text: MEDIA | driventoamerica
  Porsche passion in Gatsby style
  By MARKUS KLIMESCH 10/22/2018
  Porsche passion in Gatsby style. That's what you might call the event on October 14 in Long Island. Under the motto "Driven to America", the primarily air-cooled Porsche Community on the east coast of the USA celebrated a very special man in Porsche history: Maximilian Hoffman. The man who was initially responsible for the unbelievable success of the Porsche brand in the USA.
  A tribute to Maximilian Hoffman
  To pay tribute to this success story and, in particular, Maximilian Hoffman, numerous Porsche owners, racing drivers, collectors and fans met on 14 October 2018 for a very special event at the De Seversky Mansion in Long Island, New York. In addition to numerous wonderful specimens of various series also some of the most important and special road and racing cars were issued. The air-cooled car culture also lives and thrives on the east coast of the USA. We from Elferspot magazine were there and have brought you some impressions. We would also like to thank the organizer and congratulate for a very successful event.
  Maximilian Hoffmann – a courageous and visionary man
  It is the year 1951. Born in Austria, Maximilian Edwin Hoffmann signs a contract with Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche for the import of sports cars from Zuffenhausen to the USA. Max Hoffman was a visionary and thought big. When Ferry Porsche remarked in the course of the talks that he would be happy if Hoffman could sell five cars in a year, Max Hoffman replied with determination: "If I do not sell five of these cars a week, I am not interested in this business. "
  "If I do not sell five of these cars a week, I'm not interested in this business." Max Hoffman
  It completely worked out. The Americans revealed an unimagined passion for European sports cars. In the same year, the Porsche 356 won the prize for the most interesting car at the "Concours d'Elegance at Watkins Glen.
  Hoffman was also a racing driver
  Another push for the Porsche brand was a clever move. Hoffman himself took part in various races in a Porsche. The agility and excellent driving characteristics of German sports cars inspired the Americans. In the first year already 32 cars were imported. Three years later, almost 600 Americans bought a Porsche.
  What probably only the fewest know: Also the so well-known Porsche crest was the idea of Max Hoffman. He convinced Ferry Porsche during a lunch that Porsche absolutely needed a suitable emblem and designed the crest on a napkin. As early as 1953, the world-famous emblem graced the steering wheels of the Porsche models. Max Hoffmann and Porsche, a true picture book story. The importance of the American market for Porsche as a whole was far from being foreseeable at the time. The rest is history. The Maximilian Hoffman died in 1981.
  Chuck Tannert Forbes Staff,10/19/2018
  Longtime Chicago resident Pamela Brundage is not your average vintage sports car owner. There are mainly two types: hoarders and drivers.
  The 356 was popular in the 1960s with the in crowd. Actor Steve McQueen owned one. So did singer Janis Joplin. Hers recently sold at auction for $1.76 million. Today they're still prized by celebrities. Patrick Dempsey purchased a 1963 Porsche 356 with his first real paycheck as an actor. In 2016, Jerry Seinfeld sold several of his Porsches, including a 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster that went for $1.5 million at auction. Hagerty values a 1961 356B, similar to Jean Brundage's, at around $113,000 in Concours condition and the 1962 356B Super 90 at $159,000 in the same condition.
  In addition to founding Harrah's Hotel and Casinos, William Harrah was an avid car collector, owning about 1,400 vehicles of all makes and models before his death in 1978. "Not one Porsche in the whole collection when my mom worked for him, though," Brundage jokes. "I used to hang out at [Harrah's] restoration facility when I was young. It was so clean and beautiful."
  "Mom's car," as Brundage calls it, currently sits at Classic Remedy autos in Addison, just outside of Chicago. The shop specializes in iconic Porsche restorations. "I had the work done on my 356 there," says Brundage. The previous owner did the paint, interior and changed the brakes from drum to disc for safety reasons. She had the engine rebuilt in winter 2018, changed the wiring harness and connections, and changed the electrical system back to the original six-volt. "I've put 7,000 miles on the car since May," boasts Brundage. And she hasn't had a single oil leak.
  Unfortunately, her mother won't be around to see the car achieve former glory. "She passed away five weeks before I was contacted about the car," Brundage says, noting that it hasn't diminished her love for the Porsche. "After my son passed away in 2015, I realized if you want to do something, don't stand around and talk about it. If you can do it, do what you want to do. You don't know what will happen tomorrow."
  How To Pay Proper Tribute To The Importer Who Helped Bring Porsche To America...
  By Jake Salyers, 10/18/2018
  September 18, 2018 (Long Island, New York)—Driven To America, the premier East Coast event for air-cooled Porsches has placed the finishing touches on the October 14th event. The Porsche world's passion will once again be ignited at the 2nd annual celebration and tribute to Max Hoffman, the man responsible from bringing the iconic marque to America.
  Driven to America Celebrates the 70th Anniversary of Porsche
  Air-Cooled Porsche Celebration and Tribute to Max Hoffman on October 14th
  Driven To America, the premier East Coast event for air-cooled Porsches will be hosting its 2nd Annual celebration and tribute to Max Hoffman, the man responsible from bringing the iconic marque to America. The event will be held on October 14, at the de Seversky Mansion in Old Westbury, New York. Over two thousand attendees experienced the inaugural event in 2017 with Hundreds of Porsches from all over the US gracing the beautiful landscape. Streetcars along with factory and custom racecars were driven and trailered in from owners, collectors, and racecar drivers.
  "The air-cooled Porsche car culture is thriving and will be on full display at the second annual Driven To America event which is expected to draw an even larger crowd of attendees and Porsche exhibitors from around the nation," states David Jacobson, Executive Director of Driven To America and owner of Collector Car Showcase, Oyster Bay, New York.