Fifteen years ago or so when I first joined the PCA upon purchasing my 1991 911 Turbo (965), the national headquarters would assign you to a local 'chapter' based on your geographic location. As part of that chapter, you would receive a monthly newsletter along with invites to various events. I recall that even though I had bought my first 500e in 2010, that I would often read the welcoming of new PCA/chapter members who had to list their particular car, and seeing many times over that w124.036 owners had joined. They were treated no differently than those who had a Porsche badged car.
Fast forward to November of 2022 when I knew Michel would eventually finish out my car. I wanted to add a Porsche something to my car, given the heavy motorsport emphasis I was aiming for. So - I decided that if I once again joined the PCA for $45.00, that I could place their decal on the corner of the windshield so as to give the casual observer a reason to look over twice, assuming they don't know the story of the Porsche Type 2758.
In January 2023, I purchased a ticket to enter the car for Radwood in March at Amelia Island for their only Florida show, given that the car fits right in with their criteria accepting all cars manufactured from 1980-1999. But then I remembered that at Amelia, Porsches have a very large showing at their annual Werks Reunion show. So, I decided to make it an entire weekend and bought tickets for the Porsche-only show that Friday, March 2nd.
On Thursday March 1st, I woke up to an email sent by the Werks organizer at 11:30pm the previous evening, advising me that I was not welcomed to their show. Being that I am a decent lawyer by trade, and I was leaving with my wife hours later that same day and spending a pretty penny to stay at one the nicer hotels in the thick of things, I got the organizer to re-invite me, conveniently - as I did not take that news lying down. Their defense was that they should have done a better job at advising me sooner that my car was not a Porsche.
I already posted pics of the event and had a really, really nice time there with everyone. Magnus Walker even declared my car to me as his favorite - which is something to say as he's seen and driven 1,000's of Porsches over the years, including my own previous 965.
Two weeks later, as a card carrying member of the PCA and, also having bought tickets for the Porsche Corral at Sebring for both the Friday WEC opening round, and the 12 Hours of Sebring that Saturday - I was informed that my car is not a Porsche. This is exactly what went down...
At the gate to the corral (secluded parking inside the racetrack - Cadillacs and Corvettes also have theirs), the gentleman would not let me enter and asked that I park the 500e to the side. After waiting for about 10 minutes inside the car for I don't know what, I got out and proceeded to talk to the management of the event. I told them I was a PCA member for many years (they knew that), that I had rightfully bought my expensive pass months prior, and that my Mercedes Benz 500e was manufactured and assembled in Stuttgart, so that it was a Porsche. I knew who Manny Alban was when he decided to pitch in and say that it was not a Porsche, that I was not allowed to park it there, and that I was welcomed to stay but not the car. Alban was the former PCA president for many years and also a PCA "technical director"...
When I told him that if anyone Googles Porsche Type 2758, the first thing that appears is a video of the Porsche employees that built the car, so it should be allowed in:
newsroom.porsche.com
He took lead saying it was not a Porsche because it was not manufactured by Porsche... Okay, well in all sincerity sir - it was. Well, its not Porsche badged. Okay, well in all sincerity sir - Porsche has its own numeric designation for it. So... flustered with facts, he then directed me to a young gal who was from national headquarters and, without ever me hinting that she likely got the position because of - well certainly not her looks, but her... um, well anyhow - a large group had assembled around me at this point with both sides going back and forth. She politely told me that although I was a PCA member, that my car is a Mercedes and cannot participate. Hard to argue beyond that for me, so I took some quick pics before they would have tarred and feathered my car, but nonetheless feel dejected that people that work for Porsche, and are affiliated with it, are the authority when it comes to all 500e's, despite being manufactured at the Porsche plant and being designated as Type 2758's, are not Porsche's... So, I now know that I can attend the local PCA events, but my car is not welcomed anywhere "real" Porsches are at, like lowly Boxsters and 924's are!
