More than 1,000 Porsches set a record for the biggest Beaulieu Simply Porsche yet as nearly 2,000 visitors turned out for the celebration of one of the best loved sports car marques.
Car numbers were 200 up on last year’s figures and continued the success of Beaulieu’s Simply rallies, following another record turn-out at Simply Ford in April.
Held in association with The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club (TIPEC), Simply Porsche saw numerous incarnations of the legendary 911 park up in the grounds of the National Motor Museum alongside the popular Boxster, front-engine 944 and 928 examples plus modern Caymans and Carreras.
A perfect day for admiring the cars on show and chatting with like-minded enthusiasts, visitors and participants were also able to enjoy the Simply Porsche Domus Lunch which was served in the unique setting of the 13th century Beaulieu Abbey.
Throughout the day, visitors and rally participants voted for their favourite car in the People’s Choice Award. Steve and Kate Hough won the award with their impressive 2013 911 Carrera 4S, which was bought as a 30th wedding anniversary present last year – Kate didn’t want pearls as a gift, choosing the white Porsche instead. The couple were presented with a commemorative Beaulieu trophy and a special Autoglym prize.
James Peel was a runner-up with his stunning 1960 356B Super 90. Having owned this uprated version of the 356 for three years, James drives the car as much as possible, loving it for its pretty styling and rarity. Norman Holliday was also a runner-up with his green Cayman R, while another popular car was the racing-spec 1996 993 GT1 which was brought along by Universal Classic Cars.
Simply Porsche is one of eight Simply rallies in the 2017 Beaulieu season. Simply VW is the next Simply rally on June 17th, followed by Simply Land Rover on June 25th, Simply Jaguar on July 9th, Simply Japanese on July 30th and Simply Smart on November 12th. Each event celebrates a particular marque or motoring theme, giving enthusiasts and attraction visitors the chance to see some of their favourite machines close up.
For more information on the 2017 Beaulieu events calendar, visit www.beaulieu.co.uk/events or find us on Twitter @Beaulieu_Hants, on Facebook at /nationalmotormuseum or on Instagram @national_motor_museum.
