“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” -Michelangelo
At the close of 2021, our team had but a short period of respite to reflect on the accomplishments of the previous year before it was time to spring into action again. We had thought that it would be next to impossible to top the year that we just had- but within the first week of 2022, it was clear that the year ahead of us was shaping up to be monumental. There was no doubt that we had our work cut out for us.
With a minimum of one event every month- with as many as three in rapid succession within a single month piled atop our usual day-to-day duties- it was more important than ever to come together as a team and put in the monumental effort to see the year through. 2021 prepared us to deal with extremely demanding travel schedules, complex logistical challenges, numerous variables, and extremely tight deadlines.
Being prepared is just half of the battle- the second component is a colossal amount of hard work and sacrifice from every member of our small team to make all of the goals set for the year a reality. Long days, sleepless nights, time away from loved ones, and no shortage of back-to-back seven-day work weeks are what it takes to deliver for our clients, partners, and company.
The trade-off is that we are able to provide amazing experiences for our clients with events like the European Grand Tour and Piëch to Peak, preserve history through studying and recreating the correct processes and materials used in period, and share the many amazing cars and stories that exemplify Porsche’s legacy at Concours events such as Amelia Island and Pebble Beach. Our foray into the world of motorsports through events like Pikes Peak allows us to etch a small mark on Porsche’s modern-day competition history and will allow us to grow to support modern and vintage motorsport events.
Our accomplishments in 2022 add a number of milestones to our company’s history. We couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished, and we are grateful for our clients, family, and friends who trust and support us in our efforts to pull off what often feels like the impossible.
Here are a few of our favorite highlights from the past year:
A Rennen Retreat
We began the year with our second annual installation of A Rennen Retreat, this year with four 997.2 Sport Classics and two 991.1 911R’s through the fast, winding roads of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. The weather threatened to foil our plans with cold temperatures, sleet and the potential for a snowstorm, but didn’t hamper the group’s spirits.
Amelia Island
A fixture in the Road Scholars event calendar every year, the Amelia Island Concours is the official beginning of the show season and an opportunity to catch up with the automotive community at large. This year, we prepared and showed four exceptional Porsches: The Ingram Collection 1952 Typ 540 Sport Roadster chassis number 9, the famed Michael May “Winged” 1955 550 Spyder chassis 550-0031, the Ingram Collection 1961 356B Abarth Carrera GTL chassis 1008 and the ex-Peter Gregg/Hurley Haywood/David Helmick 1973 Sebring 12-hour winning RSR. We were honored to be awarded the Best-in-class award with the 356B Abarth Carrera GTL, as well as the Spirit of Mille Miglia award for 550-0031.
RS Invitational
Immediately after departing the Amelia Island Concours, we flew into Atlanta and made our way to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for our second RS Invitational. Attendees were treated to ample track time with the option of one-on-one driving time or ride-alongs with Jeff Zwart, Patrick Long, and Gunnar Jeannette. Artist Stephen Selzer was also on-site creating personalized works for each client throughout the event.
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este
We were honored to be invited to the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the scenic shores of Lake Como in Cernobbio, Italy. The setting and selection of automobiles chosen for the event were truly unparalleled, and we certainly felt the pressure when it came time for judging. We were uncertain of what to expect, and truthfully, our expectations of receiving an award were low. Nevertheless, we knew that no matter the result, the honor of being selected to be one of the 50 or so carefully selected automobiles to be displayed in perhaps the most prestigious Concours in the world was a statement of the quality of our workmanship and chassis 1008’s significance. And after all, even if we didn’t receive any awards, it wasn’t because we cut any corners. We were truly overjoyed when a number was placed on the windshield, meaning that we had been selected to once again drive across the terrace in front of the entire panel of judges and spectators. It’s difficult to put into words how honored we were when Cam and Mr. Ingram were presented with the trophy for the “Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday” class.
The Ingram Collection 356B Carrera Abarth GTL Chassis 1008 became the first Porsche to achieve the ‘Triple Crown” of the Concours world- being the recipient of best-in-class awards at Amelia Island, Villa d’Este, and Pebble Beach.
