The word “outlaw” originally was loaded with negative connotations among Porsche purists, who couldn’t stand seeing their little air-cooled sports cars turned into custom hot rods. But times have changed and the outlaws have won, which means that the customizers and performance tweakers have carved out their own respected niche within the Porsche community.
The second year of the Werks Reunion: A Porsche Gathering on Amelia Island, Florida, celebrated the original Porsche 356 Outlaws, modified for power, performance and just plain cool. There was quite a range of imaginative versions, including custom-made Speedsters, some pro-built coupes, the original Dean Jeffries custom 356 coupe, and Porsche’s very first Le Mans race car, the recently restored 1951 356 SL with its aerodynamic wheel spats.
The Reunion repeated the strong success of the first show in a region of the southern U.S. that is rich with Porsche enthusiasts of every stripe. It doesn’t hurt that the Brumos Racing team of Porsche competition fame was located just down the road in Jacksonville.
Once again, the event was free for spectators, although there was a $20 charge for parking if you had the temerity of arriving in anything except a Porsche. Those driving 356s, 911s, 914s, 944s, 968s, 928s, Boxsters, Caymans, etc., were treated to free parking in the broad Porsche corral, where hundreds of cars were arranged in neat rows, separated into models and categories.
There were several hundred cars in the corral, and it was nearly as much fun wandering among them as it was seeing what was on display in the actual show.
The Reunion, which mirrors the original Werks Reunion held annually in Monterey, California, is organized by the Porsche Club of America and is held during a long weekend of collector car shows, auctions and the spectacular Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.