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Porsche Club News 6/03
26
The Porsche Club Great Britain’sNational Weekend was held at
EynshamHall near Oxford from 30th to 31stAugust. We welcomed 4,000
visitorsto this new venue, which became thesetting for one of the
largest gather-ings of Porsche vehicles in Europe thisyear. The
Club also had the honour ofwelcoming Dr. Wolfgang Porsche andhis
family as special guests for the firsttime.
The main house at Eynsham Hall is nowused as a conference hotel,
whichmeant that for the first time the Clubmembers could stay at
the actual venue for the event. The long drivewayto the impressive
hall was lined withcountless Porsches from all years ofconstruction
and types. Awaiting theguests in the courtyard at the front ofthe
building was an exhibition to mark40 years of the 911, with
vehicles fromevery year of production, starting witha very early,
right hand drive examplefrom 1965.
It was interesting to see not only howtechnology had advanced
but also thedifferent colours that were in vogue inthe different
years. Some of the visi-tors spent a long time here, it gavethem
the chance to not only read aboutthe history of the vehicles but
also toactually talk to their owners.
At the rear of the building, a bar on theterrace and a champagne
tent provid-ed a perfect place to relax. Not faraway, the entrants
in the Concours d’Elegance were polishing their vehi-cles ready for
the competition. Theycould compete for either the “MasterClass” or
the “Street Concours”. Afurther exhibition was dedicated to
thethree Club racing series, and attracteda great deal of interest.
Meanwhile,things were particularly lively in the parking area,
which served as ameeting point for members from thevarious regions
and model registers.Everyone there was either involved inin-depth
discussions or simply chattingto old friends.
Other highlights included an exhibitionfrom Porsche Cars Great
Britain, whichpresented not only the most up to datePorsches, but
also their 550 Spyderand a very early 356. At the other endof the
grounds was a market, whereguests could buy spare parts,
acces-sories and Porsche Selection items.The amusement park was
also very
6. ReportagePorsche Club Great Britain
National Weekend at Eynsham Hall
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Porsche Club News 6/03
27
popular, with the dodgem cars andclimbing wall proving to be the
biggesthits with the children.
Michelin provided a Formula 1 simulatorand sponsored a soapbox
and pedalgo-kart race, which attracted a size-able crowd.
Meanwhile, the display ofbirds of prey was a little more sedate.The
birds demonstrated their flyingcapabilities, while anyone who
wantedto be up there with them could observeproceedings from 50
metres abovethe ground in a hot air balloon.
Our guest of honour Richard Attwoodofficially opened the event
on Saturday.The evening began with a champagnereception on the
terrace and speechesby Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Jutta Alden-hoff from
the Porsche Club Co-ordina-tion and Andy Goss, Managing Directorof
Porsche Cars Great Britain. For thegala dinner, the 340 guests were
splitbetween three large halls, but after cof-fee everyone met up
back on the ter-race to witness an outstandingfireworks
display.
Only the early risers got to see the hotair balloon float away
shortly afterdawn on the Sunday morning. The suc-cessful event was
rounded off by thepresentation of prizes and trophies later that
day. Special thanks go to theClub crew, who worked so hard tomake
this National Weekend the bestyet.
Porsche Club Great BritainPresident: David NewtonTel.: +44 (0)16
08 65 29 11Fax: +44 (0)16 08 65 29 68
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Porsche Club News 6/03
28
Club Porsche de France
Porsche Days 2003 in Magny-Cours
The Porsche Days, organised for thethird time in a row by the
Club Porschede France, this year marked the begin-ning of the
celebrations for the 40thanniversary of the 911 in France.
Thisyear’s event was held over three daysfor the first time, from
29th to 31stAugust 2003, and was a focal point ofthe year for
French Porsche fans.
The statistics for the event speak forthemselves:• more than 900
cars• more than 3,000 visitors• more than 100 entrants in the
rally
on the roads of Nevers• 40 vehicles in the “Porsche 3 hour”
on the Grand Prix circuit• four cars from the Porsche
museum• two exclusive vehicles from
Stuttgart• a pre-production model of the new
Turbo Cabriolet direct from the factory
• 366 drivers trained by the PorscheFrance driving school as
part ofthe Porsche Driving Experience.