The European Grand Tour
Still riding the high of being awarded best in class at Villa d’Este, we embarked on our first-ever European driving event with six early aluminum competition cars and covering over 700kms through some of the best road and mountain passes in the world over the course of 12 days. Three 356B Abarth Carrera GTLs, one 550 Spyder, one 550A, and one 718 RSK departed from Lake Como toward St. Moritz, Switzerland, Baden-Baden in Germany, and finally concluded in Stuttgart, Germany at the Porsche Museum.
100TH Running Of The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Just a few days after the completion of the European Grand Tour, Cam and Jeff flew straight to Colorado to begin tire testing at Pikes Peak for the 100th running of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. Our motorsports team consisting of Simon Briggs, Jim Yocum, and Branden Shaheen kept the Road Scholars/Peter Millar GT4 Clubsport dialed in throughout the month and built upon their experience from last year. After a month of cold and windy, but otherwise clear weather on the mountain, the mountain decided to throw the drivers a serious curve ball. On Saturday, eight inches of snow fell at the summit and was followed by rain and a blanket of fog so thick that visibility in many sections was nearly non existent. Despite speculations of another year of a shortened course, the decision was made to run all the way to the top. Cam piloted the to a first-in-class victory, Jeff piloted the Ingram Collection 935-19 to a second-in-class finish and seventh overall. Road Scholars sponsored the Emotion Engineering twin-turbocharged GT3R piloted by Rhys Millen to a sixth overall and a first-in-class finish.
71st Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with 550 Spyder chassis 550-0073
The finished product of three years and 5,000+ man hours dedicated to researching and properly replicating the correct processes and finishes used in period on these cars. We studied the last Spyder produced, chassis 0090, which is regarded as the most original 550 Spyder in existence as a reference point, and made it our goal to be sure that this would be the most faithful and correct restoration possible to serve as a compliment to 550-0090 as a reference point. After its completion, we debuted The Ingram Collection 550-0073 on the lawn at Pebble Beach in the extremely competitive Post-War Racing class. We were awarded a third in-class award, making this our 7th trip to show at Pebble and our 7th time having crossed the podium with an award.
Piëch to Peak
Three years ago, after purchasing 906-110, one of our clients mentioned that he wanted to relive the car’s storied competition history by driving it from his home in Vail, Colorado, through the Continental Divide via Independence Pass and finish in Aspen. Before long, we had three more great collectors who expressed their interest in purchasing a 906 of their own to participate in the trip, and Jeff Zwart who already had one of his own agreed to join. The cars were located, procured and thoroughly serviced to make sure they were completely road worthy in just a few short months. With that- Piëch to Peak was born. It sounded like a crazy idea then- and in some sense it still is- but it left a profound impression on both our clients and staff. We couldn’t have predicted it then, but it became the impetus for the 8 experiential driving events we have put on in the last two years. This year marked our third annual Piëch to Peak with four 906s and two 904s and their owners experiencing these fiberglass racer’s hillclimb prowess on some of Colorado’s best mountain passes.
Four Cam Jam
Our first Four Cam Jam began five years ago as a celebration of Porsche’s early competition history and focused specifically on the early Four-Cam equipped Carreras and Spyders. We figured the best way to celebrate that history was to tailor a track day dedicated to these machines and to get their owners behind the wheel to drive them in the way they were intended. In recent years, we’ve invited our clients to bring modern GT and competition cars in addition to their Four-Cam cars, and the event has evolved into a celebration of Porsche’s motorsport heritage old and new. This year, we held Four Cam Jam on the West Coast for the first time. Our clients had plenty of open track time, as well as the opportunity to one on one coaching with Jeff Zwart, Gunnar Jeannette, and the Ingram Experience. We also installed a passenger seat in the Ingram Collection 935 as well as the Road Scholars/Peter Millar GT4 Clubsport for ride-alongs at speed.
