Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

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Steven Murray
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Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#1 Post by Steven Murray »

I grew up in what years later I learned was a wealthy $$ NJ community west of NYC. I was thinking that maybe I never saw a 356 as a kid or even a college student. I recall seeing 230SLs, 3000 Healeys but no 356 or 911s. In Sept 66 a few 9th grade friends and I rode our bikes to all the car dealerships to pick up brochures on the just release 1967 models, like the new Cameros. We hit the MG dealership, Triump dealership, Jag dealership (7 miles away) . No porsche dealership, maybe one had to go to NYC? I think the Benz dealership might have been in Millburn NJ. I was just starting to read and got excited reading about the just released 67 911S so I think if I saw any porsche in the flesh I probably would have gone wild. On that bike ride a few of the dealerships just chased us out of the showroom. I recall snagging a XKE brochure though.

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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#2 Post by Don Gale »

I used to have a dealer brochure, probably printed by Porsche USA. I believe it was 1967 or 1968. It stated that the factory output was 50 cars per week, 911's & 912's combined. 50% of those came to the US. 50% of those went to Southern California.
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#3 Post by chris romney »

If I'm not mistaken, Porsche in those days was based in Teaneck, NJ.
 

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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#4 Post by Rolf A Hofer »

With Hoffman in NYC there was no shortage of Speedsters on the East Coast. Here's a snapshot from 1961 Marlboro Raceway (Maryland).
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#5 Post by Richard Shilling »

That time frame comes pretty close to the years I was a line mechanic at Ralph Cutright VW - Porsche in Santa Monica, California. the dealership certainly sold a lot of Porsches. One, sometimes two Pre-Delivery Inspections a day were not uncommon. We were told that some 30% of the factory output went to California. (No, I don't know if it was true but that's what I was told.) Porsche even had a factory representative, Kurt Meyer, stationed in Southern California.

War Story from back in the day. We were told that the distributor would send out an employee to Porsche Club of America driving events, such as gymkhanas. They would look for new cars and write down the serial numbers. If there was a warranty claim it would be denied because the car had been "engaged in competition".

Another one. Many of the Porsche customers were wealthy and fairly picky. I heard a story about a customer arguing with Kurt Meyer who finished the conversation with: "Meyer I'm going to sue you". Meyer's reply: "First, you got to stand in line".
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#6 Post by Steven Murray »

Rolf A Hofer wrote:With Hoffman in NYC there was no shortage of Speedsters on the East Coast. Here's a snapshot from 1961 Marlboro Raceway (Maryland).
October 1961? Being a nut I noticed the parked Ford seems to be a 1962. I'm sure we all get excited watching some period movie and we see a car that is too new to be in the shot. The 62s were out in October 61 for sure though.

Well I guess it is not that surprising that I never saw a Porsche or dealership despite being in a place where people would have the money to purchase. The car was not built in numbers like MGAs and I recall reading that the 356 was often quite back ordered. Hoffman was the big cheese so maybe he didn't see the need for a 2nd dealership in the area. He had something in NYC i think. I probably have some old magazine stashed away which might even list ALL the dealerships as part of the advertisement. I don't recall the 356 in any TV either, being a young teen the Lotus Elan in the Avengers got me Lotus excited. The 356 for many future owners will have to be an acquired taste rather than a trip back to memory lane.

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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#7 Post by C J Murray »

chris romney wrote:If I'm not mistaken, Porsche in those days was based in Teaneck, NJ.
Correct. I was there at the time of the C introduction. There were many Porsches in northern NJ and metro NYC and Long Island. I can't explain why Steven didn't see quite a few.
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#8 Post by Paul Giganti »

The first Porsche I vividly remember was an old beat-up black Speedster a college friend had. He was a GI and had bought it for a few hundred dollars for a way to get around when he returned from Vietnam...Yes, a few hundred dollars! At the time I thought, "Poor guy; couldn't even afford a VW!"

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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#9 Post by Adam Wright »

The first one I ever saw was early 80's at the local A&P. I knew enough to know it was a Porsche. I was looking at it and the owner came out. He said, "Do you know what this is?" I answered, "It's a bathtub Porsche"
He snorted, "This is a coupe" . and drove off.

