by John Glynn | Feb 13, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Porsche People
Another bereavement in the Porsche community this week, when the respected technical writer, Bruce Anderson, passed away at the age of 75. Bruce’s wife, Stephanie, sent me the following story of how Bruce got into Porsche cars and built a career from his passion:
“Bruce was head of publications for Hewlett Packard’s Santa Clara Division in California. He was a tech writer first at HP. At the same time, he was a Porsche guy. Can’t tell you how many he owned back in the day but his love was the air cooled 911 etc. He and his friend, Bob Garretson, would tinker on the cars on the weekend. Thus they began “Garretson Enterprises”, which in fact was primarily owned by Bruce and his brother, Clark. Then in 1974 Bruce decided to quit HP and open a real shop.
“When that relationship fell apart in 1986, Bruce decided to write the “911 Performance Handbook”. He was Tech Chair for the Porsche Club of America and did that for 21 years, helping guys work on their cars in the garage. He also became a great photographer: most of the photos in his books are his. He also served as the Technical Editor of Excellence Magazine from its inception until he passed.”
I never met Bruce, but his writing was a favourite source when I first came to Porsche. My first-edition copy of his Porsche 911 Performance Handbook is on the desk as I type, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know air-cooled.
Never wishy-washy in opinion, Bruce did his research and was ready to stand by his point of view. His attention and forthright delivery set a proper example: this loss leaves a hole that will prove tricky to fill. There’s no doubting his place as a much-loved member of the tight Porsche community and Bruce will certainly be missed.
Friends of the man speak warmly of days spent at Monterey listening to jazz – a great love of Bruce’s – and long nights at Daytona and Le Mans. With a taste for red meat and fine wine, Bruce was all about living his passions, and his writing is rich with the same. Few authors share as much detail on the technical aspects of engines and performance as Bruce: visit the Bruce Anderson blog to read some for yourself.
Former Porsche CEO, Peter Schutz wrote the foreword to Bruce’s performance book. Peter is sincere in his appreciation for the man’s driving force.
“Bruce is one of those people who never does anything half way. His knowledge of Mexican food and jazz is exceeded only by his knowledge of Porsche, and particularly the 911 in all its variations. It is thus in the true Bruce Anderson style that he has decided to share his love and knowledge with the rest of us, in this book. Beyond all else, Bruce is a sharing person.”
Bruce had been in and out of hospital for months: purgatory for one who so enjoyed being out and about in the company of Porsche heads. With his passing comes peace in the sound of air-cooled flat six engines in Porsche heaven. Best wishes to his family and friends, surely blessed to have known him. The rest of us will continue to enjoy Bruce’s work through his legacy of words and ideas.
RIP Bruce Anderson: May 27, 1938 – Feb 9, 2013.
by John Glynn | Jan 25, 2013 | Porsche People, Race and Rally
The amazing Nick Tandy’s off the blocks well in Florida, with a stunning pole on his debut drive for the works Porsche team.
Porsche drivers locked out the first four places in the 36-strong GT class, with the first eleven cars split by less than a second. Konrad/Orbit driver Tandy beat last year’s Daytona winner, Magnus Racing’s Andy Lally, to the front, along with plenty of other big names. It’s the perfect opening to a works drive career.
“Pole position in Daytona shouldn’t be underestimated, even if the race runs over 24 hours,” said Nick. “Starting from the front allows you to avoid getting caught up in any skirmishes and that’s certainly an advantage. Our car ran perfectly and that gives us a good feeling for the race.”
Sharing the cockpit with Lally is Porsche works driver, Richard Lietz. “We won the race last year. Second on the grid is an excellent starting position to repeat this success.” Sean Edwards (MOMO Porsche) nabbed third, ahead of Patrick Long in fourth.
In a sure sign of attack mode, Long’s team mate, Patrick Pilet, said he’d love to score a podium. “Sean did an excellent job. After this great qualifying result we are all looking forward to the race. Our goal is to finish on the podium.” Anyone who’s ever seen Pilet drive knows a win is on the cards.
The scene is set for a terrific battle at this year’s Daytona 24 (and I’ve got the perfect birthday present) with new boy Tandy out front, taking 911 needle to the rest. Needle makes for great racing, so this will be unmissable.
Racing starts on Saturday at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 hrs CET). Get yourself sorted for coverage! There’s be online streaming on a number of websites, and Radio Le Mans will be running their usual excellent race commentary live online. Can’t wait!
by John Glynn | Jan 18, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Market & Prices, Porsche People
Working on a classic Porsche insurance value for a friend’s 924 Carrera GT the other day, it occurred to me that the last time I had a chat about GT and GTS values was with 924 superfan, Derek Bell, in the car park at the Goodwood Kennels while writing a feature on his Porsche 928 Club Sport for Porsche World magazine.
Endurance superstar Derek famously owns a red 924 Carerra GTS (above), given to him by Porsche, and driven back to the UK in legendary style with the late Russell Bulgin alongside. I had a quick look at prices online and send DB a short email reminder to check the agreed insurance value for the car, as who knows where they might stop in the current climate. I included a link to a 924 Carrera GTS that’s been for sale at Freisinger for a while, priced at €80k.
I got a speedy reply, assuring me he was up to date on 924 values and noting one sale at over £100k! I wondered if he meant USD but for sure adding in the provenance would take values for his own car to a whole other level.
