The Porsche Classic Day took place for the fourth time on June 19, 2016 in Schinznach-Bad. Hansueli Bächli had invited and his call was answered by drivers of the various model series, with particular honor being paid to the models before 1976, i.e. the cars that were still built exclusively in Zuffenhausen (Stuttgart).
Soon the various parking lots around the AMAG plant in Schinznach-Bad were full of 911s, 356s and also many examples of the transaxle series. Even a rare Porsche 924 Carrera GT found its way to Aargau.
No luck with the weather
The weather was changeable, with dry spells alternating with drizzle and heavy rain.
However, the Porsche fans were not deterred by this, especially as the food and drink was provided in a largely waterproof tent. Live music created a great atmosphere, although this probably nipped the odd friendly conversation in the bud.
Everything under one roof
Anyone who wanted to could have a birth certificate issued for their Porsche at half price, while at the same time the Porsche Classic dealership gave an insight into its work and the mechanic's rar could also be sought out if necessary.
The man for everything
After lunch, Jürgen Barth, three-time Le Mans winner with Porsche, arrived in Schinznach-Bad. He had left Le Mans at four o'clock in the morning to make it to the meeting on time. As guest of honor, he had the honor of choosing the Best of Show.
Before the award winner was announced, however, the Porsche veteran was interviewed by Dino Graf, Head of Press at AMAG. He talked about his rich life, which had brought him from the former GDR to Stuttgart and to Porsche as a long-term employee. In 1977, he won the overall victory in the 24-hour classic at Le Mans with the Porsche 936 and Jacky Ickx/Hurley Haywood as partners. However, as a Porsche employee, such a victory did not give him any respite; back in Stuttgart, he was sent to Australia, where, armed with his toolbox, he looked after a participant in a rally.
Jürgen Barth completed his apprenticeship at Porsche, but held many different jobs and proved himself to be a fast racing driver. He took part in Le Mans 14 times. But he also drove rallies and other endurance races for Porsche, including the Targa Florio.
When asked about the most impressive racing car, Barth, who wrote the standard work par excellence with his three-volume "Das grosse Buch der Porsche-Typen", named the Porsche 908/3, which was an unusually well-balanced car. The driver sat far forward with his feet in front of the front axle. The tank, battery etc. were on the passenger side, the gearbox between the driver and the engine. The car was so good that it remained competitive for ten years with a few refreshing measures; Jürgen Barth drove a 6:28 lap on the Nordschleife with it in the mid-seventies, even the Formula 1 cars were not faster back then. Only on the bumps did you have to brake to keep the nose down, Barth said laconically.
Jürgen Barth was impressed by the variety and quality of the vehicles he encountered in Schinznach. "Take care of the cars," he advised the owners present. He himself has two Porsche 930 Turbo and also racing cars from his own career in his garage.
He didn't have to think long about choosing the "Best of Show", although he also has a lot of love for the 924, which was shortlisted.
He presented the award to a black Porsche 911 from 1965, which belongs to Peter Vögele, who received an invitation to the Arosa Classic Car Hillclimb Race, including a hotel stay.
It's broken
The final hours of the endurance race in Le Mans were running at the same time as the meeting. Porsche was behind Toyota, a victory no longer seemed possible, sadly also for Jürgen Barth. But then the unexpected happened: the Toyota lost power at the last moment. Out. "It's broken," radioed the pit and Porsche could hardly believe the change of fortune and for the Porsche fans in Schinznach-Bad, the Porsche Classic Days ended on a particularly happy note despite the rain, because after all, Neel Jani, a Swiss driver, had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche.
Jochen Barth commented: "This is not just a car race, this is the future of the automobile! The technology used at Le Mans will also be used by us in the future ...".
