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Mistakes Make It Authentic
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If you read these emails regularly, you probably know I put a lot of work into them. You may also have noticed that every once in a while, I get something wrong. Please, don’t share that with my wife…this is just between you and me.
Last week, I referenced Abraham Lincoln’s axe when I should have been talking about George Washington and the famous cherry tree story. My apologies to both presidents—and to every history teacher who read it and immediately cringed…especially Ms. Brewster.
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But maybe mistakes are just proof that a real person is still writing these things.
And for the record, while I had the wrong president, Abe Lincoln actually was pretty handy with an axe. So I wasn’t completely barking up the wrong tree:) Yeah, I said it.
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What Happens When You Put Porsche People On A Boat
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I just returned from PCA Treffen at Sea, and I came home reminded of something I already knew: Porsche people are pretty wonderful. I can attest as both a Porsche owner and enthusiast that the porcupine joke is not true. (See below)
For those who may not know, “Treffen” is German for “meeting” or “gathering,” which makes it a particularly appropriate name for a Porsche Club of America event. Usually the gathering involves Porsche. This time, PCA gathered a bunch of Porsche owners on a cruise ship and left the cars at home…Let’s “Meet at Sea”.
Turns out, we still had plenty to talk about.
There were stories about first Porsche, current Porsche, Porsche we regret selling, Porsche we’re trying to buy and probably a few Porsche that technically don’t exist yet according to the household accounting department.
It was a terrific event, and a special thank you goes to Vu Nguyen for everything he did to help make Treffen at Sea such a memorable experience. Vu has been a great supporter of my books, podcast and the Porsche community, and spending time with him and so many PCA members reinforced something I’ve experienced over and over again: The cars may bring us together, but the people are why we stay.
Would you like to join us in 2027? You can learn more here. And it is going to sell out VERY soon.
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New to this newsletter?
Don’t miss out—subscribe over there—->
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Quite A Panel…Especially In The Middle Of The Ocean
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One of the highlights of Treffen at Sea was an incredible panel featuring Alwin Springer, Nathan Merz, Tim McNair, Donald Osborne and Bruce Meyer, moderated by Vu Nguyen.
If you’re a Porsche enthusiast, that’s quite a collection of knowledge, experience and stories to put together in one place. Between Porsche history, collecting, preservation, judging, racing, restoration and the market, there wasn’t much Porsche territory that this group couldn’t cover.
There was also a personal connection that made the panel especially meaningful for me.
Four of the participants contributed to my first book, The Enthusiast’s Guide to Collector Cars, and all six are contributing to my upcoming The Enthusiast’s Guide to Porsche.
As an author, there was something pretty special about sitting there listening to people whose perspectives appear in my books share their knowledge with a room full of Porsche enthusiasts.
And it reinforced the theme of the entire trip. You can read specifications and production numbers anywhere. You can research values, horsepower and option codes. But the stories come from people.
That’s what makes opportunities like this panel so valuable—and it’s exactly what I’m trying to capture in the books.
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The Love Boat Was Never Really About The Boat
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One of my favorite moments happened when I turned on the television in my cabin. Of all the shows that could have been playing, what was on? The original Love Boat. Perfect.
For those of us of a certain age, Saturday nights meant The Love Boat. Captain Stubing was in charge, Gopher was trying to keep everything organized, Doc was usually flirting with someone, Isaac was behind the bar smiling at everybody, and Julie was somehow expected to make sure every passenger had the greatest vacation of his or her life.
And back then, the Pacific Princess looked enormous. It was glamorous, luxurious and, at least to a kid watching television, about as impressive as a ship could possibly be.
Watching it from our cabin aboard the Grand Princess was hilarious.
The old Love Boat suddenly looked tiny. Compared with the massive ship we were sailing on—with multiple restaurants, theaters, pools, shops and seemingly an entire city stacked above the waterline—the Pacific Princess looked like something our ship might tow behind it.
Apparently cruise ships have experienced the same size inflation as the Porsche 911.
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But watching the old show also reminded me that The Love Boat was never really about the size of the boat.
