The largest gathering of Porsches in Occitanie gathered last weekend in St.Cyprien in the South of France to take part in a "driveout" to Spain, and other activities to cultivate the joy of owning these great cars.
Named after a mountain wind
Tramontane is the wind that blows between the mountains surrounding the Mediterranean Sea in the Catalan part of France, Languedoc Roussillon. It has just been ravaging the landscape for 6 days. The wind can be quite insidious because it can change direction quickly, and the winds can come in gusts. It can suddenly come roaring towards you while you sense peace and no danger. It is said that the winds always last in cycles of 3 days. So what is the connection between the Tramontane winds and the Porsche event? Well, the Porsches can come roaring around the next bend, and the car rally lasted exactly 3 days.
But when all the Porsches are lined up or parading through the city, I realize that it is not possible to take a picture of them all. So I concentrate on the ones that catch my eye most easily – the classic cars that are one size smaller than the new Porsches. In the 60s and 70s, people would point and shout "Look, a Porsche!". Today, almost "everyone" who has reached mid-life can buy a new or nearly new Porsche. Classic Porsches, however? - Not everything can be bought with money, you know.
Porsche 356
Early Porsches were not supercars. Only well-built, harmonious and beautiful gran-turismo cars with sporting characteristics. The model was made in 4 series, but it can be difficult to date a car only from a visual impression. The green car above is a 1600 C - where C stands for Carrera - stated to have the 1600 engine with 75 HP. A slightly wide strip at the front of the hood and double air intakes at the back indicate that it is a model year between 1962 and 1965. The blue car below is a 1600 SC (Super Carrera) which then has a 90 HP 1600 engine.
Collector cars
The cars on the red carpet belong to the local Porsche dealer Centre Porsche Perpignan . Among the cars they had 2 classics that are unlikely to ever decrease in value. The white Porsche 356 AT1 is a 1957 model and has a 1600 cc engine with 60 HP. The car was first registered in the USA and the first owner was a Lewis K Gough . He was the National Commander for the American forces during World War II and is known for, among other things, having involved Marilyn Monroe in so-called morale-building activities during the war. There is a picture that shows the commander presenting a plaque for her involvement, but the film star has probably never sat in the commander's fine Porsche that you can study at Centre Porsche Perpignan. I have not dared to ask the price.
Porsche 911 930 Turbo
I remember well when the Porsche 911 Turbo arrived. The most eye-catching thing was the large rear spoiler, which probably only got bigger as engines and performances grew. The car pictured is probably from the latter half of the 80s with a 3,3 liter engine that can probably deliver 300-330 HP. In any case, there should be enough power to hold the car down at speed.
VW Porsche 914
The model was produced by both Volkswagen and Porsche. The cars built by Volkswagen had a 4-cylinder engine taken from the 411/412 while Porsche used 6-cylinder 2 liter engines. The car in the pictures has this engine. It was on the stand of Sud Classic Car . It has undergone a full restoration and appears to be an original car painted in Delphi Green. The hood and tailgate are foiled in matte black, and according to the dealer can be removed before sale. The price is 36,000 euros, well over 400,000 NOK.
Porsche Spyder 718
When Porsche introduced the Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster with a 4-cylinder turbo engine, many people turned their backs on the model. A few years later, the (Cayman) GT4 and (Boxster) Spyder were launched with flat-six engines of 4 liters – rebuilt from the 911 range. The picture above is of the 718 Spyder.
Today, the Porsche 964 is not only a vintage car and a classic, but also the last model with an early 911 appearance. About the 964 it was said that no previous 911 model had received as many changes, but that was before the 966 arrived. In retrospect, one can clearly see that the 964 carries many features from the original 911 series.
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