A car show in the rain
A green gem hidden in the field
I photographed my local Porsche Club of America region’s annual Concours car show this weekend. If you are unfamiliar with a Concours event, they have varying levels of judging thoroughness, but be aware that a simple wash and wax will not be sufficient.
Concours judging can go to levels that make a military white glove barracks inspection look tame. They are not for the faint of heart, and at the highest levels, judges will deduct points for whisps of dirt on suspension components or incorrect fasteners on a battery tie-down. For those who relish in the most minute details, Concours shows are the ultimate events. I am not one of those people. But I do enjoy looking at beautiful cars.
Planning an event like this takes a significant undertaking from many people, all of which can be dashed by Mother Nature. On this Saturday, it rained. The many thanks from the people attending and an increased chance of winning a trophy awaited owners who braved the conditions. Several competitors opted to stay home due to heavy rains in the surrounding areas. Thankfully, the rain we saw at the event wasn’t severe and never lasted too long.
From brand-new cars (200-300 miles on the odometer) to ones from the seventies with a single owner, the eye candy on the lawn Saturday was excellent. Amongst all of the candy-colored Porsches was one that was bound to elicit the most conversation. The car and ones like it tend to drive a massive wedge between people regardless of how much they share in their automotive passion.
The car I am writing about is a 1974 Porsche 911 SC Targa. On the surface, it looked like a nicely modified vintage air-cooled 911. It wore a younger model's front and rear bumpers, modern Recaro seats, and several interior upgrades. But the cause of consternation for many people was under the bonnet and the front trunk, or “frunk.”
The first clue that something was amiss was the sound or lack of it. Where once lived a quintessential German flat-six engine now houses batteries. That’s right, this vintage 911 is now an EV.
While I have my opinions, in the end, I am mostly indifferent to what an owner wants to do to their vehicle. Suppose you pull out a fantastic flat-six or V8 engine and swap in a turbo four-cylinder because that’s your jam; fine. It might not be what I would do, but it’s not my car, so who cares? But I am mixed when it comes to swapping out Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) for an electric powertrain in a vintage car.
I have problems with EV swaps in vintage cars where the powerplant defines the enjoyment of the vehicle (think big-block Corvette, hi-revving small displacement Ferrari V-8s, or Porsche flat-sixes). But I think an EV-swapped Volkswagen Bus or a 1969 Lincoln Continental would be pretty sweet and vastly improve upon the original.
But if the car in question was a lost cause and then resurrected as an EV, all I have to say is bravo. In that instance, someone brought a car back from the dead and made it into something interesting, which enthusiasts should celebrate.
This 911 was purchased as a crusty hull with no engine. The owner didn’t take an appreciating asset and rip the guts out for the hell of it. He took a husk of a 911 that would probably never be anything of value and made it an exciting project.
The owner spent a lot of time, and I would assume money assembling the parts taken from a wrecked Tesla Model S to create an electric 911 that still drives and looks like a 911 should, just with a boatload more torque than any air-cooled 911 ever had. The attention to detail and level of finish is very impressive. I love it. In the land of the internet and social media, my opinion is probably the minority one.
The Concours attendees seemed to appreciate it as well. I’m sure some felt it was sacrilege, but you can’t please everyone, so don’t even try. There were many exceptional cars on display. This EV conversion was probably the most unique, but certainly not the only one worthy of attention.
You don’t have to be a PCA member to attend one of these events, and the people are generally quite warm and welcome to newbies and non-members alike. If you see a similar event advertised by a local car club, you should check it out. You never know who you might meet, what you might see, or what it may inspire you to do with your car.