This group of brand-new 993s was sitting on some really expensive turf. Cap Ferrat, between Nice and Monaco, was the French site selected for the press introduction of the last air-cooled Porsche in 1993. Car manufacturers in general like for those doing the story on their latest models to be located in nice digs, well fed and happy. The thought apparently being that happy journalists make for sale-producing, complimentary new car intro stories. Or, maybe the PR people just like being there themselves; probably some of both. I shot the color opener for our story — of a blue car at dusk – off a tiny decorative hotel balcony well above the gravel courtyard below; I recall the balcony as having a crack at the base, and leaning outward a bit, and I was plenty nervous. The image shown here was made earlier in the day under a tent down toward the Mediterranean, with beautiful diffuse light showing off these intensely colored cars, and a bit of the blue French sky reflected in the paint. Since it didn’t show off the whole car — important in a new car intro — we never used it, although it was far superior to the nerve-racking (and a bit shaky) balcony shot.
Taken at Cap Ferrat during the press introduction to the last Porsche air-cooled model, the 993.
About Leonard Turner and “The Last Turn”
With a background in photography spanning more than 5 decades, Leonard Turner was Porsche Panorama’s chief photographer for some 40 years, shooting several hundred covers for the magazine and countless feature spreads involving racing, new car introductions, portraits, technical illustrations, and a plethora of other topics. In the course of doing this, he has traveled widely over the United States and Europe, visiting the Porsche factories and shooting at many venues, including a portfolio of the world’s greatest race tracks.
Leonard’s photographs have been published in many books including Porsche: Portrait of a Legend; Porsche Specials; Porsche, the 4-Cylinder, 4-Cam Sports & Racing Cars; Sebring, the Official History; Carrera RS; and Porsche: Prototype Era 1964 to 1973. His magazine credits, other than Panorama, include Autoweek, Road & Track, Automobile, Christophorus, and Excellence.
It was with this background in mind that we asked Leonard to open up his archives to share with you here on FLATSIXES.com. His personal files, both digital and film, contain tens of thousands of images of Porsches, Porsche people, and events they shaped and which shaped them. Our plan is to share one of Leonard’s images with you every other week, and the story behind it, in this newest feature, “The Last Turn” here on FLATSIXES.com.
Other Porsche Blog Posts You Will Enjoy
The Last Turn – Turn 1
How I’m Learning to Become a Better Porsche Motorsport Photographer
Magical Time-Lapse Series Of Photos From The 24 Hours Of Le Mans Is A Must Watch
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