There is no greater gathering of Porsches in the USA than Hershey. Chances are, at the peak of the day on Saturday, there is almost every type of Porsche made. Chances are, there are cars from almost every year since Porsche production began, to today. If you wanted to take a walk through the history of the marque, it is better than any anthology. If you are a fan of a particular model, say a 914, you can see every variant in every condition from the show field to a basket case.

If you are seeking parts, it is not as rich as in the pre-Ebay days, but the swap meet is rows and rows of everything from new OEM parts to rusty pieces of sheet……..metal. It is a treasure hunt and a shopping mall, and that aspect has been chronicled here before (see Hounds of the Basketweave). This year I found a cigarette lighter that I had been seeking for 2 years, I was tempted by a deck grille, I bought some fries soaked in vinegar with salt and ketchup, I sold a car, and I bought a book I had not seen before. Hershey is a wonderful and dangerous place (see Hooked on Hershey). Chances are, you will go home with something that you were not planning to get.

The expertise walking around Hershey is staggering. If you think you really know your stuff about a particular model or year, you can be taken to school by some guy in a Pith helmet with a Porsche crest on it. If you are selling something that is labeled incorrectly, you can be chastised by 17 people per minute. If you think you know the story behind the design of some part, some guy who spoke with the original retired engineer last week has a better one. Best to approach Hershey as a graduate classroom, where you are clearly the student. Or you can hang out with a bunch of your buddies and laugh all day and meet friends you have not seen since last year. Regardless of your reason for being there, chances are, you will have a great day.

See the Hershey 2014 Album

2 Replies to “Hershey 2014”

  1. Someday I will have to venture to Hershey as I have been tempted so many times. The only thing I fear is what happened today at the Perkiomen Chapter of the AMCA show and swap meet at Oley, PA. I came home with a vintage motorbike I never planned to buy. The bike does bring a smile to my face, but left my pockets completely empty. It will take some time to recover from this one.
    Happy Motoring everyone!

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