My Timeless Rennsport Reunion Experience
I definitely have to come back!
These were the exact words I blurted out as soon as I set foot on the hallowed grounds of the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California to attend the Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI for the first time. Yes, I have just arrived at the hilly parking area and got out of my car when I did a panoramic view of the sea of Porsches parked all around me (and these were just the visitors’ cars!). And when I glanced farther beyond and saw the magnitude of the event down below (tents, paddock, race track, cars, crowd) I sighed deeply because I knew outright that the 1-day pass I got will not be enough . Surely making the most of my first Porsche Rennsport Reunion experience will be a daunting task given the tight schedule I had, but I was certain that it will be one of my best and nirvanic motorsports-related experiences of all time!
Why choose Rennsport Reunion?
It was in August , 2018 when I decided to go on a September road trip to one of the most desirable places to visit in my list and that is Monterey , California. Planning road trips is something I find pleasure in ( I blame my 30 years experience in event planning for that) and I always make it a point to include a motoring event or site to visit and anything motorsports related tops my list. That year I was lucky and thrilled to learn that Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI was going to be held in September in Monterey! You see, they only hold this every few years or so and the 6th edition was to be the culminating event of Porsche’s 70th Year Anniversary celebration. It is considered the largest exhibition of Porsche race cars and enthusiasts. Apart from being attracted to its beautiful automotive fine art poster I also saw the previous show video – This Is Rennsport to have an idea what to expect. I was certain that Rennsport Reunion VI would have covered the three E’s of my event selection process –Educational, Entertaining and Experiential.
Understanding Porsche Rennsport Through My Lens.
If there’s one marque I find the most challenging to master ,it is definitely Porsche. Learning the Porsche Code that is behind every Porsche model is for me, like studying Calculus and Chemistry all over again. And because I love motorsports, I have always been partial to a marque’s racing heritage, hence my need to focus on Porsche rennsport and learn the history behind the models. And if there is an opportunity to see them in the flesh in the paddocks and in action at the race track I have to seize it. And so I did at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion!
To plan my visit, it was crucial to read the Official Event Program and seek advice from Porsche enthusiast friends. After doing just that I finally decided to attend the third day of the Reunion because if I wanted to see and photograph the rare Porsche race cars of the Prototype era, it has got to be the day of either the qualifying races or actual race of Group 2 or the Werks Trophy . These are the 904/6 cyl. 906, 910, 907, 908, 908/2, 908/3 , 909, 917 which are cars basically built in the ‘60s , the era when auto racing was I believe the most exciting and the cars most attractive. The other group I wanted to see was on the same day as well. This is Group 5: Gmund Cup (550, 550A, RSK, RS60-61 (4 & 8 cyl.) 2000 GS GT, Abarth Carrera, 356, 904-4cam, Porsche specials).
The Chopard Heritage Display of course was a “must-see” and “must be photographed” because it was an exhibit beaming with Porsche racing history as each vehicle in the collection made a significant contribution to the successes of Porsche in motorports.
The Gorgeous Beasts
No. 11 – 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera 6
No. 11 – 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera 6
The very first car I photographed was a Porsche 906 owned and driven by renowned photographer Jeff Zwart who was also the Assistant Director of one my favorite car movies, “The Art of Racing in the Rain”. The sexy 906 with a tubular space frame is more radical and lighter than its predecessor the 904. It is interesting to note that the reason the 906 has bigger and more voluptuous front wheel arches than the 904 was because even if they intended to install 13” wheels, the factory just had too many 15” wheels in stock and budget played a part as well. Powered by a flat 6 air cooled engine with a 90” wheelbase, the 906 debuted at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona and has since been winning races beating the equally petite Dino 206S the most notable of which was its overall win at the 1966 Targa Florio with Car #148 driven by Mairesse and Muller. See some of the cars it competed against in this video . Not only did the new racer perform great on the track, it was also well received by the motoring press who quickly nick-named it ‘Batmobile’ because of its gullwing doors . Only 40 exist today out of the 65 built.
