Porsche Club of America

Porsche Club of America

Abbreviation	PCA
Formation	1955
Type	Nonprofit 501(c)(7)
Purpose	Social & Recreational Car Club
Headquarters	Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Region served	USA & Canada
Membership	160,000+
Executive Director	Vu Nguyen
Website	www.pca.org

The Porsche Club of America (PCA) is a non-profit organization of Porsche enthusiasts in the United States and Canada. It is organized into 148 regions,^[1] which are grouped into 14 zones. PCA has more than 160,000 members and is the largest single-brand club in the world.^[2] To the current date, the Porsche Club of America has been around for 69 years.^[3]

Events[edit]

The club has over 4,000 local and national events including driving activities, social gatherings and more. The club's largest event is the annual Porsche Parade, which is a week-long event where members from around the country gather to participate^[4] in various events,^[5] such as autocross and Concours d'Elegance.^[6]

The national events include the week-long Porsche Parade, the Treffen North America social events, Werks Reunion Amelia Island and Monterey, ÜnStock modified Porsche show and Tech Tactics technical sessions.

PCA Regions across North America host thousands of events each year including driving tours, car shows, club racing, rallying, driver's education, autocross, social events, and similar activities.

Each spring and fall, Porsche Club of America opens a member only raffle, in which members may purchase entries for a chance to win a brand-new Porsche. A number of Porsches have also been made specifically for the club, such as the Porsche 991 GTS Club Coupe, which was to celebrate the club's 60th anniversary.^[7]

Membership[edit]

Membership is open to all Porsche owners, co-owners, or lessees who are 18 years of age or older. One can also refer members, but they need to follow the requirements. More information about membership can be found on the club's membership web page.

Keeping up[edit]

Porsche Club of America has a website with PCA and Porsche news, technical info, digital features, member-specific content, as well as weekly Podcasts, hundreds of YouTube videos and weekly and monthly e-newsletters.

History[edit]

The club was founded in 1955 in Washington, D.C.^[1]

Bill Sholar, who was a commercial artist in the Washington, D.C. area in the early 1950s bought a new 1953 356 Coupe, and, as time passed, he met other Porsches on the road and flashed his lights at them in silent greeting. By late 1954, Sholar was convinced that a more personal meeting would be appropriate with other Porsche owners to discuss the positive and the not-so-positive aspects of driving the infrequently encountered marque. The first unofficial PCA meeting was held at the Sholar house on 8 February 1955. Following that meeting, several Porsche owners occasionally got together that spring and summer to share knowledge about Porsches. Eventually, they decided to start a club. A brief paragraph in the August 1955 issue of Sports Car Illustrated informed readers that a Porsche club was being formed in the United States; all inquiries were directed to Bill Sholar's attention. As part of the effort, Porsche was petitioned to recognize the proposed club.

Today, activities range from competitive events, such as autocrossing, club racing, rallying, sim racing, and Concours, to social events, such as touring, weekend trips, drive and dines, vehicle restoration, and Porsche history. A revised Treffen® now allows PCA members to visit the factory, the new Porsche Museum, the area around Stuttgart, Germany, and the research-and-development unit at Weissach. A professional staff, headed by Executive Director Vu Nguyen, operates the National Office in Columbia, Maryland, where a growing historical section is also housed. One of the objectives stated in PCA's Bylaws is to promote the enjoyment and sharing of goodwill and fellowship engendered by owning a Porsche.

Regions[edit]

PCA is arranged into 148 local Regions in 14 zones across the United States and Canada. Each operates as their own motor club. As of January 2024, the Upper Canada Region is the largest region with over 4,300 members.

Further reading[edit]

• 1982 – Porsche Panorama: The First 25 Years (https://books.google.com/books?id=1mhRYgEACAAJ&dq=%22Porsche+Club+of+America%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qVrWU8WGM6HesASm2ID4Bw&ved=0CGIQ6AEwBw)
• 2014 – Nanaimo Daily News: Vancouver Island Region Porsche Club of America raised more than $14,000 for charity ([1])

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• The Porsche Club of America - web site
• Treffen North America
• Porsche Parade
• PCA Club Racing
• PCA membership