Like the automobiles that inspire most of our activities, the Connecticut Valley Region of the Porsche Club of America has an illustrious history - not on a par with that of the marque assuredly, but hey, lots of us are in the Region's history so it must be illustrious. At the time of our 25th Anniversary celebration in 1984, Linda Goodman researched the history of the Region, presented it at that gala, and subsequently printed it in Challenge. With her permission, it has been edited, expanded for 1970-1985, and updated through 1999 by Prescott Kelly.

          The early years are not well documented, and Linda leaned on Dale Miller, then the National Historian, and Chip Hall, who had the only complete collection of Challenge close to hand, to fill in. In those earliest days, the photocopied folded sheets that were Challenge were also infrequently issued, so gaps do exist.

~ 1959 ~

CVR was founded. First President was Olive Toombs of Cheshire, who had joined PCA in February 1956. Mrs. Toombs attended the first Porsche Parade in 1956 along with founding CVR members Norm Millard of East Hartford, Lucas Ziluca of Weston, William Brewster and Ernest Kearns, both of Suffield. Olive was also the first National Membership Chair. For those of you with long memories, Ziluca ran Imported Cars of Wilton on Route 7 and his charming widow, Sonja, still runs a close-by business, Georgetown Travel.

~ 1962 ~

The first Annual Tri-region Porscherama event was held.

~ 1963 ~

At the second Annual Porscherama, Ashley Carroll took 3rd in the Rally and 40th in the Gymkhana. Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Stanley were Challenge editors. Car badges became available for the Region.

~ 1964 ~

The Gymkhana finale was held at Package Machinery with 13 cars participating. Bruce Jorey was President.

~ 1965 ~

Bruce Jorey was still President. Jack Tighe was Treasurer.

January - CVR's Annual Meeting was held at the Yankee Silversmith in Wallingford.

February - A white elephant sale was held and netted $23. There is no record of how the proceeds were deployed.

March - CVR tours the Teaneck, NJ headquarters of Porsche of America.

April - The first Gymkhana of '65 was held. Entry fee was $2.

May - Cape Cod Photo Rally was conducted. Motel package was $10 double, $5 single. The 10th Porsche Parade was held in Santa Barbara, California.

August - The 4th Annual Porscherama was held. Entry fee was $45 complete/total. Fred Locke takes 1st in the Concours and 2nd in the Rally with Joe Sangiovanni navigating.

September - Seatbelts and mufflers are made mandatory for Gymkhana participants.

~ 1966 ~

Ron Snow is President. Jack Tighe is Treasurer.

April - CVR's first Autocross is held at Orange Airport in conjunction with Northeast Region. Helmets are required for drivers of open cars.

May - First track-touring school is held at Thompson Raceway in conjunction with Northeast Region.

December - Treasurer Jack Tighe reports that the club is solvent with $392 in the bank. Registration opens for the upcoming Porsche Parade in Washington DC. Registration fee is $20 and room rate is $20/day for a double.

~ 1967 ~

President is Paul Odegard. Treasurer is Jack Tighe.

January - Ashley Carroll becomes CVR's first national officer, Treasurer of the Porsche Club of America. He will hold the job for four years.

February - Slot car rally is held at the Hartford Model Club located above Fred Locke's stereo store on Asylum Street in downtown Hartford.

March - Tech session is held at Ted Truden's VW-Porsche dealership.

April - MOVIE PARTY! -Grand Prix in Cinema at the Cinerama Theater on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford.

May - Track touring at Lime Rock Park. Limited to 30 cars. Nine members go to the National Parade, including Ashley Carroll, CVR's first elected National Officer.

August - You got it, Porscherama again for $45 complete, including $31 for accommodations and meals. A competitor flips a 912 in Big Bend at Lime Rock. (Was he ahead of his time?) New event: DRIVER'S SCHOOL at Lime Rock Park run by CVR. Organized drag races are conducted on the main straight.

~ 1968 ~

Bill Bliven is President. Jack Tighe is still Treasurer. Jim Shelmerdine is Secretary.

January - Thompson Raceway is to be rebuilt. Region Award guidelines are announced. There will be a Porsche Pusher Award and a men's and women's competition awards.

March - Challenge postage is $.06 per copy.

