And you thought YOU had a bad day ...
 

Just back from CA where I attended the German Autofest Porsche show in Ventura.
Several hundred Porsches of every vintage on display, including a new Carrera GT, Porsche specialist vendors of every kind, a huge parts swap meet (virtually zero Boxster stuff), Porsche memorabilia, etc., etc. Definately worth attending if you like shows.
Somebody had a really bad day however. On Sunday evening, a transporter loaded with at least four Porsches got stuck on the train tracks that run alongside the show site at the Ventura fairgrounds. About a minute later an oncoming Surfliner train smashed into the transporter, destroying what appeared to be two 356 Speedsters, a 356 coupe, and a 911 Carrera Cabriolet. The transporter driver was able to get out of the truck before the crash, so at least nobody was injured.
Pictures were on the Ventura newspaper web site, if you care to look for them.

I heard about that...so horrible! Man...to think of that history, gone.

Insurance doesn't even really matter. Emotional value and historical significance over ride any financial issues, in my opinion, of owning or seeing those classic porsches.

:ah:


http://www.pelicanparts.com/swapmeet_pics/German_AutoFest_04/Page3.htm

sucks . . .

the other two . . .

What a shame, man I hope that transport driver had his running shoes on..

I don't mean from the train but from the owners :>)

Another train track incident:

I worked for Jim Ellis Mazda in Chamblee, GA in 1996, where the Mazda and Porsche Showroom were connected.

My office happened to be in the Porsche Showroom where I could see most of the front of the dealership.

A salesman was demo-ing the Porsche sales manager's 993 Cabriolet. He happened to pull the car up in front of the showroom and left the key in the car, ran inside to get something.

There happened to be two guys milling around outside the showroom. We found out later they had a liquid lunch that day.

The receptionist yelled out to the Porsche salesman, "they're getting in the car!"

About 30 seconds later, she yells, "they're starting the car!"

5 seconds later she gets on the PA and yells, "they're driving off in the Cabriolet!"

I had my 626 ES Demo in front of the dealership. I threw the salesman my key as he was tearing across the showroom trying to stop the individuals.

A whole lot of yelling outside and the chase was on.

The 993 and the 626 went tearing out of the parking lot and onto a road behind the dealership. This road has a very long straight with a 90 degree righthand turn with a set of tracks across the road at the exit of the turn.

Well, the 2 cars are flying down to the curve about 90. The 993 enters the turn and drifts into the oncoming lane hitting a 76 Pontiac Grand Prix head on then launches into the rail yard behind the GM Plant, rolling over top down ejecting the passenger and injuring the driver.

The salesman was able to back off approaching the curve only to see the 993 flying back into the curve and off the road.

The salesman still had a job somehow, the driver and passenger were arrested. The sales manager ended up with a similar 993 cab later that month.

Not one panel was untouched on the wrecked 993. I never saw a Porsche that mangled until then. I kinda looked like the black 911 in the last picture above.

It really sucks to see vintage Porsches so destroyed like that. Driving one for 30+ years avoiding accidents and parking lot drama only to loose it like that.

Its like being kicked in the stomach seeing those pictures.

Dave

Crossed the same tracks 15 minutes before. Read about it the next day - what a bummer!