10 Porsches we loved at The Amelia 2024
The PCA annual Werks Reunion Amelia Island was held on March 1, 2024, the Friday preceding the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Join us at the The Amelia River Club to see a breathtaking array of Porsches, from rare to current models, and everything in between!
Text and photos by Manny Alban unless noted
First published at PCA website www.pca.org
The Amelia 2024 will be known for four days of on-and-off rain showers. While it meant wet shoes for many, it did not mean dampened enthusiasm. Most people simply adapted to the conditions and continued to enjoy the cars. Kudos to those car owners who simply covered up their cars when the rain came and then uncovered and wiped them down when it subsided. While Porsche was not a featured marque at this year’s event, there was no shortage of significant Porsches on display. Here are our top ten favorite examples.
01
1955 356 Continental Cabriolet. Owned by Holly and Jason Zelonish of Newbury, Ohio.
1955 356 Continentals are rare creatures. The cabriolets even more so. Back in 1955, total production of the cabriolets was less than 300. There are many fewer still on the road today. It’s considered a one-year-only model because Ford Motor Company took exception to Porsche using the name “Continental”, as it was the name for the Lincoln Continental.
They filed a lawsuit and the 1956 models no longer carried that name (using European instead). This particular model has been in the family its entire life. Purchased new by the owner’s grandfather, it was passed down to her father, when a restoration began in the 1980s.
02
1959 356 Carrera Speedster, chassis 84952. Owned by Steven Harris of New York, New York.
This is the last Speedster to leave the Porsche factory. It left on July 23, 1959, and would lead a life of competition in South America. As a fitting tribute, it still bore a plate from Venezuela.
This one was restored by Jim Newton of Automobile Associates and the engine was built buy the four-cam expert, Jeff Adams of Speedsport Tuning. As with anything that either of these gentlemen touch, this car was spectacular in every way and constantly had a crowd around it during the show.
You may wonder why the books always say Speedster production was from 1954 to 1958? Porsche, at the request of its best customers, built a run of 31 Speedster in 1959 to be used in competition.
03
1951 356 Coupe. Owned by Matt Mirones of Palm Beach, Florida.
This model had its original floor pans, body panels, and factory welds. It even had the markings the factory employees made as it was assembled.
This is considered a split-window coupe since the front windshield has two pieces separated by rubber molding down the middle. It used a 1,2866-cubic-centimeter flat-four engine that was good for 44 horsepower.
It was the oldest Porsche at the show and quite possibly during the entire weekend of events. As an added touch, it sported a US Armed Forces plate from 1951.
04
1966 906, chassis 120. Owned by The HK Collection, HK Motorcars from Mount Kisco, New York.
It was sold to Shintaro Taki and campaigned extensively in countries throughout Asia through 1974. It won many races and finished on the podium quite often.
The 906 is known as the last street-legal race car Porsche built, enduring a production run of 62. The 906 was officially known as the Carrera 6 because Peugeot owned the right to name cars with a zero in the middle. The 906 was an internal designation that stuck better than Carrera 6.
05
1998 RUF Turbo R Cabriolet. Owned by Scott D. Morris of Vero Beach, Florida.
It’s worth noting that RUF is a manufacturer in its own right. Separate from Singer Vehicle Design or Guntherwerks, which “reimagine” Porsches but retain the original VIN of the production model, a RUF-built car carries its own distinctive VIN.
This particular model was the first and only Turbo R cabriolet that the company built — the other 14 were coupes. With 490 horsepower and a top speed of 204 miles per hour, it is easily classified as a supercar.
06
1973 911 Carrera RS. Owned by Cedric Meeschaert of Coral Gables, Florida.
It left the factory as you see: painted in Tangerine. The interior was black leatherette with houndstooth inserts. It ran in the 1978 Monte Carlo Rally but lived its life as a rally car starting in 1974 through 1999. It was an RS Touring model, which meant it was about 220 pounds heavier than the M471/lightweight versions.
07
2010 RUF CTR3 ClubSport. Owned by Martini Vintage, LLF from Missoula, Montana.
One of only 30 cars ever made, the CTR3 can easily be mistaken for the Porsche GT1 due to its roof air inlet.
This one is the more track-focused ClubSport model, which is one of just seven built to that spec. It has twin turbos mounted to a 3.8-liter flat six that produces 777 horsepower and will accelerate the car to 233 mph. The body is a kevlar-carbon composite.
08
1973 911T. Owned by Jim Newton of West Simsbury, Connecticut.
This was one of two SCCA Pro Rally cars raced and built by Bruno Kreibeich. All the factory rally parts were supplied by Joe Hoppen at Porsche Motors Sports.
It was built by Porsche Motorsports and campaigned in SCCA and NARRA rally competition between 1979 and 1983. It featured a 3.0-liter 911/77 flat six with high butterfly RSR throttle bodies.
It also had a factory ducktail spoiler, Plexiglas side and rear windows, and the requisite amount of lighting and other rally accessories.
09
1974 911 Carrera RS 3.0. Owned by Lee and Heather Hower of Warren, Rhode Island.
This RS lived a life it was built for-racing, winning its class at the 1976 Monte Carlo Rally and 1979 Tour de France. It finished 6th overall at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans and second in class, and repeated second place in class at the 1977 running of the same race.
The 1974 RS was the successor to the iconic 1973 RS, but in reality it was leaps and bounds more advanced. Sporting thinner-gauge steel, it was also more aerodynamic and used a 3.0-liter flat six good for 230 horsepower. Only 55 were built in 1974, making it rarer than the 1973 RS.
10
1998 911 GT1-98. Owned by Porsche AG.
Article opening photo above by Ryan Boxler
This is the one that would win overall at Le Mans in 1998 with Allan McNish, Laurent Aiello, and Stephane Ortelli at the wheel. While five were built in 1998, the one at The Amelia was the actual car that won Le Mans. The memorable photo of the car crossing the finish line to a throng of waving Porsche fans would have to tide over enthusiasts until 2015, when Porsche would return to the Le Mans winning circle.
