Porsche enthusiasts gather for 20th anniversary of St. Armands show

Porsches new and old filled the streets and grass of St. Armands Circle on the afternoon of Dec. 14. 

Suncoast Porsche presented its annual “Porsches in the Park” event, celebrating the event's 20th anniversary and a holiday toy run benefitting Toys for Tots. 

Porsche enthusiasts and owners walked around the circle and talked to fellow owners, who showcased their vintage and new vehicles. 

Photo by Carter Weinhofer

Among the owners was George Wienhold, who decked his 1987 Cassis with reindeer antlers and a red nose in time for the holiday season. 

Wienhold and his wife, Marlene, have attended Porsches in the Park for at least 14 years and, like most other attendees, collecting the annual shirts is a hit. 

He said his favorite part of the event is, “the camaraderie of all the owners and seeing the diversity of the amazing Porsches. It’s amazing.” 

Photo by Carter Weinhofer

Wienhold bought his 1987 Porsche about 16 years ago. After he and his wife quit smoking, they saved all the money he would have spent on cigarettes. Eventually, they saved enough to buy the Porsche for $18,000.

Across from Wienhold and among a row of vintage Porsches, Dennis Bosch used a cloth and cleaned a small stain of bird droppings off his 1964 356C Porsche. 

On the back, his “SMR LOVN” license plate reminds him of his teenage years. 

When he got his driver’s license, this 1964 Porsche was his dream car. At the time, though, he could only afford a Triumph TR2, which he got for $350. 

Photo by Carter Weinhofer

Now, Bosch could finally get his dream car and fulfill his childhood dream. He had the car painted in a unique fjord green color, which set it apart from others in the row. 

Looking around at the crowd, Bosch was impressed to see a wide range of ages, all of whom were appreciating the Porsches. 

“This show shows that so many people still love these cars,” Bosch said.