in a new one. We also have a 1963 Morris Minor Traveller, one time the windscreen washers stopped working. I disconnected the wires, cleaned them with a bit of emery cloth, reconnected them and lo and behold the washers worked. So will our 2006 Cayman S see its 50th birthday? I doubt it. I expect Porsche will have given up on it a long time before then. Or do we turn to the cars of the past for the future of fossil fuel motoring?
The steering rack on my Boxster is from TRW – and I worked for TRW myself designing steering systems. There is no easy way for Boxster owners to check their steering fluid level. This is rare, on most hydraulic systems the fluid level can be checked similarly to brake fluid. Porsche Centre Bristol confirmed my quick diagnosis and discovered a weeping hose and steering pump, which they replaced. Not an easy or cheap job. I recommend all owners be aware and always ask for the steering fluid level to be checked as part of their annual dealer checks.
REGIONAL ROUND UP R2
Scotland
R8
Anglia & North Essex
R4
Yorkshire
R11
North London, Herts & South Essex
R5
North West
R12
Kent & South East London
R18
Cheshire & Staffs
R13
Thames Valley
R26
Shropshire & Mid Wales
R9
Surrey & Sussex
R6
South Yorkshire & North Notts
R21
Hampshire
R24
Peterborough
R23
Southern
R19
East Midlands
R22
Bristol, South West & South Wales
R7
Central
R15
Cornwall & Devon
R20
South Central
R2
R4 R5
R18
R26 R7
R22 R23
R6 R24
R19
R8
R20 R13
R11
R21
R9
R12
R15
R2
SCOTLAND
scotland@tipec.net RO David Clelland • 07794 600 808 ARO (West) Neil Baird ARO (East) Tim Price Facebook: TIPEC Scotland Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 7:30pm for an 8pm start in the 007 bar, upstairs at Bo’Ness Motor Museum, Bridgeness Road, Bo’Ness EH51 9JR. www.motor-museum.bo-ness.org.uk Regional sponsors: McLean and Stewart, Solicitors & ClipperTrek Motorhome Hire
TIPEC Scotland cars at the Errol show
It’s hard to believe we are now past midsummer – maybe because the weather has been so poor. In Scotland I think we’ve been lucky in missing the rain that the south had in biblical proportions. So far, the only show that has been sunny is Bridge of Allan. Weather forecasts for Thirlestane Castle and Errol shows weren’t particularly good but in the end it remained reasonably dry. Next ones at the time of writing are Moffat and Glamis Castle so fingers crossed. By the time you get this you will know how those turned out.
Our run in May took us round the Trossachs and up to Bridge of Orchy for lunch. On the way home we cut over Glen Aray from Loch Awe to Inveray and round the end of Loch Fyne, down the Rest and be Thankful at Glen Crow to Arrochar and along the side of Loch Long before going over the hill to Loch Lomond where we went our own ways home. Again the weather forecast wasn’t good and as a result numbers were down on the usual. In the end we only experienced the odd shower, the worst of which occurred while we were eating lunch. The run in June to Portpatrick unfortunately had to be cancelled. When we put it in the calendar we hadn’t realised that this Sunday was Father’s Day. This presented a problem with organising a lunch venue and many regulars had other commitments, so we postponed our trip for another time. The Porsche Centre in Perth has been in operation for just over a year now. TIPEC Scotland attended their opening and have since been invited to the launch of new models as well as other events. We have also received hospitality and been allowed to meet at their premises for both our Invershin weekends. At our June meeting we were therefore pleased to welcome Paul Smith, one of their managers, who gave us a short talk on what the Centre could offer and assured us of their support on all things Porsche in the future. He also brought along a lovely new Boxster that we could all drool over. TIPEC Scotland currently has 125 members of which we normally get about 30 at our monthly meetings. It’s appreciated that distance and other commitments preclude more people coming along. During the summer we attend classic car shows all over the country and I’m pleased to say that this allows even more members to join in. Runs and weekends away
are now being organised and hopefully this will encourage those in the far flung corners of the country to participate. Email is our main way of communicating with all our members, and it’s clear that when a group email is sent out, many are not being delivered. Text messages have even been tried to reach some members.If you haven’t been receiving emails please contact the management team at scotland@tipec.net and your details will be updated. August 4th (Sunday) TBC Annual BBQ at Bo’ness Motor Museum August 7th (Wednesday) Monthly meeting at Bo’ness Motor Museum August 25th (Sunday) Run to new Jim Clark Museum, Duns September 1st (Sunday) Bo’ness Hill Climb Revival and Classic Car Show September 6–8th (Friday–Sunday) Weekend away to Yorkshire September 15th (Sunday) Selkirk Classic Car Show
R4
YORKSHIRE
yorkshire@tipec.net RO Laurence Parkin ARO Tony Hartley • 07714 822 808 Facebook: The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club Yorkshire Meetings are held third Monday of every month 7:30pm at The Red Lion, Main St, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley LS29 7BT. 31
R5
NORTH WEST
RO Colin Hammerton • 07500 908 091 col.hamm@hotmail.co.uk ARO Richard Sholl • 07970 147 779 n22rks@googlemail.com ARO Allan Diamond • 07582 197 558 joandald@aol.com ARO Cumbria Dean Mason • 07599 015 694 deanthediver@gmail.com Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month from 7pm (with club business dealt with at 8pm) at The Bowling Green, Preston Road, Charnock Richard PR7 5LA.
tea run. 15 Porsches carrying 29 people gathered at the Tickled Trout Services. We then took a spirited drive around the back lanes of the Ribble Valley to finally end up at Bannys in Colne. Some of our members had travelled from as far away as Warrington and Kendal! Great fish and chips and fabulous company made the evening a complete success. The weather gods once again smiled down on us for our longest day coast to coast run! Fabulous sunshine and dry roads made the day very special. 28 Porsches and 50+ people gathered at the south shore in Blackpool from 7:30am and hit the road at 8am sharp.