But the Porsche Days are more than justa list of figures. The
event generates anincredible amount of enthusiasm, as it
is rare to see so many Porsches gath-ered together in one place.
This year,the event included a race, the “Porsche3 hour” with 40
entrants. The sound ofBoxer engines running at high speedsprovided
intoxicating background musicfor all the guests. Competition
wastough, and the teams all gave a hun-dred percent, as the races
countedtowards the French GT FFSA champi-onship. Under the
leadership andorganisation of the SRO, the Ruffier-Terny team won
the overall victory. Butwe should not forget the win byFrédéric
Ancel from the Porsche Centre Lorient, whose success in the C4
category in a series GT3 wasrecognition for his dedication
andcommitment.
Adjacent to the track and the paddockwas a Porsche village and a
Club area,while the Porsche Centre Lorient andPorsche Driving
Experience were alsorepresented. The latter attracted anexcellent
366 drivers this year, com-pared to 250 the previous year.
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Porsche Club News 6/03
29
The Porsche village included enter-taining games, for example
Need forSpeed. The Porsche Selection depart-ment truck proved to be
a popularattraction, setting a new sales record.Further proof of
the enthusiasm andbrand loyalty of Porsche customers.
At the centre of the Porsche villagewas an exhibition of museum
vehicles,including a T7 (four-seat 911 proto-type), a 911 RSR
Martini, the 959 thatwon the Paris-Dakar in 1986 and a GT1road
version. Alongside was an exhibi-tion of current models plus two
exclu-sive vehicles: a 911 Cabriolet and aBoxster with new Techno
sports rimsand aerokit.
Spectators at the Porsche Days weretreated to a world exclusive,
as the911 Turbo Cabriolet was premiered atthe event, before its
official launch atthe IAA in Frankfurt. They also got toadmire two
GT3s, one belonging toGérard Thai from the Porsche CentreMülhausen
and Max Malka’s Turbo. TheCayenne rounded off the model exhi-bition
in fitting style.
A retrospective featuring the best mod-els from five generations
of the 911reflected 40 years of Porsche passion.There is no doubt
that the highlight wasa 901, the 37th example to be pro-duced,
before the model was evenrenamed the 911. The success of the911
retrospective was a fitting rewardfor some of the dedicated 911
loverswho had contributed their own vehi-cles for the 2003
roadshows.
As well as providing shelter from theelements, the Porsche tent
was ameeting point and information centrefor visitors and the
numerous dealersrepresented. These included the Lori-
ent, Levallois, Lyon, Lille, Marseille,Orléans and Arpajon
Porsche Centres,as well as the Rouen Service Point.
The gala on the Saturday evening,opened by Club President
PhilippeAunay and Detlev von Platen, Presidentof Porsche France,
the birthday cakesto honour the 911 and the PorscheParade on the
Sunday, led by the 911Turbo Cabriolet, all made their
owncontribution to a thoroughly success-ful event – a notable
prelude to thesubsequent celebrations to mark the911’s
birthday.
Frédéric Mohs, Porsche France
Club Porsche de FrancePresident: Philippe AunayTel.: +33 (0)2 35
98 34 80Fax: +33 (0)2 35 70 63 15
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Porsche Club News 6/03
30
Club Porsche de France – Région Méditerranée
Double Birthday for Two Legends – The Movie
Production: Jean Paul Viala and histeam from the Club Porsche de
France,Région Méditerranée.
Synopsis: Our two legends were bothborn in the middle of the
last centuryand developed two quite different, butequally famous,
personalities. Theyare the legend of Porsche, created bythe genius
of Prof. Ferdinand Porsche,and the legend of Saint Tropez,
theworld’s best-known village thanks toour famous actress B.B.,
discoveredby Roger Vadim.
The birthdays we are celebrating arethe 40th birthday of our
favourite car,the 911, and the 10th birthday of our“Paradis
Porsche” event in SaintTropez.
Screenplay: The birthday celebrationstake place on the weekend
of 11th/12th October 2003. On the Saturday,the action is split
between two loca-tions: the Circuit du Luc near Saint
Tropez and the Massiv des Maures, onthe trail of the Rallye du
Var. Towardsevening, all the actors meet in the park-ing area at
the marina, to take part ina gala night.
