Fours, and Sixes, and M471s. Oh My!

By Steve Martin. Photography by author or as credited. Republished with permission from the January 2016 issue of Fourteener Motoring Magazine.

You just had to be there. It is hard to put into words the feeling of an event with more than 50 Porsche 914s. For me, it was exactly what a 914 event should be.

Over the past few years the gathering of 914 enthusiasts in the mountains of the south east has become one of the premiere events of the year. This year the annual event took place in Banner Elk, North Carolina. And it lived up to the hype.

Photo by Peter Beringer

Friday kicked off with what many described as the “best drive” they have ever taken in their car. A caravan of 914s spent the day driving the twisty mountain roads in the area. Numerous stops along the way provided plenty of time to meet and greet, as well an opportunity to find some great food. But, it was the roads that provided the excitement. With a number of high-dollar 914s in attendance, some of the cars were put through their paces more so than they had been in some time. In addition to 914/4s, there were 6s, 914/6 GTs, V8s, and even a couple M471s.

Saturday started with something you dont’ often find – a 914-only car show. The mountain town of Banner Elk has a downtown green that was perfect for the public show. In addition to the 914 enthusiats, the event enjoyed a great showing of locals, as well as tourists, interested in the cars.

But most of all, the show gave everyone an opportunity to talk teeners. It felt more like a family gathering, than a car show. Legends in the teener world, like Steve Limbert, Brad Mayeur, George Hussey, and John Forbes, we’re all there.

Perhaps more impressive, though was the variety of other 914s present. Red. Blue. Green. Copper. You name it. From far and wide, it seemed as though Okteenerfest had become the place for 914 addicts.

The Saturday afternoon swap meet featured a nice selection of parts for sale. But it was just a precursor to the evening dinner. And oh what a feast it was. I’m not talking about the food. While the food was good, the best “fixings” were not on the plates.

Photo by Peter Beringer

Rather, they were lined up on table after table. Hundreds of parts. 914 suppliers like Restoration Design, Automobile Atlanta, 914rubber, 356 Devotion, Eckler’s Automotion, Sierra Madre Collection, and The Type IV Store, just to name a few, sent thousands of dollars worth of parts to give away at the event. The amount of sponsor support was overwhelming.

Table after table were lined with new goodies. There were carpet kits. New sheet metal. Rubber. Engine parts. Body parts. Even a complete dash. Each to be raffled off. They were the talk of the event all weekend. Who would win the dash? How would you divide your raffle tickets? When the give-away was over it seemed that everyone went home with something for their car, in addition to the memories.

As with most gatherings of friends, it came and went all too fast. As we packed up Sunday morning, we only wished the event had included one more thing – an extra day of festivities. I guess we will have to wait until next year. You’ll just have to be there.