Pride and Predilection: PCA’s Werks Reunion (or, It’s Not a Gang, It’s a CLUB! )
(Or, maybe: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same.)
Photos by Sean Cridland
For most of the Porsche Club of America’s existence, the PREMIER event was Parade. And that was it. In the early 2000s, a new, secondary event called Escape came into being as an alternative non-competitive event for members to enjoy. Around that same time, another event, which PCA shared with the other German marque clubs called Legends of the Autobahn began getting more attention during Monterey Car Week. Then, just a few years ago, the PCA debuted its own stand-alone event, called the Werks Reunion.
This year’s west coast Werks event during Monterey Car Week (there’s also an east-coast event paired with the Amelia Island Concours) found a new home at the Corral De Tierra Country Club, just up the road from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. While we haven’t seen numbers, this year’s Werks Reunion felt like the biggest one yet.
Arriving at the event early, the enthusiasm of the PCAers was immediately evident. Porsche owners are tremendously proud of their cars, and maybe there are some for which ownership supports their egos. But looking at the seriousness and devotion with which the members prepare and care for their cars suggests something far beyond mere ego. There is a camaraderie amongst the people present that suggests a fraternity of loyalty and love beyond far beyond the vainglorious and closer to dedication and commitment.
Of course, there were a few garage queens, trailer princesses, and race warriors shipped in for special display, but many of the people present were not only proud of their cars’ appearances, but how far they had driven to attend the event. While the collectors fight for four-digit odometer readings, many of the club people boast of mileages of tens and hundreds of thousands of miles while still carrying around Mother’s, Meguiar’s, and Griot’s duffel bags filled with carnauba, clay bars, microfiber cloth, old socks, and Q-tips.
Of course, these days there’s a trend toward preserving original paint, nicks, and dents in the older cars. Pariahs just a few years ago, some of the “rougher” looking cars are embraced with an enthusiasm once lavished only on perfect restorations. And, Werks seems to be the best place to show it all.
But, the best part of any PCA event is meeting up with old friends and making new ones. While Parade remains securely in place as the PCA’s centerpiece, the Werks Reunion events on both coasts have shown that PCAers love getting together to share their love of Porsches, no matter the occasion. Though it has the ring of a cliché, the club adage holds true: it’s not just the cars, it’s the people, too.