On the Sunday, all the beauties assem-ble in the parking area
for the Concoursd’Élégance, before the huge paradethrough the
streets of Saint Tropezbegins.
Setting: Blue sky with a few wisps ofcloud, the Mediterranean,
the Le Luccircuit, the Massiv des Maures and thetown and marina of
Saint Tropez.
Cast: The actors are the 260 Porscheowners and their companions
fromGermany, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy,Luxembourg, Switzerland
and, ofcourse, the Porsche drivers from allover France. We are
sorry that wecould not accept all applicants, but thelocation only
has enough space for260 Porsches.
ACTION! Exactly as it says in thescreenplay, we begin on
Saturday at9.00 am at the Circuit du Luc. More than100 Porsches are
crowded around theentrance to the circuit and it takes upto 20
minutes to get to the track. Thisis a record number of
participants.
Listening to the roar of the Boxerengines is enormously
enjoyable. Thegathering of RS, GT3, Cup cars, classicand modern
911s, as well as a few944s, runs very smoothly. Neverthe-less
various skids into the sand meannumerous interruptions.
As befits an exciting action movie, mid-day sees a group of
stuntmen provideus with a demonstration of “Porscheon two wheels”.
Later in the afternoon,the participants return to Saint Tropez.
Filming at our second location startson Saturday at 8.00 am. A
total of 50Porsches gather in the parking area atthe marina for the
start of the touristrally to time trial rules. Departure forthe
opening stage of the 1st “Critéri-um Varois Porsche” is at 9.30. A
996GT3 from Saint Maxime in the North isstarter number 1. The first
17-km timetrial is called “Col de Gratteloup”. Itpasses through an
area devastated bythis summer’s forest fires. The sight ofthe
forests destroyed by fire highlightsthe extent of the disaster and
clearlyshows how hard the fire brigade hadto work and battle to
bring the fireunder control.
The second section, “Plan de la Tour”,is 11km long and is a much
morepleasant drive. At midday, the teamsreturn to the marina for
refreshmentsand to relax for a while. Around 14.30,it is time for
the start of the secondstage, divided into three separate
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Porsche Club News 6/03
31
time-trial sections: “Collobrières” (19km), “Col du Babaou” (9
km) and “LeCanadel” (7 km).
The drivers return to Saint Tropez inthe twilight. There is just
enough timefor them to clean out their Porschesand get ready for
the gala evening.
For the next scene, the actors fromthe two locations are back
togetheragain. This means that over 200 peo-ple assemble in the
Jean Despas cen-tre, where a welcome cocktail awaitsthem. During
the dinner, Anne Dungel-hoeff from the Porsche Club Co-ordi-nation,
Frédéric Mohs from PorscheFrance and two representatives of
theSaint Tropez town council join our ownClub President on the top
table.
The afternoon sees the presentationceremony, when the Pirelli
podium isoverflowing with trophies and giftsfrom Porsche AG,
Porsche France,Pirelli and the town of Saint Tropez.
Epilogue: By 6.00 pm, the 10th Paradis Porsche is over. Our
thanksgo to all the actors, every one of whomdeserves an Oscar. I
am sure we willall meet again at the 11th ParadisPorsche in October
2004 in SaintTropez.
Mario Pages
Club Porsche de FranceRégion MéditerranéePresident: Jean Paul
VialaTel. : +33 (0)467 69 48 92Fax : +33 (0)467 69 48 92
Filming continues on Sunday. Very ear-ly in the morning, some of
the actorsare already hard at work, lovinglyremoving drops of dew
from their dar-lings parked by the marina. While someof the guests
set off at 10.00 am for acruise around the Gulf of Saint Tropez,an
anonymous jury assess the carsentered in the Concours. Almost
allPorsche types are represented, fromthe early 356 Pre-A from 1952
rightthrough to the current anniversary version of the 911, which
FrédéricMohs from Porsche France broughtwith him.
The traditional parade through SaintTropez begins at 2.30 pm.