June - A new timer is needed for Gymkhanas. To raise the funds, the Region will sell decals, emblems, patches, car badges, and wall plaques.

September - A fall tech session is held in the newly expanded buildings of Pray Motors in Greenwich.

~ 1969 ~

President is Jack Tighe. Jim Shelmerdine is Secretary.

February - Challenge is overhauled with photos added and a new column on technical matters is included.

~ 1970 ~

Jack Tighe is President and Challenge editor. Jim Shelmerdine is VP.

January - A social chairwoman is added. Her first event is a "Sweetheart Social."

August - The Porsche Parade is held in Boston. CVR's Joe Sangiovanni wins the Manhattan Trophy for -best in show- with his 1957 356A Coupe. Joe had been SCCA racing with Fred Locke and Don McCarthy for years. He quit racing to spend more time with his family, but needed a car activity. So he refurbished his old coupe. As befits a mechanical/chemical engineer with a doctorate, Joe did the job well!

November - The Region's Annual Dinner is held at Betty's Old Town House in Agawam, Massachusetts. Dinner is $12 per couple. For the first time regional elections are held at the dinner.

~ 1971 ~

Jim Shelmerdine is President Dick Carroll is VP. Tom Tyrer is Treasurer. Jim Hoffman is Challenge editor and it starts appearing more regularly. Ashley Carroll retires as National Treasurer and becomes Chairman of the Finance Committee, a position he will hold for four years.

June - Gymkhana is held in Riverside, Massachusetts. Ben Blake returns from Denver and introduces CVRers to the hand brake slide to cut corners.

July - The first booklet format of Challenge appears. Postage is now $.08.

October - Article in Challenge talks about the officers' fears of a possible southern Connecticut/Fairfield County breakoff from the Region. Southerners are challenged to organize events -down there- and the Hartford types promise they'll come.

December - Linda Hostetler wins an award for being the most active (only) female participant in Gymkhanas. Banquet dinners are $6.50.

~ 1972 ~

President is Jim Shelmerdine. Dick Carroll is VP. John Henry is Treasurer. Jim Hoffman stays editor of Challenge.

January - The Region announces a contest for the design of a region badge. Jim prints a blank centerfold.

February - Jim announces that the centerfold was not blank. To build interest in the Lake Geneva Parade he ran a photo of an unclad (pale?) Miss Wisconsin on an ice box white (not a factory color, we think) 911 placed on a frozen-over Lake Geneva in a raging snowstorm. (Glad he cleared that up for us?)

July - The winning badge design is a combination of those submitted by Jim Hoffman and Conrad Plyler. (Now, finally, we know whom to blame!)

August - The 11th Porscherama is held. First backwards slalom was run.

September - The Treasury balance is up to $435. The Region is incorporated.

November - It is suggested that the Region consider having an Autocross Chair.

~ 1973 ~

Jeff Hostetler is President (NOT the Giants QB - he's from West Virginia!) John Henry is VP. John -Ski- Stanislawski is Treasurer. Jim Hoffman outlived the blank centerfold to continue as Challenge editor.

January - CVR member Hal Wilson is shot down over North Vietnam. Connecticut State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, Robert Leuba, joins CVR. Challenge gets its first stiff-paper cover.

October - Bill Turney proposes a year-long championship autocross series.

November - The Annual Banquet speaker is Robert Leuba who speaks on -The government's role in traffic safety from an enthusiast's point-of-view. The treasury balance is down to $405.

~ 1974 ~

Jeff Hostetler is President. Jim Hoffman is Vice-President and Ski stays Treasurer. John and Kim Henry are Challenge editors.

January - Gas shortages hit the region. SCCA plans to sell shares and buy Thompson Raceway. (Sound familiar in 1999?)

February - The calendar includes four Autocrosses, a Tour and a Concours.

September - At the 13th Annual Porscherama, there is a ladies only Driver's Education group.

~ 1975 ~

Ed Tobolski is President. Tom Zbell is VP and Jim Corcoran is Treasurer. Jeff and Linda Hostetler are Challenge editors.

January - Down East Region proposes a train trip from Montreal to the Seattle Parade after a Maine clambake. $400 one way for two people and one car. (You can drive home!) Seems reasonable to head to Seattle through Maine.

April - CVR invited to the Alfa Owner's Club Time Trial at Lime Rock. What's a time trial?