Forty per cent more rally-goers turned out for this year’s Simply Porsche event as more than 800 cars roared into the grounds of the National Motor Museum.
Held in association with The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club (TIPEC), the rally had something for every Porsche fan, with every era of this favourite sports car marque represented in the varied line-up, from the 1950s up to the present day.
There were two significant anniversaries for the German manufacturer to celebrate at this year’s fourth Simply Porsche rally. Marking 40 years of the 924 was an impressive showcase of best-selling classics, including examples of the uprated 924S and 924 Turbo models. Celebrating 20 years of the Boxster, a staggering range of this popular model was also on show.
Early Porsches on display dated as far back as the 356 of the 1950s and 1960s, the ancestor of the modern Porsche range, which included examples of the Speedster, Cabriolet and even the rare ‘Super 90’ performance version. The classic 911 was well-represented by Carrera, Turbo and Targa open-topped versions, plus several examples of the charming four-cylinder 912 of the 1960s and 1970s. Enthusiasts could also see examples of the mid-engine 914 and front-engine 944, 928 and 968 on show.
A strong display of modern Porsches included the Cayenne and Macan 4X4s, Porsche’s four-door cruiser the Panamera Turbo and a limited edition, high performance Porsche 918 supercar. The latest Cayman and Carrera coupes made a strong showing, while several examples of the open-top Spyder and high-performance GT4 also joined the display.
A wide selection of trade stands at the show included a display by Brookspeed Porsche, showcasing racing Porsches for the 102 competition series. Eager visitors could have also bought their own Porsche at the show, with a selection for sale ranging from an immaculate 944 Turbo for £17,995 to a low-mileage 924 Lux for £4,950.
Throughout the day, visitors and owners voted for their favourite Porsche in the People’s Choice Awards. The car which received the most votes was Nick Fitch’s immaculate 1964 911, painted in vivid green.
“It’s a bit of a hot rod as I used lots of different Porsche parts to build it into my dream car,” said Nick. “The original engine has been rebuilt and uprated to 3.8 litres and it now produces 400bhp.”
Nick was presented with a commemorative Beaulieu trophy and a special Autoglym prize by Beaulieu’s Commercial Director Steve Munn, before leading a cavalcade through the Beaulieu parkland.
Runners up in the competition were Norman Holliday with his 2011 Cayman R and John Devereux with his 1952 356 Cabriolet. Hot on his heels were Steve and Kate Hough with their 2013 Carrera 4S, Jeff and Josh Talbot with their highly original 1982 944 Lux, David Mills with his 2012 Boxer S and Martin Broadribb with his 2000 Boxer S.
TIPEC held its Show & Shine competition at Simply Porsche which was open to owners of both classic and modern Porsches, as they fastidiously cleaned and prepared their cars. Ian Coleman took first place with his 1986 911 3.2 coupe, Dave Wood was in second place with his 914/6 and Arthur Jones was in third place with his 1983 924.
