Though the 912 was a resounding sales success, it has never been widely treated with the cache of its 6-cylinder brothers. There is, however, a die-hard core group of owner enthusiasts who would much rather have their 9-series cars in four cylinder guise. These lunatics are known as the 912 Registry, and every year they gather together to celebrate everything that is the Neun-Zwölfer with the “912 Rendezvous”. Whether short-wheelbase, long wheelbase, or 912E, all are welcome.
Increasing values have proven to only make these fanatics more particular about their cars. This is evidenced by the fact that every single one of the 60+ cars that arrived last weekend for the 912 Rendezvous was in a condition well above “driver”. It was said that in previous years, some of the entrants brought cars that were of questionable reliability and less than desirable appearance, but slowly this has become less the norm and more the exception.
Beginning on Thursday (09/12), everyone met up in gorgeous Carmel, CA for a bit of revelry and fisherman’s tales in the setting sun. Any opportunity to spend the weekend with some dyed-in-the-wool car fans is time well spent, and there isn’t a group more thoroughly dyed than this one. Everyone had interesting tales to tell, notes concerning their cars, and intelligent conversation was steadily flowing. With a bit of international flavor, one couple made the trek from Canada, another flew to join us from the Netherlands, and another 912-er was visiting all the way from Australia.
Friday began with a phenomenal drive through the countryside. As we didn't have our own 1969 912 at the show, we bummed a ride in the passenger seat of a sand beige car owned by Jeff Trask. Mr. Trask, a friend of Stoddard NLA, is a member of the 912 Registry Board of Directors, and is known for his spirited driving antics, leading many to inform us what exactly we would be in for as his passenger. In the end, both we and the car survived without a scratch, no worse for wear, but that isn’t to say there weren’t a few moments deemed temporarily terrifying.
The 120 mile drive took us through some nice hilly terrain, down mountainsides, across wide open fields, and down through the valleys in the Carmel and Monterey areas of seaside California. It was truly a storybook backdrop for such an amazing group, and the air was alight with the music of more than 60 912 engines thrumming their way through the gears. With windows down and smiling faces, we hammered through the switchbacks, tumbled through elevation changes, and jetted along wide open highways.
Halfway through the journey, everyone converged on a secluded winery for some nice sack lunch and a glass or two of fermented grape. After lunch, we all took some time to admire the other cars on the trip with us before taking off again. It was clear that there were some excellent vehicles in our midst. Everyone had a personal favorite, and much drooling and ogling was committed.
Saturday morning began anew with a slightly less blood pumping endeavor; wiping down the cars for the annual people’s choice car show. Everyone who had participated in the rally awoke early to wipe off the dew, bugs, and road grime the previous day. As the sun came up, everyone began moving their cars out to the show field at a local park. From the outset, there were three clear leaders on everyones mind for "Best in Show"; last year's best in show, a tasteful “renegade” 1967 painted in a lovely shade of 356 "orange" owned by John Eiskamp, the Irish Green 1968 coupe of Bud O'Lea, and the stunning Dolphin Grey 1965 "painted dash" car of Kim Fiori.
The car show winners were announced at dinner on Saturday night, and the suspense was palpable when as the Best in Show award was announced. As luck would have it, the three cars each won the exact same number of votes. To break the tie, each car was relieved of its spare wheel and the air pressure was compared to the original specification as called out in the owner manual. Mr. Fiori’s pressure was well below spec at 11psi, Mr. O’Lea only slightly better at 15psi, meaning that John Eiskamp’s 31psi garnered him a repeat Best In Show victory.
A giant thank you goes out to everyone involved in putting an event like this into motion. A special thanks to the board members of the 912 Registry for bringing a great group of folks together. We’d also like to thank the 912 community (not just those who attended) for showing Stoddard their support, we genuinely appreciate your enthusiasm for these cars, and we’ll continue to do what we can to help keep them on the road! Is the 912 really “one better” than a 911? Just ask the people who own one, they’d be glad to tell you all about it!
