SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 10:37AM 
In the autumn of 1950 a fateful meeting between Professor Ferdinand Porsche and Max Hoffman led to the decision that a fledgling German automotive manufacturer from humble beginnings would begin exporting its sports cars to America. This year, Porsche is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its arrival into the American market. The first Porsche sports car received its certification for road use in Germany on June 8, 1948, meaning the history between the brand and the U.S. goes back almost to the very beginning. The young sports car company caught the eye of a visionary New York-based salesman, Austrian expatriate Max Hoffman, who had arrived in New York on June 21, 1941. In 1947, Hoffman opened his showroom on Park Avenue, which was later redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright. "Hoffman Motor Car Company" began importing and selling established European brands to such a degree of success that it allowed taking a chance with less-known marques. The initial relation between Max Hoffman and Professor Ferdinand Porsche went back to when Hoffman was still working as a lawyer in Vienna, but the decisive contact was made years later by Max Troesch. A journalist by trade, Troesch had driven a Porsche 356 and proclaimed: "I am sure this car will make a name for itself." When he traveled to America, he showed Hoffman photos of the car and encouraged him to connect with Porsche. The first two 1.1-liter 356 coupes were delivered to Hoffman in the fall of 1950, and he met Ferdinand Porsche at the Paris Motor Show that same year. In early conversations, Ferry Porsche said he would be happy to sell five cars a year in America, to which Hoffman famously replied: "If I can't sell five a week, I'm not interested." Eventually, they agreed on a U.S. import contract of 15 cars per year. The first Porsche was considerably more expensive and had a smaller engine than other sports cars at the time, but Hoffman knew that anyone who drove a car from Zuffenhausen would understand it offered a blend of durability, track-bred agility and everyday usability that was unique to the automotive landscape. Porsche had no budget for a major advertising campaign, so it was up to Hoffman to establish this unknown brand to American customers. His marketing materials described the 356 as "One of the World's Most Exciting Cars" with "A new conception in handling, roadholding, suspension and safety never known before." The strategy gained traction, and by 1954, 11 cars per week were sold through Hoffman, equaling 30 percent of the annual Porsche production. In 1965, the final year of the 356 model, the U.S. share of Porsche sales had risen to a massive 74.6 percent. A substantial part of the growing success was thanks to another Austrian native. John von Neumann had opened "Competition Motors" in North Hollywood in 1948, and after a single test drive while visiting Hoffman in New York in 1951, he bought a Porsche 356 and brought it back to California. An avid racer himself, Neumann played an important role in introducing the Porsche brand to the growing motorsports scene in the Golden State. In particular, the nimble new Speedster model would prove popular with its lower price starting at just $2,995. The Speedster was inspired by the 356 America Roadster, which was in turn an example of Hoffman's influence on the company since he had specifically asked Ferry Porsche for a lightweight, entry-level car. Neumann was also well-connected in Hollywood, and his list of celebrity customers, which included actor James Dean, helped build a strong image as the cars were used for weekend racing and weekday commuting alike. With Porsche becoming more established in showrooms, motorsports and pop culture, the decades that followed would see a variety of changes for the brand's presence in the U.S. From an organizational perspective, this began with the creation of the independent distribution network, The Porsche of America Corporation in 1955. From 1969 the company formed part of the Porsche Audi division of Volkswagen of America, Inc., and on September 1, 1984, Porsche Cars North America was established in Reno, NV. And finally, on May 12, 2011, PCNA announced that it would build its new headquarters in Atlanta. By 2019, Porsche sold a record 61,568 vehicles in the U.S. After the global premiere of the fully electric Taycan in September 2019, the very first deliveries in the world were to American customers in December of the same year. Seventy years after Max Hoffman introduced the sports cars from Zuffenhausen to the U.S., the next chapter for Porsche is still being written.
(Corporate Archives Porsche AG)Max Hoffman was instrumental in bringing Porsche to the U.S. His dealership, Hoffman Motor Car Company, opened on Park Avenue in New York City in 1947 (pictured here around 1954/1955).
Polestar has confirmed it will turn the Precept concept into a production vehicle. Revealed earlier this year, the Polestar Precept started life as "a manifesto to illustrate the brand’s future vision and was described as a commitment car, not a concept car," according to Polestar PR minions. Precept also highlights Polestar’s path for digital technology and the use of innovative sustainable materials, inside and out. "The public said, ‘We want it’, so we decided to build it,” comments Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “Consumers want to see change from this industry – not just dreams. Now, Precept becomes an even stronger statement. We are committed to reduce the environmental impact of our cars and our business. The aim has to be climate neutrality, even though I recognize that is a long-term goal.” As a reminder, the interior of Polestar Precept features a mix of sustainable materials including recycled PET bottles, reclaimed fishing nets and recycled cork vinyl. A flax-based composite developed by external partner Bcomp Ltd is featured in many interior and some exterior parts. Polestar’s ambition is to bring much of this sustainability into production. With product development now underway, Polestar confirms it will produce Precept in China, where a new production facility will be established.
