Porsche race cars gather at Quail Lodge: Video

In contrast to the Rennsport Reunion's raucous goings on at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Race Car Classic at the Quail Lodge took a more serene approach in presenting the first few decades of Porsche racing.

It was almost too serene, as the field of roughly 200 cars draped in loose silk car covers that greeted the crowd gave the impression of burying Porsches, not praising them. But things perked up with a group unveiling that revealed an outstanding collection of rare and unique racers, including many from the Porsche Museum and the Collier collection.

No less than 15 Type 904 Carrera GTS cars and 10 Abarth Carrera GTL coupes were huddled together, while the 550 Spyder contingent included the 1953 550-01 prototype clad in the hardtop it wore at Le Mans.

Rev. Ronald Roland showed off a yellow 1952 aluminum America Roadster originally purchased by Briggs Cunningham and raced by Phil Walters. Other unique 356-based vehicles included a 1952 Glockler Roadster and a pair of Denzel 1300 SS Roadsters.

The "outlaw" movement was represented by a yellow 550 Spyder wearing fender flares and wide Goodyear racing slicks, powered by a 911 flat-six. Another nonconformist was Dave Merz's windowless, heavily patina-coated 1962 356B Carrera 2/2000GS coupe under an equally tattered survivor MG Mitten car cover.

On the 911 side was the first 901 imported to the United States, a 1964 factory dealer demonstrator that became an SCCA racer in the 1960s and still competes in vintage races.

Event organizer Steve Heinrichs, a Porsche enthusiast who is a lung-cancer survivor, staged the event to raise awareness of the disease that kills more women than breast cancer and more men than other forms combined. Hopefully he succeeds at that, as he definitely raised awareness and appreciation of many early Porsche race cars.

Editor's note: Look for more coverage of the Rennsport Reunion in the Nov. 14 issue of Autoweek. Click here to subscribe.

By Patrick C. Paternie