Teeners from all over the East Coast Converge on Hershey, Pennsylvania

Republished with permission from the Spring 2016 issue of Fourteener Motoring Magazine. Photos by Robert Hill and Steve Martin.

The annual Porsche-only swap meet in Hershey Pennsylvania each April is always a special event. It is a chance to buy needed, hard-to-find parts, hang out with great people, and look at neat old Porsches. In this regard, this year was no different. What made the 2016 event special was the number of 914s in attendance.

Mid-Engine Invasion has been going on for a number of years now. The event founders’ original idea was to organize a showing of 914s at the annual PCA events in Hershey that is so large that the little cars almost “invade” the Porsche event. Sort of a 914 rebel cause. Just to let the other Porsche owners know that 914s are in attendance too. Each year the invasion seems to get larger.

The weekend events kicked off with a fun rally on Friday. The half-day drive included over a dozen 914s and a number of other Porsche models as well. As in past years, the annual drive led the participants through the beautiful Pennsylvania countriside. But, this year there was a special stop.

Along the way the group was treated to a lunch stop at Air-Cooled Racing’s shops. Steve Limbert hosted a lunch and tour of his facilities, and it proved to be a highlight of the day. Steve, who is the president of the local PCA chapter which puts on the Hershey events, is a true 914 enthusiast, and he has the cars to prove it.

Tucked away in his Pennsylvania shops is a 914-6 GT, as well as the first 914 imported into the United States. Mixed in with these rare classics he has a heathy stable of 914s and 911s, both for the street and track.

If you don’t know Steve he is certianly one of a handful of 914 legends. Over the past four decades he has dominated much of the 914 racing. In addition, among other things, his shop carries complete 914 (and a number of 911) fiberglass body parts and RSR-type engine shrouding, and is the North American imported of the original Minilite wheel from the United Kingdom. For a 914 fan, Steve’s shop is heaven on earth.

Always a wonderful host, Steve was on hand to provide the stories behind many of his cars, before the group made their way on the drive, and to the traditional Friday evening dinner at Underdogs restaurant in Harrisburg. After dinner many of the group made their way to the legendary late night hang out at the Knights Inn.

On Saturday the 914s made an impressive showing at the People’s Choice Concours event at the PCA swap meet. 914s represented over 60% of the largest class in the show. In total, there were seventeen 914s including three 914-6s. To put icing on the cake, Dale Yingst’s 914 won the class. Tom Mott took home the very deserved award for having driven the longest distance to the event, in his 914-6.

After the swap meet the group got together for dinner, and to pass out its own awards. The winner of the 914-only voting was Len Coloccia for his 1974 1.8 liter 914.