R18
CHESHIRE & STAFFS
RO Chris Hulme • 07775 794 291 chris@claytonhulme.co.uk ARO Stefanie Mahan • 07776 132 389 ARO Gareth Aldridge • 07881 228 944 gj.aldridge@yahoo.co.uk ARO Ian Highfield ianhighfield@talktalk.net facebook.com/groups/TIPEC.CS Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 8pm at The Kilton Inn, Warrington Rd, Knutsford, WA16 0PZ.
We were met en route by several other NW Porsches before stopping midway for a great breakfast at the Hopper Lane Inn. After Breakfast 32 Porsches took a spirited drive over the North Yorkshire Moors and arrived at Whitby Abbey around 1pm.
Meeting in Blackpool for the longest day run
May kicked off with another great Porsche filled morning thanks to Chris Gateley and his team at Jasmine Porschalink. We had a good turnout and enjoyed a bacon butty or two! A great morning out was had by all involved, get the next one in your diary. A light and warm evening encouraged a fabulous turn out for our May club night, 25 Porsches and several non-Porsche cars with over 40 people filling our meeting room to capacity. We also had a couple of new faces come along to see what we’re about, I do hope we didn’t put them off! We had another great turnout for the RPM Porsche Specialist Open Day, 17 Porsches and a BMW M2 had a steady drive to the Hopper Lane Inn for a fantastic full English breakfast. We then drove to RPM for a couple of hours of Porsche indulgence and enjoyed their tasty hog roast. There was a huge Porsche presence from all over Yorkshire and beyond. A big thanks goes to Nick and his team for our NW club invite. From RPM we took a drive over the Moors at North West pace to just outside Skipton for coffee and cake before making our way home. The meeting room at the Bowling Green was full to busting once again for our June club night! I think we may require a bigger part of the pub! We had 18 Porsches and several non-Porsche cars in attendance with 35+ people.
We were met at the Abbey by several Porsches from the Yorkshire, North Notts and North East Regions. This made a total of 42 Porsches parked in front of the Abbey which was an amazing sight. Big thanks to ARO Richard Sholl who had spent a few weeks and masses of paperwork sorting out the parking August 12th (Monday) Club night at The Bowling Green from 7pm August 17th (Saturday) Italian meal night, details TBC August 29th (Thursday) Cumbria club night at the Gilpin Bridge September 1st (Sunday) Performance Porsche Klassiker RSR replica reveal, open day from 10am 314 Bradford Rd, Brighouse, HD6 4BW September 8th (Sunday) Jasmine Porschalink open morning from 9am 3A Pendleside, Nelson, BB9 6RY September 9th (Monday) Club night at The Bowling Green from 7pm September TBC Annual concourse September 26th (Thursday) Cumbria club night at the Gilpin Bridge October 14th (Monday) Club night at Porsche Centre Bolton, TBC October 20th (Sunday) Weston Park Midlands gathering
A couple of our members had traveled over an hour to be at club night from near Oulton and Oldham! Now that’s dedication.
October 20th (Sunday) Breakfast run, venue TBC
The rather iffy weather of the previous week turned dry for the beginning of our June chippy
October 31st (Thursday) Cumbria club night at the Gilpin Bridge
AT 136
Cheshire & Staffs club cars on display
Our region has had a busy few months of adventures, runs out and shows alike. Here is a few highlights of what we have been up to and what we have coming up as a region. Our Easter egg treasure hunt through the Peak District was a picturesque tulip direction drive. The weather was on our side so hunting for the Porsche Easter friends and eggs was enjoyable with our youngest members getting all the clues correct. It’s surprising what history we have to explore within the region … Our next treasure hunt is at Halloween (keep your eyes out for the date) where you can explore the countryside and learn more about it too. Look forward to seeing you in the Autumn for that drive out. Tatton Classic car spectacular was another amazing show with 28 Porsches on display Saturday and 30 on Sunday. Our fantastic display won us the first place trophy for ‘highly commended club stand’ and Joan won the best modern classic category. Another fantastic show and thank you to everyone who came and made the event more enjoyable. Tatton Classic was closely followed by Trentham Transport show at Trentham Gardens. Thankfully the show was not rained off. There had been horrendous rain in the week leading up to the show, but the weather was glorious on the day and another enjoyable event was had by all with the opportunity to not only admire the stunning cars on display but also the picturesque gardens, which everyone was able to explore. We had 14 Porsches on display with the lake as our backdrop – thank you to everyone who came and celebrated Father’s day as a region.
Our club nights continue to have a full car park of Porsches and room full of owners who chat all things Porsche. It is lovely to see everyone, catch up on their antics, as well as plan our events for the upcoming year. Don’t forget to let us know if there is anything you want to do as a region and we can plan it into our ‘fixtures and fittings’. Cheshire & Staffs have a busy few months coming up. Our next show at Tatton Park for the Passion of Power is fast approaching, we are hoping for sunny blue skies, a full club stand and maybe a trophy or two again.