The Aznom Palladium will be unveiled as "the first 'hyper-limousine' in the world" in October in Milan, during the Milano Monza Open Air Motor Show. Aznom's PR minions say: "Inspired by the great sedans used by heads of state and by the opulence of luxury automobiles from the thirties, with their voluminous dimensions and all-terrain capacity, Palladium is without a doubt a surprising vehicle and, in the manufacturer's intentions, is set up to fill an interesting and exclusive niche." The vehicle is said to be almost 2 meters in height and 6 meters in length. Editor-In-Chief's Note: WTF? And why? -PMD
Custom car builder and parts manufacturer Ringbrothers recently completed and delivered a 1971 Chevrolet K5 Blazer commissioned by hip-hop superstar Future. The Blazer features a 6.2-liter LS3 engine that produces 430HP and is mated to a 4L80-E transmission. Future’s K5 Blazer also features a custom tan interior by Upholstery Unlimited with several Ringbrothers touches throughout. A custom BASF British Racing Green paint scheme is atop a body refinished with 3M products, while gold 18-inch HRE wheels complete the look. “We first started building Blazers a few years back, and they’ve really taken off in popularity since then,” said Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. “There is no assembly line at our shop, as each build is completed by hand, bespoke to the owner’s request. There is no other Blazer in the world like this one.” Known for its muscle car builds, Ringbrothers completed its first K5 Blazer in 2018. The platform took off in popularity, and Ringbrothers released several K5-specific products, including a glove box door, hood hinges, and a dash gauge bezel. Future’s Blazer features those parts, along with a custom carbon fiber hood and custom tailgate with integrated seating. The musician’s Blazer also features a JL Audio sound system. “We’re humbled that people continue to come to us for special projects like this,” said Ringbrothers co-owner Mike Ring. “We realize that our customers could get a new Ferrari or Lamborghini but choose us instead. It’s an honor we don’t take lightly, so we put our heart into each project. We’re glad Future appreciates that.” For more information on Ringbrothers, the K5 Blazer, and Ringbrothers billet parts, visit www.ringbrothers.com.
Form follows...
By Tom Pease
Beverly Hills. Back in the day, architects decided to throw off the conventions of design, eschewing decorative touches such as corbels, moldings, and bric-a-brac for clean lines that expressed the structure underneath, creating a “machine for living." The edict was “form follows function.”
In Hollywood, designers such as Adrian at MGM coped with the figure flaws of their stars. When confronted with Joan Crawford's linebacker shoulders, he decided to pad them, creating a fad that swept the world and keeps popping up every few decades to this day. That was “form follows fabulous.”
In the automotive world we now have cookie-cutter sameness in the styling as pointed out in this week's Rant. We also have an over-run of Frankly Fake design add-ons that are the auto design equivalent of faux stone or hoop skirts. Things like giant plastic grilles that in no way conceal the fact that the actual opening is a small slot, or a frankly fake “window” trying to conceal an overly chunky “C” pillar.
What would this be? “Form follows fatuous”? "Form follows frivolous”? Maybe "Form follows f-ed up"?
AE Song of the Week:
Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's driftin' over me
And when I wake you're, you're never there
And when I sleep you're, you're everywhere
You're everywhere
Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
'Cause every time I look, you're never there
And every time I sleep, you're always there
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes, it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I recognize the way you make me feel
It's hard to think that you might not be real
I sense it now, the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me
Away from me
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes, it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
Oh, whoa, whoa
And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty that's within
It's now that we begin
You always light my way
There never comes a day
No matter where I go
I always feel you so
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes, it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I catch my breath, it's you I breathe
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone
You're in everyone I see
So tell me
Do you see me?
"Everywhere" by Michelle Branch, from the album "The Spirit Room" (2001)*. Watch the video here.
*This was the first single from Branch's debut album. Her label, Maverick Records, faced the challenge of promoting the song even though Branch was unknown. Instead of begging radio stations to play it, they paid AOL to feature it on their music channel, where it was very well received. This led to play on MTV's Total Request Live, and the song took off from there. The engineer on the album is Grotus drummer Lars Fox. His claim to fame is being the DJ in the video for "AM Radio" by Everclear, in addition to working on their albums. While he appears to have hair in the video, it is fake. Lars is really bald. Another famous connection is the drummer, who has worked with John Mellencamp, Smashing Pumpkins, and Ricky Martin. His name is Kenny Aronoff, and he broke his bass drum pedal for the first time ever while recording this. This won the Viewer's Choice award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. According to an AOL exclusive interview, Branch made up the story in the song for her first album when she had little creative control. She wrote it just to have a song to promote. (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)