This demon-stration centres on the podium in frontof the Bar
Sénéquier, where crowds ofpeople applaud all the Porsches. Eachof
the Porsches on display can also be seen on our
website:www.club911med.com
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Porsche Club News 6/03
32
Porsche Club Bodensee Oberschwaben
A trip to South Tyrol
There we stood, lined up at 8.00 in themorning, freshly washed,
polished andshining in the morning sun. Me, “Goldplatter”, my
sister “Silver platter”, twoyears older, three senior older
models,17 “fatties” and two “fat bumble bees”.
I really ought to introduce us properly.I am “Gold platter”, a
fleet footed, 25-year old 911 SC Targa. My masterlooks after and
cares for me almost aswell as he does his wife.
Now about those “fatties” I mentioned.That’s what I call the
wild young things,a mixture of 964s, 993s and 996s,including
Turbos, because they are fullof things that I really think are
unnec-essary, like electric windows, air conditioning, electric
seat massage,four-wheel drive, ESP/ABS/PDS andso on. And the two
928s are the fatbumblebees. They are always bum-bling around and I
don’t think they haveever laughed in their lives.
Anyway, around 8.30 my master said:“It’s time to go.” We drove
from Vogt,the gateway to the Allgäu, via the Arl-berg, the Reschen
Pass and the Vin-schgau to Naturns, where our mastersand mistresses
went for lunch. “I won-der if the “fatty” next to me, a blue996,
knows what is coming up?” I thought during the break. Probably
not, as it would have wiped the arro-gant grin off his face.
Finally it was time to carry on via Marling and Lana to the
critical pointon the Gampen Pass. Until then, every-thing had run
perfectly. I was settingthe pace, followed by my sister
“Silverplatter” and the pack of “fatties”, whowere obviously having
trouble keepingup with us. From nowhere, a giganticItalian truck
suddenly appeared in themiddle of the road. As quick as a flash,my
master slammed on the brakes,smoke poured from my left front
wheeland I had trouble staying on course. Itall happened in a split
second. Some-how, we got past, and my sister andthe “fatties”
managed to as well. It wasa close run thing! My mistress was fuming
though, so my master drasti-cally reduced the pace. The rest of
ourjourney via the Val di Sole, Madonna diCampiglio and Lago di
Tenno passedwithout further incident. After eighthours of solid
driving we finally arrivedat our Hotel Garden in Pieve di
Ledro.
Today we had a break. Our mastersand mistresses wanted to go on
theirown by boat along Lake Garda fromRiva to Sirmione and then
come backon the coach. Somewhere on thereturn journey past Lake
Idro, theyapparently did some wine tasting too.
Never mind, apart from a few excep-tions, we were far better off
in the carpark. I was in the shade, but the fattynext to me almost
got his backsideburnt in the sun.
Today, it was back to work. It was timefor the Tremalzo trail.
We set off veryearly to avoid meeting anyone else onthe road. I was
out in front again.Behind me was a blue “996 fatty” withon-board
camera. All the way up thepass, he was right on my tail. Too lazyto
change gear, I drove the whole thingin second gear, but the “fatty”
had tokeep on dropping down into first toscare me with his huge
mouth whenwe were accelerating out of the cor-ners. Eventually,
everyone arrived atthe top.
The rest of the day was fairly boringfor us. After a one-hour
walk to the topof the pass, our masters and mis-tresses drove us to
Arco for lunch. Theonly highlight was that we were allowedto park
in the “prohibited zone” in frontof the casino. That made a great
sight!Then it was a leisurely drive for somegrappa tasting.
Personally, I prefer a95 Octane, it’s very pleasant, youought to
try it sometime. In the after-noon, it was on to the Valle di
Conceifor coffee and cakes. My master ran aquiz with some excellent
prizes to be
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Porsche Club News 6/03
33
won. They were presented that eveningin the hotel, but before
that our mas-ters and mistresses took another cooldip in Lake Ledro
under a breathtakingsunset.
Unfortunately, the next day it was timeto leave. I was a little
bit sad, becauseI had to say goodbye to all my newfriends. The
“fatties” are quite nicechaps really and so are the bumble-bees.
Our owners seemed to be satis-fied too. In fact, I heard that the
hotel,the itinerary and everything had beenfantastic. The only
thing was that wewere exposed to a crazy bunch of“paparazzi” for
the entire four days,who constantly took our photographsfrom every
angle. It was very annoy-ing.
