Three classic Porsche sports cars were showcased at the Winner’s Circle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) as the regional finalists for the 2022 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge.
From September 2 to 4, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) hosted a three-day Sports Car Together Fest to give the three finalists the ultimate evaluation and to determine the overall winner for the second annual competition.
PCNA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Lawrence, Vice President After Sales Glenn Garde, and Manager Technical Support Doug House conducted the final judging, and the winners were announced that Saturday afternoon. Even the guests were also able to pick their favorite restoration and the winners were announced the next day, Sunday.
It took months of diligent work, a lot of documentation, and numerous check-ins, and in the end, Champion Porsche’s 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Type 930 claimed victory. It bested Porsche Exchange’s 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Type 993 and Porsche Palm Springs’ 1982 Porsche 911 SC Type 930.
Champion Porsche’s representatives shared, “This was our first time taking part in the competition, and in typical Champion Porsche fashion, we gave it our all – and then some – in every step of the restoration project. We saw some of the restorations from the previous year and knew that we had to do our best to step things up this year with our restoration. Not a single bolt was left unturned, and every single part was either replaced with new genuine parts from Porsche Classic or restored. Our mission was to restore our 1989 911 Turbo to exactly what the original factory build sheet called for, resulting in a true factory restoration. The competition this year was definitely stiff and there were some amazing builds out there. The cars that made it to Sports Car Together Fest was proof of that. It was great to talk Porsche with all the fellow competitors and to even feel a camaraderie amongst everyone.”
Throughout the competition, they have included Porsche Classic and PCNA area managers and experts as judges. Criteria for scoring included not only the restoration of the engine, suspension, and interior, but they also took into consideration the creativity, craftsmanship, and authenticity of the vehicle. It was the Dark Blue Turbo from Champion Porsche which impressed the PCNA judges and fans.
Jonathan Sieber, Manager Porsche Classic with PCNA, stated that, “Taking a vehicle missing parts when the project began, Champion Porsche’s efforts to restore a well-appreciated and worn 930 Turbo exemplify our goal at Porsche Classic – keeping all classic Porsche models on the road. The margins were incredibly thin. Our biggest takeaway from all three finalists, and every entry in the competition, was how the Restoration Challenge brought people together. Teams bonded over these vehicles while working on them and the dealerships were able to share their passion for classic sports cars with enthusiastic customers.”
The U.S. has more classic Porsche sports cars compared to any other market in the world. Inevitably, time and use take a toll and after decades on the road, it will be in need of a little more care than usual. This is where the 2022 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge comes in. More than 60 dealerships from around the country joined the challenge, where teams of certified Porsche Technicians with the official catalog of 60,000 unique Porsche Classic Genuine Parts were tapped to bring these well-worn cars to their former glory. The competition had Porsche 356 and 914 models, transaxle models in the form of the 944 and 928, and five generations of the 911. There were also modern classics like the first-generation Boxster, Cayenne, and Carrera GT.
Aside from the three finalists, other vehicles that were part of the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge was also showcased at Sports Car Together Fest. There was the 1996 Porsche 911 “Safari” Type 993 from Porsche Warrington, 1994 Porsche 968 from Porsche Silver Spring, a 1993 Porsche 911 RS America Type 964 from Porsche Ontario, a 1982 Porsche 911 SC Type 930 from Porsche Louisville, a 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo “Slant Nose” Targa Type 930 from Porsche Hickory, a 1974 Porsche 914 LE from Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas.
The 1982 Porsche 911 SC Type 930 from Porsche Louisville was able to bag the people’s choice award at the Sports Car Together Fest.
