After months of diligent restoration at the hands of expert Porsche technicians, the initial scoring phase of the 2022 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge concluded at the end of July.
Now comes the difficult and rewarding experience of deciding which three sports cars will move on to the final, where the overall winner will be announced during Porsche Sports Car Together Fest at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway, September 3.
“The response and quality of entries from our partners this year exceeded our expectations, really displaying how dedicated and passionate the service and sales staffs at the dealership level are to Classic Porsche cars,” said Jonathan Sieber, Manager Porsche Classic with Porsche Cars North America (PCNA). “We saw a huge boost in dealership involvement over 2021, a more than 50% increase, and you can tell each team knew the competition would be fierce.”
A panel of experts from PCNA has been monitoring the progress of entries based on criteria that include not only Restoration - such as engine, suspension and interior – but also Marketing and Documentation. Authenticity, creativity and craftsmanship all contribute to which car takes home the top honors of the 2022 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge.
One finalist will be picked to represent their respective areas of the country – East, South-Central and West – during a more intensive round of judging by PCNA specialists at one of three central events in August.
Area West entries will be on display and judged at Porsche Club of America’s Werks Reunion Monterey on August 19, Area East entries will be similarly displayed and judged at Checkeditout in Chicago on August 27, and Area South-Central will be judged at PCNA headquarters in Atlanta before being displayed at Caffeine and Octane on August 7. Additionally, the public attending the events are able to vote for a popular choice award, one of which will be given out for each area.
“Each central event already has a reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and enthusiasm on display – that’s the expectation and standard,” said Sieber. “The dealerships have delivered nothing short of that standard, showcasing their skills and capabilities when revitalizing these dream machines.”
The central area events will not be the first time many of these cars have been shown publicly. As part of the scoring metric throughout the Restoration Challenge, dealerships were awarded points for hosting events highlighting the progress of their vehicles. Cars and coffee gatherings were a popular choice for dealerships and technicians to walk fellow Porsche enthusiasts through the restoration process, and many dealerships incorporated entries into other large celebrations.
Porsche Silver Spring unveiled its finished 1994 Grand Prix White Porsche 968 as part of a fundraiser event for charities Pets with Disabilities and Forever Changed Animal Rescue. Napleton Westmont Porsche, which will also present The Classic Garage at Checkeditout with rare vehicles from private collections, hosted a viewing party for the Austria Grand Prix Formula 1 race in July, staging its in-progress 1980 Porsche 911 Targa for the festivities.
In all, 62 dealerships including Porsche Classic Partners participated in the annual competition aiming to return beloved classic Porsche vehicles from the 1950s to 2000s back to the road. With a portfolio of more than 60,000 unique Porsche Classic Genuine Parts at their disposal, eligible vehicles entered by dealerships included Porsche 356 and 914 models, five generations of the 911, transaxle models like the 944 and 928, as well as modern classics such as the first-generation Boxster and Cayenne, and Carrera GT.
The three area winners will compete for the top overall prize at Sports Car Together Fest, September 2 to 4. Six other entries from the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge will be on display in the Zentrum with the three finalists during the Labor Day weekend event. An overall winner will be announced on Saturday in Winner’s Circle, and all nine vehicles will compete for a popular choice award that will be voted on by those in attendance and awarded Sunday.
Sports Car Together Fest tickets are available for pre-event purchase at: https://porsche-ezentrum.us/sctf22
Info on Area Events
Area South-Central
Caffeine & Octane
August 7, 2022 - Kennesaw, GA
Cost: Free - Ticket information
Area West
Werks Reunion Monterey
August 19, 2022 - Monterey, CA
Cost: Free - Ticket Information
Area East
Checkeditout
August 27, 2022 - Chicago, IL
Cost: Free - Ticket Information