Anyway, we took the usual boring routehome via Bolzano and the
ReschenPass. Well, actually it wasn’t that bor-ing. My master
claimed that he knew ashortcut. All I will say is: gravel
track,deep, overgrown gutters and a 30-degree incline.... But that
is anotherstory.
With best wishesGold platter
P.S.: Thanks to my master, ToniMadlener. He wrote down my
thoughtsas I can’t read or write myself.
Porsche Club Bodensee OberschwabenPresident: Gernold
WassmerTel.: +49 (0)7529 91 39 70Fax: +49 (0)7529 20 92 4
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Porsche Club News 6/03
34
Porsche Club Köln
50 years of the Porsche Club Köln e.V.
On 27th March 1953, a group ofPorsche drivers in Cologne set up
theworld’s second Porsche Club. To markthe anniversary of this
event, a specialcelebration was held from 19th to 20thJuly 2003.
More than 60 guests with35 cars accepted our invitation at
thebeginning of the year.
The 19th July was a Saturday, and itbegan with beautiful
sunshine and sum-mer temperatures, which brought eventhe Cabriolet
drivers out in a sweat. Atexactly 9.11 am, things got underwayat
the Cologne Porsche Centre, whereChief Executive Heribert Schröder
hadinvited the Club for breakfast. The newPorsche models on
display, combinedwith anticipation of the main event,gave us plenty
to talk about. A teamfrom WDR was also following the eventand began
their filming for an item tobe broadcast on television on
Sundayevening.
3.2s, 968s and even a Carrera RS 2.7and a 356/1,500 Speedster
from1955, they were all there. The desti-nation for the first stage
of our trip was the castle in Brühl. However, a succession of red
traffic lights in thecentre of Cologne put paid to our planto
travel in convoy.
The arrival of the vehicles at the castleprovided an ideal
subject for the tele-vision crew. We then found out all aboutthe
history of the building and thosewho built it on a very informative
tour.Our visit to Brühl was capped by lunchat Dada-Max, directly in
the shadow ofthe castle.
The afternoon saw us on the trail ofCount Berghe von Trips, who
was oneof the very first Club members. Hiscareer as a racing driver
began in Clubsport, which was the focus of Club lifeback in the 50s
and 60s. Our destina-tion was the Villa von Trips, where
theinterior is dedicated to an exhibition
The range of Porsches representedincluded something for every
taste.Starting the current 996 (from the Carrera to the 2003 GT3),
Boxster andCayenne, to 993s, 964s, Carrera
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Porsche Club News 6/03
35
about the life of the Count and his successes in motorsport.
During our visit, we also discovered how Berghevon Trips came to
join what was at thattime the very exclusive Porsche ClubKöln.
Time was pressing so we set off forthe Cologne Hyatt Hotel,
where wewere expected for a champagne recep-tion. The numerous
representatives ofthe press who were in attendance weregrateful for
the hastily arranged cham-pagne baptism of a 356 Speedster –a
photographic image that would sub-sequently appear in many
newspapers.
Before and in between the courses ofour gala dinner, there were
speechesby our committee and our specialguests. Among other things,
we learnedthat our Mayor Herr Wolf has been driving a Porsche for
five years. Therepresentatives from Porsche AG,Porsche Deutschland
GmbH and thePorsche Club Deutschland spoke indetail about the
worldwide Club scene
and the importance of the Clubs forPorsche – a relationship that
goes farbeyond simple customer retention.Our Honorary President Dr.
KlausMichel recited what has alreadybecome a legendary poem about
the 50s, the decade when the Club was established. The highlight of
the5-course meal was definitely thedessert, which was crowned by
aPorsche 996 model car.
The band Costa and their charmingsinger provided the musical
entertain-ment and ensured that the atmospherewas right. The Hyatt
Hotel’s library wastransformed into a ballroom, wherepeople danced
until the early hours.
This meant that some people missednot only brunch, but also the
lovelyview of the Rhine and the cathedralfrom the hotel terrace the
next morn-ing. Early in the afternoon, we set offfor the second
trip of the weekend. Weheaded for the Bergisches Land. Theroute,
well away from the main roads,
took us through a beautiful region,although it was only the
passengerswho got to enjoy it to the full. Drivingup and down
hills, from one tight cor-ner after another, all at a good
speed,demanded the full attention of the drivers.