R26
S HROPSHIRE & MID WALES
August 6th (Tuesday) Club night at the Corbet Arms August 25th (Sunday) Run down to Towyn for Ice Cream, breakfast at Charlies, Welshpool, Dinas Mawddwy, Llyn Mwyngil lake and the Tal y Lllyn Railway
RO Richard Simmons • 07972 811 221 richardjjs@yahoo.co.uk ARO Mick Duckworth
September 3rd (Tuesday) Club night at the Corbet Arms
Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 7pm at the Corbet Arms, Uffington, SY4 4SN.
September 22nd (Sunday) Run around Ffestiniog Railway
Also Oulton Park Gold Cup closely follows – if you haven’t been before it is a fab weekend of racing, open pit access and many classic/modern cars to admire – well worth a trip out over the bank holiday weekend if you have no other plans. We are also putting together the final plans for our regions weekend of the year – this year we are off to Scotland to enjoy many picturesque routes – let Chris know if you wish to join us. Keep your eyes peeled for future events on the website, social media and club nights. We look forward to seeing many of you on our adventures and a warm welcome to our new members too. August 17–18th (Saturday–Sunday) Tatton Passion for Power (let Gareth or Stef know if your attending) August 20th (Tuesday) Club night at The Kilton Inn August 24–26th (Saturday–Monday) Oulton Park Gold Cup September 17th (Tuesday) Club night at The Kilton Inn September 19th–23rd (Thursday–Monday) WotY to Scotland (speak to Chris for details) October 15th (Tuesday) Club night at The Kilton Inn October 20th (Sunday) Drive out in memory of Dunc (details to follow) Gmund qs 30/6/08 16:49 Page 1 October 27th (Sunday)
Spooky Halloween drive
October 1st (Tuesday) Club night at the Corbet Arms October 20th (Sunday) Weston Park full club meeting 27th October (Sunday) Run down the Dams and visit the Red Kite Farm Missed last time due to time, so no late breakfast stop on this one!!
Run to Cricceth through Snowdonia National Park
We have had a few good trips recently, including a run up the Mons (Anglesea) on 2nd June with a bacon butty at Rhud Estate. The weather was fantastic and we had a great time
R24
PETERBOROUGH
peterborough@tipec.net RO Stuart Wand • 07725 328 183 ARO Michael Walter • 07975 542 981 facebook.com/groups/PeterboroughTipec
A few met for Fish and Chips on the A41 at Tern Hill. Highly recommended for Central region – let us know when you are going and we will meet up … we’re always in for good fish and chips.
Monthly meetings are held second Thursday of every month from 7pm at The Tap and Kitchen, Oundle PE8 4DE.
Our run on the 30th June was great, running up to Cricceth and Pwllheli and back down the A5. We enjoyed spectacular scenery coming through the Snowdonia National Park. We were going to meet at Bala but luckily a member warned us it was closed. Route changed at the last moment! We arrived at Cricceth and there was a car show with some pretty amazing old (mainly) British cars. There was a 4.2 E-Type (Enzo Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car he had ever seen), a Triumph TR2, Triumph GT6, Lotus Cortina, Austin Mini Moke, some MGBs, and loads more.
Stuart’s car in Switzerland
We are looking at arranging a few mid week runs and maybe a trip on a Thursday or Friday in early August to Llangollen Railway.
After the antics of the Sunny’s Highland Hoon in May we kicked off our European tour to the Spa Classic. Affectionally called Porsche at La Source
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2019, this is our region’s first foray into Europe. And what a blast it was! 10 Porsches made their way to Spa plus a guest BMW. The venue was fantastic, the racing was great and the banter was even better! Everyone got on so well! Following on from Spa; Donald decided he did not have enough miles on his 996 Turbo, so he decided to drive to Spain! Driving through France and posing at Le Mans on the way. Let’s just say there are more than one envious of this. A number of us frequent the Sunday breakfast at Colmworth. Held at Colmworth Village Hall this is an eclectic mix of all cars and a bacon butty. Perfect combination. Another of our favourite events is at Barrowden which also offers a great selection of cars of all ages on the village green. Grant spotted a beautiful red 1965 Saab which intrigued him on whether it should have been right-hand or lefthand drive. You’re such a geek Grant. Keen to meet-up with other regions, we had a Sunday morning drive out to Rutland Water via our local American themed diner. Good to meet others who share our passion for Porsche. Just don’t follow Stuart – he’s got a faulty sat-nav! We’re looking into options for another European tour; short list currently being put together but this could well include Spa Classic, Le Mans Classic etc. Our taste for European travel has been whetted! Stuart has just returned from another Swiss trip, while Sunny and Joe are planning a trip to the Pyrenees. August TBC Summer BBQ – one of our members has offered his large orchard for a summer BBQ. August 8th (Thursday) Club night at the Tap & Kitchen, Oundle September 12th (Thursday) Club night at the Tap & Kitchen, Oundle
R19
EAST MIDLANDS
east.mids@tipec.net RO Jim Stevens • 07879 885 260 ARO Mark Frearson Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 7pm at The Packe Arms, Rempstone Road, Hoton, Loughborough LE12 5SJ.
