Undecided About Attending the Porsche Parade This Year?
Here's Why You Should Go!

Are you new to PCA? Have you been a member for a while but not attended many
(or any) local events? Are you a long-standing active member who has just
never made it to a Porsche Parade? Have you attended a Parade or two in the
past, but have not been to one recently? If you can answer "yes" to any of
these questions, here are some reasons to attend this year's Porsche Parade
in Ft. Worth, Texas, hosted by Maverick Region.

Meet fellow Porsche enthusiasts (and their cars) from all over North America
(and beyond!). Porsche Parades invariably draw fans of Porsche from all over
the US and Canada, both to compete in the various events, and to renew old
friendships and acquaintances as well as make new ones. Because the Parade
is PCA's only true "international" event every year, it is the best way to
meet people from all over the place, people like you who have a Porsche in
their lives.

It is sometimes surprising to find that, even though everyone shares a
common interest in Porsches, there are so many different types of Porsche
enthusiasm. Some folks use their Porsches as daily drivers, rain or shine,
all year round. Others, that live in climates less favorable to year-round
pleasure driving, mainly take their Porsches out on weekends and holidays,
and for the occasional club-sponsored tour or rally. At the other end of the
spectrum, the serious Concours d'Elegance competitors' cars never see the
light of day, or put a wheel to pavement, or even start their engines,
except to roll on and off their enclosed trailers for a Concours
competition. Other Porsches have not been street legal for years, if ever;
the only miles these cars have on them come from running at full tilt on
race tracks and autocross courses.

Beginning to sound interesting? At a Parade, you will find just about every
type of Porsche enthusiast, along with excellent examples of the cars that
they use in pursuit of their passion.

Experience forty years of the 911-all in one afternoon. This year marks the
40th year of production of the 911. As an anniversary celebration, the
Parade plans to have an example of each of the forty years of the 911 on
display at the Concours d'Elegance. From a 1964 901 prototype to a 2004 996,
the 2004 Parade will give you a unique opportunity to get up close and
personal with each and every one of the forty model years of the legendary
911.

And don't be surprised if there are more than just the garden-variety models
from each year. Can you say "911 R"? How about "RSR"? And maybe "959" just
for good measure? For those of us who don't know a 911L from a 911SC, or a
Carrera RS from a Carrera 4S, this will be a great time to get acquainted
with one of the most successful automobile lines of all time.

Meet representatives of the Porsche factory and family. Every year the
Parade is honored and privileged to have top executives from Porsche AG and
Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) as its guests. They speak at the Concours
and Victory banquets, giving insight into the past, present, and future of
the Porsche company and its products. But they also are Parade attendees,
some of whom are out and about all week, and whom you can meet and greet
just like regular folks!

The same goes for members of the Porsche family. Peter Porsche, creator of
Porsche Design, son of Ferry Porsche, and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, has
been attending Parades for years, and always gives an interesting and
enlightening speech at the banquets. And he is as accessible and friendly as
any other Parade attendee.

Things to do for the whole family. This year, as last year, the Parade will
have a whole series of events geared for the young ones in the family. As
inconceivable as it seems, sometimes kids just don't want to spend hours
looking at Concours cars or watching autocrossers hit cones or listening to
speeches while dressed in uncomfortable dress clothes. (There are some
adults that fit this description, too, but that's a different story!) Parade
Kids, a series of organized get-togethers where you can drop off the younger
ones so that they can have fun with folks their own age, leaving you free to
have fun with folks your own age! Parade Kids will feature craft workshops
and games, a Kids' Autocross (where they pilot their own wheeled vehicles
around a kid-sized course at Texas Motor Speedway), and even an overnight
stay at the Ft. Worth Zoo, where they can take part in a scavenger hunt.

For the grown-ups, downtown Ft. Worth around the Worthington Hotel offers
lots of shopping, museums, restaurants, and other entertainment for those
times when you may be, through no fault of your own, temporarily
Porsche-saturated.

Sure, it'll be hot, but "it's a dry heat!" It's North Texas, and it's in
July, so yes it will be hot. But the humidity by this time of year is
reasonably low, and air conditioning is everywhere. For those of you with
Porsches without air conditioning, the Rally competition will allow you to
start during the first hour so that you'll be done and eating ice cream
before the heat has a chance to make you stick to your seat. And the
autocross is scheduled so that timed runs each day will be over well before
the hottest part of the day.

It's not that far from you! Ft. Worth is a four-day drive or less (assuming
a 9-hour driving day) from anywhere in the continental US. For instance, it
is 1630 miles from Manhattan, 1475 miles from Miami, 1400 miles from Los
Angeles, and 2235 miles from Seattle. And not to ignore our neighbors to the
North, Vancouver, BC is 2370 miles from Ft. Worth, and Quebec City, QC is
1950 miles away. And it's probably a lot less from where you live!

So if you are new to PCA, have never been to a Parade, or have just not been
to one lately, make plans to attend the 49th Porsche Parade in Ft. Worth,
Texas. It will be an experience you will never forget!