Plenty of Perfect Porsches at the Petersen's PorscMark VaughnOnce a year all, the Porsches in Southern California pour out onto the freeway system, drive up Fairfax, and turn right into the Petersen's parking garage for the Porsche Cruise-In.This year the museum also honored filmmaker and eight-time Pikes Peak class winner Jeff Zwart, who, like everyone there at the Petersen that day, had an origin story."Just before my birthday in early May of 1964, my father came home with a 356C in slate gray with a red interior. A brand new car arrived on the driveway of the house when I'm nine years old, and it was just something so special."AdvertisementAdvertisementThat wasn't all that launched the young Zwart into Porsche Paradise.Porsche"Three weeks after the car arrived on the driveway, my birthday at the end of May happened to coincide with the Indy 500 that year. So, if you can imagine a nine-year-old kid, brand new 356 arrived in the driveway, and we're now as a family going to the Indy 500. So for me to ride in the back of that little 356 and arrive at the Indy 500, go into the grandstand at Turn Three, look out over 350,000 people, and see 33 cars headed your way down the back straightaway. That moment just attached me to racing, to Porsche, to family, to everything, all in one activity, which was going to the Indy 500. And from that point on, all of those things were such strong influences in my life."Zwart conquering Pikes Peak in a Porsche GT3 Cup during practice for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 27, 2013.Rainier Ehrhardt - Getty ImagesYou can see the results of that influence in Zwart's new exhibit in the museum. And yes, Zwart's carbon fiber canoe that he carries on top of his 356 and drives to lakes around his home in Colorado is there.And here below are more origin stories, our favorites from the rest of the show.1)Photo credit: Mark Vaughn"I'm never going to sell this car!" proclaimed owner Tobias Weimann. "I love it, I drive it every weekend in the canyons."AdvertisementAdvertisementWeimann's 2007 997 911 GT3 has a personalized plate that reads, "MEZG3R," a tribute to Porsche engine designer Hans Mezger, who's engine powers Weimann's car. Do people get it, the license plate?"They do here!" Weimann said, smiling more than perhaps any German in history.2)Photo credit: Mark VaughnGT4s are made for racing, as the license plate attests. On the left is a 2021 GT4, on the rights is a 2019 GT3 RS. They are his and hers cars."We didn't plan but just happened to get both cars in the same color," said Hers. "We love to take the cars to canyon and track."3)Photo credit: Mark VaughnThe original 356 (also called the "pre-A") is easily recognizable thanks to its two-part windscreen divided by a center bar, Porsche says. From model year 1952 onward, this was replaced by a single windscreen with a crease in the center.AdvertisementAdvertisementAll 356s were also available in open-top versions (Cabriolet, Speedster, or Roadster).4)Photo credit: Mark Vaughn924 or 944? The 924 features smoother, much narrower body lines and standard flat wheel arches. The 944 borrows the aggressive, muscular wide-body fender flares inspired by the 924 Carrera GT racing program, making it wider and visually chunkier.5)Photo credit: Mark VaughnThis guy's 356 SC finishes second place in the license plate competition after "MEZG3R," above. Still, silver medal is good.6)Photo credit: Mark VaughnVolunteers made everything go smoothly, including getting this 928 to the right parking section. Thank you, volunteers!7)Photo credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisementAftermarket parts make this 911 stand out.8)Photo credit: Mark VaughnChris Hundley powers his Vintage Motorsports 550 Spyder into the show."It's a full tube frame," he said. "You feel every crack."With a 190-hp air-cooled 2,276-cc flat-four making 190 hp, you also feel the acceleration, since the fiberglas-bodied car weighs just 1,500 pounds.9)Photo credit: Mark VaughnStraight off the road from Monterey Car Week, Triebwerk brought two 911s to the Petersen."A car built on all-steel bones and real craftsmanship deserves to look its best under the lights," Triebwerk said of the polish it gave the two cars, above and below.10)Photo credit: Mark VaughnTriebwerk is always working. One of the guys at El Pete was handing out business cards with links on them that took the curious to its IG account.AdvertisementAdvertisement"While the cars were being prepped, we had a serious prospect walk in with his own 964 to talk through a complete Triebwerk engine rebuild—exactly the kind of conversation we came to California to start," the sales-focused Werk said. "Here at 911 Design, we have serviced and built cars for our customers for more than a decade."11)Photo credit: Mark VaughnThis beautiful blue 356 S still has "the original paint, original everything," said the owner.12)Photo credit: Mark VaughnTerry Sue Aikens has owned this 1959 356 1600 for 49 and a half years!"I bought this in 1963 for $500 when I was 27 because I needed a car to drive," she said. "Originally, it was silver over red, or more like rust over red."AdvertisementAdvertisementIn 1985 the car was rear-ended and she had it painted this green color because she had seen the color on another 356 and liked it."It's been a lot of fun," she said.13)Photo credit: Mark VaughnTurquoise Targa. For more photos, but no information, go to Instagram @the_euro_outlaw.14)Photo credit: Mark Vaughn15)Photo credit: Mark VaughnThe Porsche 911 Dakar is a tribute to Porsche's 1984 Paris-Dakar win. It has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six making 473 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque fed into all-wheel drive paired with an eight-speed PDK (dual-clutch automatic) transmission. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.4 seconds. Only 2,500 units were made globally.16)Photo credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisementPorsche Turbo.17)Photo credit: Mark VaughnAnother view of Chris Hundley's 550 Spyder.18)Photo credit: Mark VaughnFour genuine 911 IROC cars made the show.19)Photo credit: Mark VaughnVery aggressive aero on this 911.20)Photo credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisement356s to the horizon!21)Photo credit: Mark VaughnThe Enzmann 506 is a Swiss sports car made from 1957 until the late 1960s (some sources claim 1969 as the final year). The company purchased new VWs, unbolted the Beetle body shells from the floorpans, and refitted them with fiberglass panels from a boatyard in Grandson, Switzerland. Some 100 cars were produced, and customers could also buy separate fiberglass bodies to make the assembly themselves.22)Photo credit: Mark VaughnSometimes, the simplest is the best.23)Photo credit: Mark VaughnNote the girl behind the Targa sipping the new non-alcoholic drink, "Roadie.""There's nothing funny about drunk and distracted driving, which is why we donate to groups working to keep our roads safe," said the beer's maker.AdvertisementAdvertisement"So whether you're stuck in an evening commute, en route to a show, or road tripping across the American West, crack a Roadie next time you get behind the wheel, and taste freedom on the open road."The Targa's nice, too.24)Photo credit: Mark VaughnThere were free bagels!