The East Midlands region had a cracking June, with a real variety of events on the calendar. We kicked off with our monthly meet on the 5th, slightly subdued due to a drizzly evening but with the usual crowd out for and evening of chat and Porsche-watching. The next Sunday, some of the South Leicestershire members headed out for a run around the southern end of the region. Everyone got a good workout, helping Shash push-start his car after each break, but a good time was had by all. Next up was our annual track evening at Donington Park where at last we hit some sunshine. Following on from last year’s Curborough event, the East Midlands gang showed their usual enthusiasm, with more than one driver emptying gravel out of their car in the paddock during the evening. Special mention must go to James Mackenzie-Scott for bringing out the red flags approximately five minutes into the first session, followed by the ‘Tow-of-shame’ back to the pits for the first gravel clear out. It didn’t stop him getting back on the track and enjoying the rest of the evening. It was a great event with about 10 of us on track and even more spectators in the pits. I just about managed to stay cheerful despite chronic brake problems rather hampering my style and causing the second gravelly moment of the event. We’ll definitely try and fit another one in before the summer’s out. Following on from Donington, a number of members headed down to Bicester to meet up with South Central, Peterborough and Thames Valley members at June’s Sunday Scramble. I couldn’t make it myself but received the usual reports back of a fantastic array of cars on display, and a morning thoroughly well spent.
Ian Jones • izzy.spyder@sky.com John Briggs • john.briggs@charcoal.uk.com Yvonne King • yvonneking@hotmail.com Adam Jiggins • adamjiggins69@gmail.com facebook.com/groups/618348854957396 Meetings are held fourth Tuesday of each month from 7pm at The Woolpack, Fornham St Martin, Bury St Edmunds IP31 1SW. www.thewoolpackfornham.co.uk 01284 753 380
‘Patinated’ 356 spotted at Bicester
When this edition hits your mats a few of us will be readying ourselves to depart on our bi-annual trip to the Ring which we double up with the AvD Old Timer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. You can join us if you’re very quick! Details below. We enjoyed Donington Historic Festival back on the May Bank Holiday. We had a couple of visitors to a cold and blustery event which was nevertheless well attended. A few from our region attended Simply Porsche and reported back they had a great time! We also organised a longer trip with a small group of members away for a road trip which included the Pyrenees and then Sardinia, completing a full lap of the island.
We are currently sorting out events for the future so do keep an eye on the Facebook page and your email inbox for updates.
Some of us had decided to make it a mini break and stayed the previous night in Buckingham to make it a more sociable weekend which worked very well.
August 7th (Wednesday) Club night at The Packe Arms
AT 136
A NGLIA & NORTH ESSEX
Finally, on the last (blazing hot – finally!) Sunday of the month we held an early morning run down to Rutland Water for breakfast at the Harbour Café. James M-S kindly volunteered to lead the event and approximately 12 cars left The Packe Arms at 8am to start the run down. James did a cracking job of route finding and we discovered some amazing roads which will definitely be used again in the future. Once again, we met up with about 10 cars from the Peterborough region who had made their own way there.
Finally, a quick change of personnel in the region. Following George’s departure as ARO, Jack Littlemore has also stepped down. I would like to thank Jack for his efforts and enthusiasm in getting the region set up. Fortunately, Mark Frearson has agreed to join me as ARO – many thanks Mark!
Busy paddock at the Donington track evening
R8
September 4th (Wednesday) Club night at The Packe Arms
Bicester Super Scramble was a fantastic event. Many thanks to South Central Region for arranging the club stand. With the weather holding off, and without the normal rush to get around it was a much more relaxed affair including some rather old first world war planes!
I’d like to point out again that our Facebook page is the normal first point of contact to the region, we will try to mirror and email where possible to stop people from missing out, but spur of the moment outings will be Facebook oriented, due to logistics and data protection that we now have to abide to. Nice to see the number of ad-hoc events popping up on our Facebook page, sharing is caring and getting us out there, cheers everyone for your input and for spreading the word.
August 8–12th Nürburgring AvD Old Timer Grand Prix If you’re really quick, you can still join us! Early start, as we plan to arrive mid-afternoon, allowing anyone who wishes to do some laps of the Nordschleife (Green Hell) – as its open from 17:15 to 19:30. In theory this should be quieter than the Saturday or Sunday and maybe less stressful. You will need to book the Eurotunnel ASAP:
R7
CENTRAL
tipeccentral@outlook.com RO Lindsay Brown • 07768 442 050 ARO Steve Jones • 07775 581 044 ARO Neil Smith • 07899 961 429 Meetings are held second Monday of every month 7:30pm onwards at The Bull’s Head, Birmingham Road, Shenstone WS14 0JR. www.vintageinn.co.uk/thebullsheadshenstone
August 18th (Sunday) Lupin Farm from 9:30am
AVD Old Timer tickets: • Wochenendkarte FR–SO
August 26th (Bank holiday Monday) Pershore Plum Festival
Plus, the camping works out to around €90 per person payable on arrival at the campsite.
August 27th (Tuesday) Club night at The Woolpack September 1st (Sunday) Cars by the Lake This is our main regional event this year. We have a total of 15 spaces. Please contact Yvonne if you’re interested on a first come basis. We will be collecting a charitable donation of £10 per car, which will be non-refundable as it’s a donation! We have a few spaces left at time of writing this. September 22nd (Sunday) The Warren Supercar Show, Maldon, Essex September 24th (Tuesday) Club night at The Woolpack As you can see, we already have a busy calendar of events, and there will also be numerous adhoc events TBC. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page as the season progresses.