No. 74 – 1966 Porsche 906 
No. 74 -1966 Porsche 906 
No. 37-1967 Porsche 910 
No. 156 – 1966 Porsche 906 Coupe
The Sexy Classics
1959/1960 Porsche 718 RS Spyder
The 1959/1960 718 RS is a successor of the Porsche 550A , with an improved body work and suspension making it more aesthetically beautiful and more aerodynamic. Its elusive but timeless design made me take a second look to see if it is a vintage or newer model . The 718 was Still built mainly for racing. The most notable win of a 718 was that of Car# 112 driven by Edgar Barth and Wolfgang Seidel at the 1959 Targa Florio when it scored an overall victory beating a 550RS and two 356As. It was Round 2 of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship.
No. 42 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS Spyder
No. 42 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS Spyder
This car won the first major endurance race for Porsche at the March 26,1960 12 Hours of Sebring driven by Olivier Gendebien and Hans Herrmann. The 12 Hours of Sebring is the oldest and toughest sports car race in the United States and Porsche is considered the most successful manufacturer in this endurance race with its impressive number of wins .
No. 27 – 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder 
No. 38 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder
No. 34 – 1958 Porsche 550A
No. 34 – 1958 Porsche 550A
The Porsche 550A was the first Porsche purposely built for racing. You might be wondering why a worn out-looking 550A is in this group of sexy classics? Well because this rare 550A is special. The car is unrestored except for its engine due to the need to freshen up as it actively participates in races. For almost 50 years since 1963 , the has-been racer was kept in a garage untouched , away from the elements until it was revived in 2012 to be raced once again . This battle-scarred Porsche getting ready for another competition is just pure racing grit .
The Badass Racers
No. 7- 2008 Porsche RS Spyder
No. 7 – 2008 Porsche RS Spyder
This LMP2 Class racer won three manufacturer championships in the American Le Mans series most notably the 2008 24 Hours of Sebring. The RS Spyder contributed to the development of the 919 Spyder Supercar and 919 Hybrid racer.
No. 1 – 1984 Porsche 962 Coupe
No. 1 – 1984 Porsche 962 Coupe
The 956/962 is considered the most successful sports racing car in history having dominated several international endurance races in the ‘80s – ‘90s namely the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. The 962 is the IMSA GTP version of the 956. Changes had to be made to comply with safety regulations in order to compete in these series mostly held in North America.
No. 27 – 2008 Porsche RS Spyder
The Racing Specials
No. 55- 1953 Cooper Porsche “Pooper”
No. 55 – 1953 Cooper Porsche “Pooper”
The catchy funny name “Pooper” is obviously a coined name for Porsche and Cooper . The unique car owned by Cameron Healy was built by Cooper Car Company (no, it is not the car marque but a guy named John Cooper). It is a rebodied Cooper car with a 1.7 liter Porsche race engine in a 1953 Cooper Mk7 F3 chassis clothed in an aluminum body.
No. 6 – 1955 Porsche Spyder Pupulidy
No. 6 – 1955 Porsche Spyder Pupulidy
“The Pup” was a Porsche racing special built by Emil “Pup” Pupulidy who used to build P47 Fighter planes in the ‘50s. This iconic 1950s custom build 1-seater racing special dons a 356 engine and has a ladder steel tubular frame. “The man who gingerly pressed the unevenness out of his fiberglass Porsche-engine bullet, Emil Pupulidy, had a powerful sense of both effect and appearance when he built this special in 1953.“
No. 52- 1959 Porsche Devin D
No. 52 – 1959 Porsche Devin D
Built by Devin Enterprises, the car is fitted with a Type 616/7, 1,600-cc, 4-cylinder engine from a Porsche 356B. An estimate total of 46 cars were built.