Is your classic Porsche insurance value up to date? Contact me if you want some help: used car market values are my specialist subject. Do not put this off!
by John Glynn | Dec 12, 2012 | Porsche News, Porsche People
Porsche has acquired a 9,000 metre site for a new training centre at its Zuffenhausen factory in Stuttgart.
Expected to host 500 of what Porsche calls ‘career entrants’, the new centre will encompass “all technical and commercial professions and courses of studies of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University”. Alongside a training workshop to focus on the latest technologies, the facility provides training rooms and office space. The centre will also host further training for employees working outside production.
This facility will replace Porsche’s current training centre, which the company has now outgrown. The huge sales growth and associated production rises planned for the next few years will mean upping the apprentice count by 50%, not to mention keeping its existing and additional workforce up to speed.
“[Porsche] can meet the impending shortage of skilled workers only by offering more and better training,” saus Uwe Hück, Chairman of the Group Works Council. “We have now achieved an increase in the number of apprentices from 100 to 150 per year, which will all be taken on for an indefinite period. The new training centre permits Porsche to meet its social responsibilities. I can only say this is an excellent decision for the youth – and for Porsche.”
A secondary aim of the project is to improve Porsche’s urban landscape. The centre is part of a larger development to better arrange the Porsche plant structure. Porsche says the current arrangement was shaped by the difficult conditions of the past decades: the aerial picture up top shows the full layout. I find it charming with everything gathered around the original Werks, but charming is not the Porsche way.
by John Glynn | Nov 28, 2012 | Classic Porsche Blog, Porsche People, Race and Rally
Tuthill Porsche Safari contender, Franz Wunderlich, will follow in the tyre tracks of the original Paris-Dakar rally when he takes part in the Sonangol Africa Eco Race, which kicks off over Christmas.
Starting in Morocco on December 29th, the rally runs through North Africa en route to Senegal and a finish in the capital on January 9th, following the vision of Dakar founder, Thierry Sabine. Competitors in the classic category run along the same rugged desert tracks as modern competitors, but avoid the worst of the car-claiming dunes.
Racers benefit from identical logistic and medical support to those in the grand event. Sonangol Africa Race Classic competitors also enjoy the bivouac with regular participants, so there is some relief from cabin fever at the end of a day.
Sporting Director for this epic desert rally is René Metge (above): the famous Porsche wheelsman who claimed Dakar victory in the 959. Taking last year as a model, René has no plans to dish out easy rides.
“Just looking at the maps, we knew the 2012 edition would be difficult, and it was. What we did not anticipate was the weather, especially in Mauritania, where the sandstorm began to blow before we arrived and stayed ten days. The Mauritanian desert was then totally changed.
“Although I know the route by heart, I saw that some places became invisible and many dunes appeared where a few weeks ago, there was nothing. This bad weather forced us to cancel one leg. After several days of stress everyone was very tired including vehicles. The cancellation of the special stage between Akjoujt and Tenadi allowed them to start on the last Mauritanian leg with energy.
“The 2012 edition was difficult, but I think we took the right option. Dense race, “serious” navigation and intense crossing but not too long. We tried to have a minimum of rocky terrain all along the way but in Morocco, for example, it is quite impossible to avoid any rocky area.”
This event will be no cakewalk! We’ll be doing our best to follow Franz and his adventures, so keep it here for more updates.
Ferdinand blogs my freelance adventure with Porsche at the centre. To support the blog or engage with me in other ways, you can:
by John Glynn | Nov 22, 2012 | Classic Porsche Blog, Porsche People
We had a nice little session on Ferdinand’s Facebook page last night, where I opened the wall for a couple of hours to let Porsche friends post their answers to the question: “what shape does The Cult of Porsche take through your eyes?”
Holly Ragan Krueger shared this pic of her 912, before telling me the story of the car and making it a must-write blog post.
“My dad bought this 1968 912 in Florida in 1977,” said Holly. “I still have the two-line notarised bill of sale for $3,990. He drove it across the US and up the ALCAN highway with my brother, my mom and I following in a Ford pick up. My dad was a great old-school mechanic and he restored the car in Fairbanks, Arkansas next to his 356. He moved the cars to Georgia in 1987, then replaced the Solex with rebuilt Solex in ’89: he was such a purist.
“I drove her up to Minnesota in 1997. This ’68 912 is the only Porsche I’ve owned. I’ve paid mechanics a fortune to work on her, and spent many frustrating hours trying to work on her myself. 912 projects take me forever because I don’t know what I’m doing, but it’s worth it because I learn so much and then I’m that much closer to really understanding the car. I like to think what I lack in skill I make up for in determination.
“I replaced the fuel tank this past summer, which turned out to be a lot more than just sliding in a new tank. I had a shop replace the Solex with Webers this October, but I still need to balance the carbs and I think adjust the linkage too. I’m not sure how to do that, but I bribed my brother to send me some tools, so if I feel reasonably confident I’ll try to do the work myself. If I can’t I’ll have a shop do it.
“This coming spring I’d like to get some touch-up work done on the paint and replace my muffler. If everything goes well, I’d also like to clean up the engine, paint the fan cover, get new stickers, etc. I’m looking forward to this spring because I’ve met some local enthusiasts and found a few car events I can attend.
“All Porsches are special, but learning how to work on this old car is what makes this Porsche special to me.”
What a great story, perfect for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to Holly, her family and all our American Porsche friends and family around the world. Enjoy the holidays and share the love!