S OUTH YORKSHIRE & NORTH NOTTS. R6
RO & ARO wanted urgently Meetings are held first Sunday of every month at 7pm for 7:30pm start at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor, Retford, Notts, DN22 8QS Keep up to date at www.synn.org.uk or look for us on Facebook as ‘Porsche Enthusiasts Club - South Yorkshire & North Notts (TIPEC)’
August 4th (Sunday) Middleton Hall (B78 2AE), meet from 9:30am August 12th (Monday) Club night with show & shine at The Bull’s Head
Short Stay Saver tickets: • Out on Thursday 8th August at 06:50 • Return on Monday 12th August at 14:50
Ring Taxi rides are available if you’d rather not drive it yourself. Please contact Ian Jones for more details.
Middleton Hall is becoming a favourite for us, it’s the first Sunday of the month, very relaxed and the £5 entry fee goes towards the restoration of the Hall. It starts from 9:30am and quickly fills the grounds, well worth a visit. Also in September we have Atherstone Car Show, last year we got there a bit late and were relegated to the station car park, though we were not on our own and it was also quickly filled up.
917 at Prescott
Our fortnightly visit to The Fig and Olive has been suspended due to them levying a £10 entrance fee. This has been reduced to £5 but we, along with many others, are boycotting until it becomes a free event again. We are well into show season now. We attended Porsches on the Prom at Llandudno, and WOW! What an event, over 900 Porsches almost filling both sides of the prom. This is well worth a visit and we will put it on next year’s to do list. The Ace Café run turned out to be a damp squib with nobody turning up at the meeting point, so I went to Caffeine & Machine instead and had lovely evening. I also went to Porsches at Prescott, what a glorious day with Porsches of all flavours giving it the full beans up the run. There’s nothing better than a flat six on full chat. As I write this, today is the Shenstone Festival. This is a event local to The Bull’s Head and the weather looks great, so this should be a good day. I have tried to promote this so hopefully we should have a good turnout. Cars in the Park at Lichfield is always a nice twoday event, in aid of the Rotary Club. The weekend is shared with PCGB, and is always complemented by friendly banter between the two clubs. We will carry on with the breakfast meets as they are still very popular. We will hopefully be travelling a bit further afield for them in future.
September 1st (Sunday) Middleton Hall (B78 2AE), meet from 9:30am September 8th (Sunday) Atherstone car show September 9th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head September 22nd (Sunday) Breakfast meet, venue TBC October 6th (Sunday) Middleton Hall (B78 2AE), meet from 9:30am October 14th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head October 19th (Saturday) Indian or Chinese meal, venue TBC October 27th (Sunday) Breakfast meet, venue TBC
R20
SOUTH CENTRAL
south.central@tipec.net RO Nick Papé • 07801 881 170 ARO Gary Howard • 07856 723 196 Instagram: @tipecsouthcentral Facebook.com/groups/southcentraltipec Meetings are held first Thursday of the month from 7:30pm at The Green Man, Lavendon MK46 4HA.
Club night in July was at a different location due to The Bull’s Head being refurbished, but August club night and show and shine will be at The Bull’s Head as usual. Fingers crossed the weather will be as good as it has been in previous years. If you haven’t been to the Pershore Plum Festival try and make it this year. It’s a great event – not just a car show, but there’s a smashing farmers market with all types of fayre available.
Busy May meet at the Super Sausage Café 35
Welcome to our new members, our 57th member joined this week and I’m sure we will get to 60 soon. Always great to see new faces at club nights and events and their lovely cars too! Our club nights are very informal with a run through of club business (mostly upcoming events for the month) followed by ideas from members of what they would like to do. It would be great to see you there. Come for food, chat, drink and of course, Porsching! May saw us meet at the award winning Super Sausage Café near Towcester and we were blessed with amazing weather. This leads to a busy Café and always lots to see. The vehicles on display are almost as good as the breakfasts!
R11
N ORTH LONDON, HERTS & SOUTH ESSEX
NLHSE@tipec.net RO Vince Dallimore • 07798 630 649 ARO Peter Musk • 07734 769 953 facebook.com/groups/1217447545000223 Two informal monthly meetings: first Sunday 10:30am (open marque) at The Goat Inn, Vicarage Causeway, Hertford Heath, SG13 7RT. Last Monday 6pm (Porsches only) at The Ace Café, Ace Corner, off the A406, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD.
Members went to the Silverstone Racing club for some track action and of course breakfast, a good day was had by all and thanks to Gary Tipping for organising it.
We all enjoyed seeing the new 992 as well as a GT3RS and even got let into the new boardroom for breakfast. Thanks to the centre and I’m sure we will be back again soon. June also saw a return to the Bicester Super Scramble were we welcomed 30 cars to our club stand, from early air-cooled cars to the latest GT3s. The format was interesting with parade and racing laps and it was good to see classic cars being used how they should. Members took the trip to the Laon Classic and paraded the cars through the streets. A great drive out to Laon and some tremendous weather. Please do come along on the first Thursday of the month from 19:00 for some top Porsche chat, food and drink. For more up to date news and to join in the discussion, please join us on Facebook or keep an eye out for emails. As always, the club is run by the members for the members so if there is something you would like to see or do, please let Gary or me know. August 1st (Thursday) Club night at the Green Man in Lavendon, 7pm August 4th (Sunday) Colmworth Cars, Colmworth Village Hall, 9am August 18th (Sunday) Run to The Sun 2019 Drive out to Muckleburgh Tank Museum August 31st (Saturday) Wootton Car Fest, Wootton Lower School, 11am AT 136
August 4th (Sunday) Classics at the Goat From 10:30am for the best parking spots August 14th (Wednesday) Club night at The Goat from 7:30pm August 26th (bank holiday Monday) Porsche Night at the ACE Café Always a busy one so arrive by 6pm for parking in the car park! We hope to see lots of our local members at the forthcoming events, check emails for updates.