No. 70 – 1962 Dolphin Porsche “Porphin”
No. 70 – 1962 Dolphin Porsche “Porphin”
Built by Dolphin Engineering Company of San Diego as commissioned by California Porsche dealer Otto Zipper, the Dolphin-Porsche was built with the Porsche 1700cc RS61 engine and drivetrain under a fiberglass-bodied space frame. The hybrid car was very successful on the track which kind of threatened Porsche so it was abruptly discontinued. Only around 12-15 were built when Dolphin Engineering closed shop in 1964.
No. 48 – 1964 ELVA Porsche Mark 7
No. 48 – 1964 ELVA Porsche Mark 7
The only non-Porsche built car to wear the Porsche badge, the rare Elva Porsche Mark 7 is the brainchild of Oliver Schmidt by combining the lightweight ELVA chassis with a compact flat four air-cooled Porsche engine. While Porsche was developing the 904, the Elva Porsche Mark 7 served as a stopgap racer. I was really hoping to meet the driver of this particular ELVA . Why? Because the great Porsche Outlaw builder Rod Emory owns it and raced it there.
No. 65 -1964 Bobsy-Porsche SR3
No. 65 – 1964 Bobsy-Porsche SR3
Produced from 1964-1969. The Bobsy-Porsche has a fiberglass body over a tubular aluminum chassis and powered by a 1965 Porsche Type 901 6-cylinder engine. These cars were designed by Jerry Mong initially for the Heir brothers – Allan and Kaye. It is interesting to note that the this car was named after the long-running series of the American children’s book the “Bobbsey Twins”. (Jerry initially built 2 identical Bobsy cars for the brothers.)
No. 2 – 1980 Porsche 935 K3
No. 2 – 1980 Porsche 935 K3
Developed by Kremer Racing from Cologne, Germany after having already built K2 and K1. This third variant with a top speed of 350 km/hour won the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans in heavy rain beating all prototypes. It is fitted with a flat 6 air-cooled 3.2 liter engine and twin KKK turbocharger.
The Chopard Heritage Display
This is the highlight of my visit! I enjoyed researching about each car I chose here. Watching their old race videos and discovering their rich racing heritage give you that nostalgic feel that seem to bring you back to their exciting and glorious days. I have included some video links to this article so you will be brought back in time in the actual race they won in.
1939 Porsche Aero Coupe Type 64
1939 Porsche Aero Coupe Type 64
The oldest Porsche in the event, the Type 64 was the precursor to the iconic shape of the Porsche 911 which has changed very little in the last 5 decades. You can clearly see the DNA in this car which was built on a Volkswagen platform. The Type 64 was purposely built to become a race car which explains its aerodynamic design. It was a treat to see it driven at the Rennsport.
No. 21- 1956 Porsche 550A Prototype
No. 21 – 1956 Porsche 550A Prototype 
No. 21 – 1956 Porsche 550A Prototype
There were only two of these prototype built by Porsche as werks team cars. Each was designed and customized to be raced. This particular car (numbered 84 then) was driven by Umberto Maglioli and Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein and beat the bigger and more powerful Ferrari 860 Monza and Mercedes Benz 300S during the 1956 Targa Florio giving Porsche its first international victory.
No. 29- 1958 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder
No. 29 – 1958 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder 
No. 29 – 1958 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder
Race History: Won 1st in its class in 1958 Le Mans and the Nurburgring Grand Prix and first overall at the 1959 Targa Florio.
No. 184- 1960 Porsche 718 RS60
No. 184 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS60 
No. 184 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS60
Racing History: Overall winner of the 1960 Targa Florio (watch this video) driven by Bonnier and Hermann beating a Ferrari Dino 246 S which placed second. This car was also raced by Stirling Moss and Graham Hill.
No. 136 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS60 Werks
No. 136 – 1960 Porsche 718 RS60 Werks
This particular RS60 was raced at the Targa Florio by Sir Stirling Moss.