Anyone has had a similar experience, now that my car is outed on a nationwide basis by someone who - in all honesty - likely does not know much about cars or much else?
Fast forward to November of 2022 when I knew Michel would eventually finish out my car. I wanted to add a Porsche something to my car, given the heavy motorsport emphasis I was aiming for. So - I decided that if I once again joined the PCA for $45.00, that I could place their decal on the corner of the windshield so as to give the casual observer a reason to look over twice, assuming they don't know the story of the Porsche Type 2758.
In January 2023, I purchased a ticket to enter the car for Radwood in March at Amelia Island for their only Florida show, given that the car fits right in with their criteria accepting all cars manufactured from 1980-1999. But then I remembered that at Amelia, Porsches have a very large showing at their annual Werks Reunion show. So, I decided to make it an entire weekend and bought tickets for the Porsche-only show that Friday, March 2nd.
On Thursday March 1st, I woke up to an email sent by the Werks organizer at 11:30pm the previous evening, advising me that I was not welcomed to their show. Being that I am a decent lawyer by trade, and I was leaving with my wife hours later that same day and spending a pretty penny to stay at one the nicer hotels in the thick of things, I got the organizer to re-invite me, conveniently - as I did not take that news lying down. Their defense was that they should have done a better job at advising me sooner that my car was not a Porsche.
I already posted pics of the event and had a really, really nice time there with everyone. Magnus Walker even declared my car to me as his favorite - which is something to say as he's seen and driven 1,000's of Porsches over the years, including my own previous 965.
Two weeks later, as a card carrying member of the PCA and, also having bought tickets for the Porsche Corral at Sebring for both the Friday WEC opening round, and the 12 Hours of Sebring that Saturday - I was informed that my car is not a Porsche. This is exactly what went down...
At the gate to the corral (secluded parking inside the racetrack - Cadillacs and Corvettes also have theirs), the gentleman would not let me enter and asked that I park the 500e to the side. After waiting for about 10 minutes inside the car for I don't know what, I got out and proceeded to talk to the management of the event. I told them I was a PCA member for many years (they knew that), that I had rightfully bought my expensive pass months prior, and that my Mercedes Benz 500e was manufactured and assembled in Stuttgart, so that it was a Porsche. I knew who Manny Alban was when he decided to pitch in and say that it was not a Porsche, that I was not allowed to park it there, and that I was welcomed to stay but not the car. Alban was the former PCA president for many years and also a PCA "technical director"...
When I told him that if anyone Googles Porsche Type 2758, the first thing that appears is a video of the Porsche employees that built the car, so it should be allowed in:
Tracing the story of the Mercedes-Benz 500 E
Porsche was commissioned to design the fast touring saloon by what was then Daimler-Benz AG. Thirty years on, two of those involved in the project take a look back.
He took lead saying it was not a Porsche because it was not manufactured by Porsche... Okay, well in all sincerity sir - it was. Well, its not Porsche badged. Okay, well in all sincerity sir - Porsche has its own numeric designation for it. So... flustered with facts, he then directed me to a young gal who was from national headquarters and, without ever me hinting that she likely got the position because of - well certainly not her looks, but her... um, well anyhow - a large group had assembled around me at this point with both sides going back and forth. She politely told me that although I was a PCA member, that my car is a Mercedes and cannot participate. Hard to argue beyond that for me, so I took some quick pics before they would have tarred and feathered my car, but nonetheless feel dejected that people that work for Porsche, and are affiliated with it, are the authority when it comes to all 500e's, despite being manufactured at the Porsche plant and being designated as Type 2758's, are not Porsche's... So, I now know that I can attend the local PCA events, but my car is not welcomed anywhere "real" Porsches are at, like lowly Boxsters and 924's are!
Anyone has had a similar experience, now that my car is outed on a nationwide basis by someone who - in all honesty - likely does not know much about cars or much else?
.