Unfortunately, in such excellent weath-er, we were not the only
people visit-ing the two dams we were heading for. Every parking
space was taken,so we continued on our way. In the early evening,
suitably ravenous, wereached our destination – a restaurantwhere
the weekend came to a pleas-ant conclusion.
We would like to thank everyone whomade this event possible,
particularlyPorsche AG and Porsche DeutschlandGmbH for their
financial and practicalsupport. Our treasurer was not the onlyone
who appreciated the assistance.It meant that the entire Club got
toenjoy a great programme, planneddown to the finest detail, which
someof our Club members had been working on for months. Perhaps
weshould extend the weekend that marksour 51st birthday next year
to a week-long celebration.
Michael Jarke
Porsche Club KölnPresident: Andreas SchmidtTel.: +49 (0)22 16 90
68 60Fax: +49 (0)22 16 90 68 62 9
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Porsche Club News 6/03
36
Porsche Club von Niedersachsen/Porsche Club Berlin
Joint Anniversary Tour
This year, the Porsche Club von Nieder-sachsen and the Porsche
Club Berlinorganised a joint tour to mark a“Porsche Club
centenary”. You areprobably wondering how a Club can bethat old. We
can reveal the secret. ThePorsche Club von Niedersachsen e.V.in the
ADAC Lower Saxony/Saxony-Anhalt and the Porsche Club Berlin
e.V.were both established in 1953 and canthus look back on a common
50-yearhistory.
As both Clubs wanted to do somethingspecial to mark this
anniversary, theydecided on a trip to the Porsche plantin Leipzig.
The Club members metthere in front of the customer centre.After
being welcomed, the Clubs splitup. The Berliners started with their
off-road driving programme, while thosefrom Lower Saxony were
having theirfactory tour. After an exquisite lunch inthe restaurant
in the Porsche tower,the roles were reversed.
Everyone involved thoroughly enjoyeddriving the Cayenne off
road.Porsche’s training course in Leipzigprovides numerous
challenges, includ-
ing steep banks, bumpy tracks andearth walls to test the driver
onextreme slopes, as well as water andmud sections. Once we had
complet-ed the course, we climbed into our ownvehicles for a short
safety training session on the adjacent circuit. Thisincluded
driving on two treacherouslyslippery surfaces sprinkled with
water,which embarrassed more than a fewdrivers. It was rounded off
with opendriving on the demanding circuit. Atthis point, I would
like to thank theinstructors for their support. Theywere always on
hand with help andadvice during the off-road driving andthe safety
training.
The celebratory part of the event camethat evening at our
anniversary partyin the Hotel Mercure, Leipzig. In hisspeech, Mr.
Strouhal, President of thePorsche Club Berlin, reviewed the
pastdecades of Porsche history. Porschewas represented by Isabella
Alexa from the Porsche Deutschland Club Co-ordi-nation and Dr.
Gessler, Marketing Manager at Porsche Deutschland.They passed on
the congratulations ofthe company and presented the two
Club Presidents with a valuable draw-ing of a Porsche vehicle.
Music andentertainment brought the day to aconclusion.
The next morning, while the PorscheClub Berlin left for an
orientation driveand then set off for home, the PorscheClub von
Niedersachsen continued toDresden. Awaiting them there was afurther
highlight of their trip, a visit tothe “glass factory” – a state of
the artplant where the VW Phaeton is pro-duced. Only three robots
are used infinal assembly, with all the other workbeing done by
hand.
In Dresden, we were staying at theRomantik Hotel Pattis. Mario
Pattis,once the first gourmet chef in East Germany, provided the
culinary pinna-cle of our anniversary trip, which wasa successful
event all round.
Fritz-Joachim Ebeling
Porsche Club von NiedersachsenPresident: Wolfgang BilgesTel.:
+49 (0)57 23 98 92 81 0Fax: +49 (0)57 23 98 92 89 8
Porsche Club BerlinPresident: Dietmar StrouhalTel.: +49 (0)30 69
19 03 5Fax: +49 (0)30 69 17 07 6
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