No. 36 – 1961 Porsche 356B Abarth Carrera GTL
No. 36 – 1961 Porsche 356B Abarth Carrera GTL
In 1960 Porsche hired Italian automobile designer Carlo Abarth (of Austrian descent) to build lightweight bodies to be fitted in the 356B chassis to improve its performance in racing . The collaboration was a success as the cars have been winning in various races. This car won first in its class in the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1962 12 Hours of Sebring.
No. 10 – 1962 Porsche 804
No. 10 – 1962 Porsche 804
The Porsche 804 is a single-seat, open-wheeled race car to compete in Formula 1. It was built with the purpose of winning in Grand Prix racing. And so it did when it won at the 1962 French Grand Prix driven by Dan Gurney .
1960s Sport Racers
1960s Sport prototype race cars are my ultimate fave. They are not only heart-stopping gorgeous but really futuristic for that era . They have that timeless appeal that even the millennials will never guess they were designed and built 60 years ago. Watching vintage clips of these beasts in action in road races like Targa Florio feels surreal because the scenes are so old and yet the cars look like concept cars of recent years.
No. 44- 1964 Porsche 904 GTS
No. 44 – 1964 Porsche 904 GTS
Designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the 904 is considered one of the most handsome GTS ever built. It is the successor of the 718 and signaled the beginning of the long gorgeous line of Porsche racers the last of which is the 917. Its most notable win was the overall victory at the 1964 Targa Florio with car no. 86 driven by Pucci and Davies plus many other endurance races thanks to Its invincible engine packed in a lightweight 655kg body
The Porsche 910s
No. 17 Race History: Winner of the 1967 Nurburgring Race
No. 39 Race History : First in class ,1979 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1967 Porsche 910s entered by Porsche Systems Engineering won the top 3 places in the 1967 Targa Florio (Car nos. 228, 174 and 166) then again in the 1967 Nurburgring 1000 kms.
No. 224 – 1968 Porsche 907K
No. 224 – 1968 Porsche 907K
Race History: This car was the overall winner of the May 1968 Targa Florio driven by Vic Elford and Umberto Maglioli beating four Alfa Romeo T33/2s. Porsche painted the nose of the 907s with bright colors such as this one so they can easily be recognized.
No. 49 – 1968 Porsche 907 KH
No. 49 – 1968 Porsche 907 KH
This car won first over all at the March 23, 1968 12 Hours of Sebring driven by Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann.
No. 9 – 1969 Porsche 917K
No. 9 – 1969 Porsche 917K 
No. 9 – 1969 Porsche 917K 
No. 9 – 1969 Porsche 917K
This particular Gulf-liveried 917K (#9) was the car that stole my heart not only because it is one of the sexiest Le Mans cars but because it is so identified with Steve McQueen (the guy who stole my heart) who raced one in the movie LE MANS (yes, the movie that stole my heart! ). It is such an iconic work of art.
No. 274- 1969 Porsche 908-2
No. 274- 1969 Porsche 908-2 
No. 274- 1969 Porsche 908-2 
No. 274- 1969 Porsche 908-2
Race History: The 908 amazingly seized all 4 places at the 1969 Targa Florio with car# 274 winning 3rd. That year Porsche fielded in a total of six 908s – the largest factory team ever by Porsche Systems Engineering Ltd.
Capping My Timeless Rennsport Experience
Sadly at almost sundown, all good things had to end but I’m glad to have been one of the 81,000 attendees of this spectacular event. I know I missed three exciting days but I made sure I accomplished a lot of things to complete my timeless Rennsport experience. I will definitely plan better for my next one. Looking forward to the next Porsche Rennsport Reunion (VII) hopefully in 2021!
Met up with friends from the Manila Sports Car Club. 
Got my Rennsport Reunion VI Souvenir Badge. 
Got the Jeff Zwart Rennsport Book for a friend who could not attend. 
Introduced Porsche to my nephew, a future car enthusiast. 
Had fun with my friend! 
I left my mark!!!!
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