Every week, a new group of passengers came aboard with some sort of problem. Someone was looking for love. Someone was running away from it. Someone had a secret. Someone was mad at someone else. And there was a pretty good chance that by the end of the hour, Captain Stubing and the crew had somehow helped straighten everything out.
The ship was simply the setting for bringing people together.
Looking back, I’m not entirely sure they were running a cruise ship. They may have been running a Porsche club.
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The Porsche Is Just The Ticket Aboard
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The Porsche gets us through the door. Maybe it’s a 356. Maybe it’s a 911 you’ve owned for 30 years. Maybe it’s a Boxster you bought last month. Maybe it’s the first Porsche you’ve ever owned and you’re slightly terrified that everyone else knows far more about it than you do. Then you discover something wonderful.
Someone does know more about it than you do.
And they’re usually happy to help.
That’s one of my favorite things about the Porsche community. Need a mechanic? Somebody knows one. Trying to identify a strange noise? Three people have already experienced it. Looking for an impossible-to-find part? Somebody knows a guy who knows a guy. Thinking about buying another Porsche? You’ll receive 14 opinions before you’ve finished asking the question. But listen to Nathan…always listen to Nathan:)
And if you break down on the side of the road during a club tour, you’ll quickly discover just how many Porsche owners it takes to look into an engine compartment at the same time.
The answer is apparently all of them.
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The Ships Change. The Cars Change.
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Watching The Love Boat today is a reminder of just how much things change. The Pacific Princess looked enormous and luxurious in the 1970s. Next to today’s cruise ships, it almost looks like the tender that takes you ashore.
The same is true of our cars. A Porsche that seemed incredibly fast 40 years ago can now be outrun by a family SUV. Technology changes. Performance changes.
Expectations change. But something important doesn’t. The relationships.
The best memories from a car club usually aren’t horsepower numbers, option codes or concours scores. They’re the road trips, dinners, breakdowns, inside jokes and friendships that never would have happened if we hadn’t all become obsessed with the same cars.
That’s what Treffen at Sea reminded me. For several days, most of us didn’t even have our Porsche with us—and somehow, we were still very much a Porsche club.
Maybe that was the point of The Love Boat, too. Every week the passengers changed, but the ship was simply the setting.
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The Relationships Were The Story.
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Cars get bought and sold, and the Porsche you once dreamed about may someday belong to someone else. But the people you meet because of those cars can remain part of your life long after the keys have changed hands.
That’s what made PCA Treffen at Sea such a wonderful event, and why I’m especially thankful to Vu Nguyen, PCA and everyone who made it happen.
Ships change. Cars change.
Getting a bunch of interesting people together and seeing what happens never gets old.
Come aboard. They’re expecting you.
Oh yeah…the food was amazing…especially the Porsche themed desserts. I’m not eating again until March.
#Porsche #PCA #PorscheClubOfAmerica #TreffenAtSea #Porsche911 #PorscheLife #TheLoveBoat #PrincessCruises #CollectorCars #CarCulture #TheCollectorCarPodcast
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You’ve probably heard the old joke: What’s the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine? With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.
After spending several days at Treffen at Sea, I can confidently say the joke is wrong.
The Porsche owners I met were some of the nicest, funniest and most welcoming people in the hobby.
Maybe the porcupine just needs to drive a 911 and join the PCA.
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“See A Kid, Give A Book” Campaign
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One of my favorite parts of The Enthusiast’s Guide project is my “See a Kid, Give a Book” campaign. The rules are pretty simple: at select car shows and events, if I see a young enthusiast genuinely checking out the cars, I may hand them a free copy of the book. There are, however, a few important rules. The kid must actually be there.
The goal is to reward the kids who show up, wander the field, ask questions, and remind us that the future of the collector car hobby might be standing right next to us. If you would like to sponsor a book or books, just respond to this email to learn more.
The Enthusiast’s Guide to Collector Cars is available here and online through Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble, making it easier than ever to encourage the next generation of enthusiast. Stay Driven, Greg Stanley
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New Podcasts Every Thursday
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Then catch up on some of my previous blogs:
As always, thanks for listening, watching, reading, liking and sharing fun automotive content. I will talk to all of you this Thursday on The Collector Car Podcast.
Greg Stanley
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