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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#10 Post by Mike DeJonge »

It was not a California thing. I saw my first one in 1968/69. At the time we lived between 2 "S" bends and I could hear the 356 coming through and I would just catch sight of it coming through the 2nd "S" bend. The person must of used it as their primary ride because I saw it many times around 5:30 pm
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#11 Post by Martin Benade »

One of the best things about my first job around 1972 was the park road to and from work, posted for 35 mph but 60+ every day made for a fun commute. Also I got my first rusted out 356 from my boss, it was my DD.
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#12 Post by Wayne Arny »

My first Porsche was a '60 Super 90 Cab that I acquired during my senior (First Class) year at the Naval Academy; 1963-4. That was the first year we could have a car on "The Yard," and being fully "employed" finishing my last year there, sailing competitively in the Fall and Spring, and chasing the girls, I enlisted my Dad to help in my search. He lived in Barrington, IL, and worked in Chicago, and somewhere out there he found the car, and then drove it out to me! Sadly, I never thought to ask him how he found it! But given the rust issues I had over the next couple of years, it clearly was a "Chicago car!" After graduation, I drove it down to Pensacola for flight training and from there to Meridian, MS; back to Pensacola; over to Corpus Christi and Beeville, TX; then up to Chicago to get married and back to Beeville. On one night drive from Merdian the engine quit quite dramatically with loud noise and the light from flames back aft lighting up the rear view mirror. And then a coast to the side of the road. Got it towed back to Pensacola to a VW dealer to get the engine rebuilt by an old WWII Army Air Corps gunner from missions over Japan! Later in Beeville, I lost reverse gear and drove it to a VW dealer in San Antonio, after I was married. I was going to trade it in for a used VW, but my new wife, and still current wife, found one used '63 coupe in the guy's lot. As I still owed money on the '60, I called the bank back home, got a second loan, and then drove that '63 for years and a hundred thousand miles plus. Having had so many rust problems with the '60, I went over that '63 with a fine tooth comb! It has 60K miles on it, but was rust free! Thank you, Texas! So, bottom line, there were Porsches in places other than Southern California! On a change of duty station from San Diego to Patuxent River, MD, in late 1969, we camped across country in that car with a tent, stove, lantern, other gear... AND a one-year old and a miniature schnauzer! One did need to learn to do one's own tune-ups and minor maintenance!
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#13 Post by Martin Bruechle »

There was many out here back in the day. I remember someone telling me that Manhattan Beach Ca near LAX had more Porsches than any other city, that was in the mid 70's. When I bought my first car (58 VW panel Bus) in 1974 I recall seeing many back around then. Around 71 we used to ride our bikes to Hermosa Beach to get fiberglass/resin supplies at surf shops to fix out surfboards and stop at Vasek Polak Porsche and stare at the race cars in the showroom on PCH. Porsches all over the place in the beach cities back then.

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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#14 Post by Jim Neil »

Lots of Porsches in SoCal for sure, then and now. When I was a young kid, my uncle had an A coupe (I think), when they visited I spent all my time checking out his car. When I was 16 (1965), I had a part-time job at a parking lot. Porsche dealer on one side (Bob Smith Porsche - Hollywood), other side major radio station. I spent LOTS of time checking things out at the Porsche dealer. Became good friends with the #1 rock DJ at the radio station. Don't know why he trusted me, but he once let me take his new (first year?) 911 for a drive. A year later I came within a hair of buying a '61 356 cab from a friend, but got cold feet at the last minute, worrying about insurance and repair costs. (I have pictures of the one I almost bought on my work computer, maybe will post them later.) Also, Steve McQueen lived up the road from me, and would always stop and chat if I was out front - cool guy, some sweet cars, though I don't ever remember seeing his 356, but I am sure he saw the "car guy" twinkle in my eyes.
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Re: Porsche must have been just a California thing 1966-71

#15 Post by Rusty Ferrell »

It may have not been considered a California thing but I recall from some time ago that California took close to 60% of Porsche production. Any disputes welcome.
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