R12
June was a busy month with car season well underway. Simply Porsche at Beaulieu and Colmworth Cars kicked off the month. We were invited to Porsche Centre Silverstone to look over the new offices and workshop and of course the beautiful cars on sale.
The ACE Café meetings on 27 May and 24 June were both capacity gatherings with a great array of cars. The ACE is such a good venue for meeting with plenty of parking for Porsches only and a great offering of food and beverage.
Porsches at the ACE Café
The longest day has passed and the events season is in full swing; The main club event, Simply Porsche, was a great success and access was much improved with a new arrangement for prebooked club entry. Numbers were down on last year’s peak, with some deterred by the mixed weather forecast, but around 1,000 cars were on display and although overcast it remained dry through the day. Our first Club night at the Goat in May was deemed a success by those that attended; ideas were exchanged and it was agreed that a regular club member meeting would be good going forward. The next meeting is scheduled for 24 July at the Goat. Some ideas floated for the future included: • Drives out for breakfast or lunch, • a visit to a Porsche specialist, RPM Technic or similar, • a group display at Shuttleworth or Old Warden. Do let us know if you’ll be joining us for club night, so we can advise The Goat of numbers. We’ll be looking at dates and drive routes to follow up the comments from club night. Our North London Herts, South Essex Facebook group now has 45 members registered; forthcoming events are posted here for your convenience. Find and ask to join the Facebook group for our club region at: www.facebook.com/ groups/1217447545000223 Peter and I missed the Goat meeting in June as it clashed with Simply Porsche, we could see from postings that the event was well attended.
K ENT & SOUTH EAST LONDON
kent.sel@tipec.net RO Paul Greer • 07799 412 870 ARO Stuart Watson Meetings are held first Monday of the month from 7:30pm at The Moody Mare, 501 Seven Mile Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME18 5QY (On the B2016 road near Mereworth)
Drive out to the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum
The summer is fabulous for Porsche ownership. The longer days mean that on club nights we can actually spend time chatting in the car park while we look over each other’s cars. But there is always so much more going on. We’ve said many times before that we can’t do everything and that’s never more true than midsummer. Almost every weekend there is a local car meet of one kind or another and there are some fantastic events at a national level too. Simply Porsche, our national event, took place in June and we were delighted to see so many regional members attending and helping out. The jobs you volunteered for made a huge difference in helping to make the event the massive success it is, so once again, thank you. Regionally, we aim to compile a diary of events which are varied. By doing this we attract Porsche owners who enjoy their cars in different ways. Already this year we have shared our knowledge of car care with a detailing day.
We’ve had meet ups, and have had many a laugh over a breakfast. On a couple of occasions the meet ups have been finalised at the last minute. We haven’t asked anyone to commit to turning up so its been a relief to see a good mix of cars and people, without anyone feeling any pressure if things change. Ultimately it’s all about driving the cars. Regionally our numbers have increased over the year. Almost as satisfying for us is the number of you who have met us at car shows or read All Torque and decided to come along for your first convoy drive or meet up. Those of you who have taken that step seem to have had a good time. Many of you have returned again and seen the benefits of being a part of the region by giving or gaining support to one another. Car shows like ‘Music and Motors’ at Whitstable, ‘Deutche Fest’ at Brands Hatch and ‘Motorsport at the Palace’ were great not only to display the cars, but to meet other petrolheads and admire some great metal. At first glance our regional calendar is a bit skinny during the summer holidays, but don’t worry we haven’t forgotten about you. There is loads going on and we all have commitments for a few brief weeks then, as things die down a bit, you can expect us to fill in some of the gaps. There are plans for more drives out and meets, some of which you guys and girls have suggested. In the meantime we look forward to seeing you at our next monthly club meeting. Check our page on the club website and our Facebook page for up to date event info.
R13
THAMES VALLEY
thames.valley@tipec.net RO Andrew Harris • 07812 146 999 ARO Graham Driver • 07799 625 279 ARO Jason Gibson • 07958 459 725 Meetings are held second Tuesday of every month 7:00pm at The Bell & Bottle, Bath Rd, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3RX.
