This weekend, during Porsche’s Sportscar Together Festival at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the winners of the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge were announced. Finalists from each of the three regions were sent to Indy for judging, both by Porsche Cars North America staff, and a separate people’s choice ballot was offered for P-car fans in attendance. The three finalists were this 1989 911 Turbo restored by Champion Porsche—which obviously won top honors—a 1996 911 Carrera 4S from Porsche Exchange in Illinois, and a 1982 911 SC restored by Porsche Palm Springs.
“This was our first time taking part in the competition, and in typical Champion Porsche fashion, we gave it our all – and then some – in every step of the restoration project,” said representatives from Champion Porsche. “We saw some of the restorations from the previous year and knew that we had to do our best to step things up this year with our restoration. Not a single bolt was left unturned, and every single part was either replaced with new genuine parts from Porsche Classic or restored. Our mission was to restore our 1989 911 Turbo to exactly what the original factory build sheet called for, resulting in a true factory restoration. The competition this year was definitely stiff and there were some amazing builds out there. The cars that made it to Sports Car Together Fest was proof of that. It was great to talk Porsche with all the fellow competitors and to even feel a comradery amongst everyone.”
Each of the cars was judged to have won its own region by a panel of people from Porsche Classic and PCNA, as well as restoration experts. Scoring was based on not just the restoration, however, as creativity, authenticity, and craftsmanship were also taken into consideration. Ultimately it was the dark blue 911 Turbo from Champion that took top honors. According to those in attendance, the car checked every box, and impressed judges and fans alike.
“Taking a vehicle missing parts when the project began, Champion Porsche’s efforts to restore a well-appreciated and worn 930 Turbo exemplify our goal at Porsche Classic – keeping all classic Porsche models on the road,” said Jonathan Sieber, Manager Porsche Classic with PCNA. “The margins were incredibly thin. Our biggest takeaway from all three finalists, and every entry in the competition, was how the Restoration Challenge brought people together. Teams bonded over these vehicles while working on them and the dealerships were able to share their passion for classic sports cars with enthusiastic customers.”
In addition to the three finalists, other Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge vehicles on display at Sports Car Together Fest included projects from Porsche Warrington (1996 911 “Safari” Type 993), Porsche Silver Spring (1994 968), Porsche Ontario (1993 911 RS America Type 964), Porsche Louisville (1982 911 SC), Porsche Hickory (1989 911 Turbo “Slant Nose” Targa Type 930) and Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas (1974 914 LE). Porsche Louisville won the popular choice award at Sports Car Together Fest.