with a 928, 968CS, and a few 944s, plus a few other Porsche delights and a good attendance of everything else! Jason put on another excellent show, meeting at Newlands Corner for a cuppa before a ‘spirited’ drive-out around Surrey and Sussex’s twisty bits, arriving at Brighton for Sunday lunch at the Grand Hotel. I would say a grand time was had by all but … Max had a little technical issue and wasn’t able to make lunch. There will be a next time Max … Simply Porsche was simply fantastic as always, helped by a little sunshine and dry weather of course! The club stand was busy all day with a good display of club cars sitting pretty and proud before the stand. Graham put on a fabulous ‘safe but spirited’ 40 mile drive out from Sutton Scotney services on the A34 with an eleven car convoy … and we managed to stay together nearly all the way to Beaulieu! Air-cooled was the theme of our June meeting at the Bell & Bottle with a good selection of these models from SCs, a 3.2, a forward dated SC, an early Targa and a good number of 964s, not to mention all the water-cooled Porsches of course. The damp skies didn’t dampen our evening and it was great to see a few new faces too. You can’t beat a summer picnic especially when it feels like summer! We had a good drive out from the Bell & Bottle, meeting at the Blackbushe Café for 11am. We had time for a quick cuppa and meet-up with some of our members from the Hampshire region before our 25-minute drive to The Vyne, a splendid National Trust property. The Vyne has some stunning grounds and we had great company, is there a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon? August 13th (Tuesday) Club night at the Bell & Bottle Specials night – GT3s, Turbos, etc. August 17–18th (Saturday–Sunday) Boxengasse at Bicester August 18th (Sunday) Sunday morning breakfast and drive out September 10th (Tuesday) Club night at the Bell & Bottle Porsche & friends – anything goes … September 29th (Sunday) Drive out and Sunday lunch at an Italian Restaurant in East Horsley
All lined up ready for Simply Porsche
There was another full car park for our May gathering at the Bell & Bottle which saw the start of our summer ‘themed’ evenings with a Transaxle night – all things with a front engine and rear wheel drive. Originally developed for the 928, however the 924 was to be the first road-going Porsche to have a front engine rear wheel drive configuration, if I have my facts right! A good turnout of these wonderful cars
Please keep an eye on our diary page of the website at www.tipec.net/regions/thames-valley We have lots of events coming up and it would be great to see you. Don’t forget about our Facebook page too: Thames Valley Region – Porsche Enthusiasts Club. If you are unable to attend any of the events, please feel free to pop along to our monthly meeting at the Bell & Bottle, it is always an enjoyable evening with lots of friendly people, the food is good too!
R9
SURREY & SUSSEX
surrey.sussex@tipec.net RO Bob Stephens • 07548 306 803 ARO Terry Rockall • 07771 511 433 facebook.com/groups/ tipecsurreyandsussex Meetings are held second Wednesday of every month from 7:00pm at The Bolney Stage, London Road, Bolney RH17 5RL, 10 miles south of Crawley off the A23.
Prize winning Chesil at our breakfast meeting
At the end of June we hosted a joint breakfast meeting with the BMW and Mercedes clubs at The Hawth Theatre in Crawley. The event was supported by the respective local main dealers who brought along current models, including Porsche Mid-Sussex who provided a 718 Boxster T and donated a prize of a driving experience at Porsche Silverstone. This was won by member Dan Engledow’s father who brought along his stunning 356 Chesil. St. Catherine’s Hospice was our chosen charity and they had representatives making collections. We have a club stand at The Capel Show on August 17th. Capel is one of the largest village shows in Surrey and our major show of the year, including cars, bikes and autojumble. There is something for everyone including a hog roast, a beer tent and arts and craft stands. We have places available, for which you need to register direct with Capel via their website www.capelcarshow.com Let Bob Stephens know if you plan to attend. August 4th (Sunday) Classic Car Sunday Breakfast, Goodwood August 9–11th (Friday–Sunday) Vintage & Classic Car Show, Firle Park, BN8 6LP August 14th (Wednesday) Club night at The Bolney Stage, RH17 5RL August 17th (Saturday) Capel Classic Car & Bike Show Capel Recreation Ground, Mortimer Road, Capel, RH5 5LB August 21st (Wednesday) Porsche meet at The Fairmile, Cobham, KT11 1BW September 1st (Sunday) Shere Hill Climb Staple Lane, (Off A246 - Epsom Road), GU4 7RL 37
September 4th (Wednesday) Goodwood Revival Testing Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, PO18 0PX
If anyone has any words and/or pictures on what what they’ve been up to with their cars, please do email them to me for publication.
September 7th (Saturday) B&HMC Brighton Speed Trials Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1AE
August 3rd–4th (Saturday–Sunday) Beaulieu Supercar Weekend www.beaulieu.co.uk/events /beaulieu-supercar-weekend
September 7–8th (Saturday–Sunday) International Autojumble, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, SO42 7ZN
August 6th (Tuesday) Club night at The Old Thatch, Wimborne
September 8th (Sunday) Edenbridge Motor Show Gabriel’s Showground, Edenbridge, TN8 5PL
August 11th (Sunday) Hampshire Classic Motor Show, Breamore House www.classicmotorshows.co.uk/breamore-house
September 11th (Wednesday) Club night at The Bolney Stage, RH17 5RL
August 18th (Sunday) Southern Region BBQ, Anderwood, New Forest
September 13–15th (Friday–Sunday) Goodwood Revival Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, PO18 0PX
August 23rd–25th (Friday–Sunday) Chris Evans’ CarFest South www.carfest.org
September 18th (Wednesday) Porsche meet at The Fairmile, Cobham, KT11 1BW
September 3rd (Tuesday) Club night at The Old Thatch, Wimborne
September 21st (Saturday) Visit to Precision Porsche Unit b1, Bluebell Business Estate, TN22 3HQ
September 13–15th (Friday–Sunday) Goodwood Revival
We are looking forward to future club meets and if you haven’t yet attended one, please give it a try, especially while we have the lighter evenings and an opportunity to show your Porsche and meet friendly people. Simply Porsche at Beaulieu exceeded our expectations, with much easier entry and access to the grounds this year. The TIPEC marquee was really good this year, much more encouraging and relaxing for people to share info and join people around the tables, and we look forward to next year. Thank you to Sean, Sue and all the volunteers.
All details of our regional events can be found on our regional section of the TIPEC.net website.
R23
SOUTHERN
RO urgently wanted ARO Jim Tarrant • 0120 260 1886 jim.tarrant@consequia.com Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm at The Old Thatch, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7NW.
October 1st (Tuesday) Club night at The Old Thatch, Wimborne Please visit our region’s part of the website at www.tipec.net/regions/southern as we are continuously updating our events page.
R21
HAMPSHIRE
hampshire@tipec.net RO William Batchelor • 07941 034 422 ARO Andrew Morle • 07450 435 347 Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month from 7pm at The Hinton Arms, Petersfield Road, Hinton Ampner, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 0NH.
We had a good club meet and lunch run out to Blackbushe Airport Cafe in Camberley on Sunday 16th of June. Several members joined us and sampled the varied menu, trying different Polish food and the range of options of all day breakfasts and lunches. On 23rd June we joined the Thames Valley group with their run out to The Vyne, National Trust, in Basingstoke for a picnic. There was an area sectioned off for all the cars and the picnic. The predicted storms held off and it was a lovely afternoon meeting other members from that region. Our thanks go to Andy Harris for the invitation and organising the event. A reminder of the Ashington Festival Car Show on Saturday, August 17th. For those who would like to attend anytime from 12 noon onwards with their Porsche car (and to have space to park together with other Porsches), please email as soon as possible to hampshire@tipec.net Entry and car parking to Ashington Festival is free, the address is Ashington Recreation Ground, Ashington, West Sussex RH20 3JX. There will be plenty of activities and displays throughout the afternoon. Vintage and Classic cars, marquees, food and entertainment, live music from the Creative Covers Band and a tremendous firework display ends the evening. We look forward to seeing you there. August 7th (Wednesday) Club night at the Hinton Arms, SO24 0NH
914 at Wilton House
Thanks to Graham and Paula for their pictures from the Wilton House Pre-’88 Breakfast Meet. It’s nice to see some classic Porsches taking the limelight at an event like this.
August 17th (Saturday) Ashington Festival and car show, RH20 3JX Hampshire members’ cars lined up
September 4th (Wednesday) Club night at the Hinton Arms, SO24 0NH September 21st (Saturday) Social evening at Cranleigh Village Sports & Social Club , GU6 7AN
Unfortunately I missed the event as I was camping with the family, but I did take the 944 (it never ceases to amaze me what will fit in the back of a 944) and had a good drive out through the New Forest.
Firstly, thank you to everyone who attended our new Club Meet at the Hinton Arms. There were 16 people and 12 Porsche cars. It was an amazing evening seeing our regular members and new members exchanging information on cars and socialising.
October 2nd (Wednesday) Club night at the Hinton Arms, SO24 0NH
I’m looking forward to our BBQ after we had to cancel last year due to the appalling weather. Here’s hoping for some sunshine on August 18th!
We held a free raffle to show our appreciation on the launch of our new venue, with six people hopefully enjoying their prizes!
Further updates can be viewed online through our region’s page on the club website at www.tipec.net/regions/Hampshire
R22
B RISTOL, SOUTH WEST & SOUTH WALES
RO Sue Simmons • 07530 312 700 sue.simmons1@gmail.com ARO Debs Bradshaw • 07423 436 503 debbradshaw@sytner.co.uk ARO Sarah Hughes Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm at The Plough, Pilning, Nr Bristol BS35 4JJ. www.theploughpilning.co.uk I would like to start this update by welcoming all our new members. There are some who have chosen our club because they saw how sociable we are at events like Simply Porsche – our own annual show organised with the Beaulieu team – and some who have taken their first step into Porsche ownership. We love Porsches old and new and welcome classics, new models and every shape and size in between. The clue is in our name – we are Enthusiasts. So I hope that new members will come along to one of our regular monthly nights or to one of our advertised events sooner rather than later. I know you’ll get a warm welcome.
As ‘enthusiasts’ we like getting together and comparing notes, usually whilst standing around in fields of cars or car parks – comparing performance, engines, wheels, brakes, boot space, mpg, and of course, favourite colours of paintwork, seats, trims, etc, etc, etc. We are in the height of the motor enthusiast year, so track days, historic racing weekends, hill climbs, local shows and national events and international shows, cars and coffee, coffee and cakes … all feature on the calendar and one thing’s for sure – there will always be a collection of members ready to have a natter. That’s what makes this club great! During July the theme continued – lots of cars and chat (and chips) on the seafront at Weymouth for Porsche on the Prom, lots of coffee and cake at Sherborne Classics at the Castle, and Thornfalcon regional day out awaits in August. September sees our mega trip to south west Ireland – we plan to visit Ring of Kerry, Killarney, and so on – and December is the planned pre-Christmas night out (one or two nights) in mid-Wales. We’ve already started booking activities for next year too with Laon Historique in May booking now because hotel and ferry places go so fast! (See notice earlier in the magazine.)
So if you want to make new friends, see great cars (including some non-Porsche beauties) come and make the most of being a Porsche Enthusiast. I look forward to meeting new friends and seeing all our regulars too. August 18th (Sunday) Thornfalcon Classic Car Show This will be the first year we have a club stand at this show … and its FREE September 18th–23rd (Wednesday–Monday) Holiday in Southern Ireland You can see our planned events on our regional page at www.tipec.net/regions/bristolsouthwales Please contact me for any info you need on either sue.simmons@tipec.net or 07530 312 700. See our regional page on tipec.net and see our Facebook page for details of more things to do.
R15
CORNWALL & DEVON
RO & ARO urgently wanted For now, c/o Sue Simmons • 07530 312 700 sue.simmons1@gmail.com Merged with Bristol, South West & South Wales until a local RO is found.
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