AN ITALIAN RENDEZ-VOUS

An Italian Rendez-Vous

Scenes from a very wet Emilia-Romagna for the 50th annual International 356 Meet.

First organised in Switzerland in 1976, when a mere 30 cars lined up to celebrate Porsche’s first production car, the International 356 Meeting has since become a much loved gathering for collectors and enthusiast’s of the model.

Held yearly with German precision, the event recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in Italy last month, when an impressive 256 cars took the twisty roads of Romagna by storm, driving from the shores of Cervia to the steep hills of San Marino.

Entrants rejoined from all over Europe and beyond - many US plates could be spotted around, and even a South African car showed up: the atmosphere in the small coastal town of Milano Marittima felt almost surreal, with every single street and hotel parking lot packed with colourful 356s. From concours-grade, all-original Split Windows to weathered hillclimb-ready SC’s, every iteration of the model was well represented - most likely by several different examples.

The Meeting was kicked off Italian style (read: washing down great food with fine wine) in the city’s ancient salt docks, while mechanics worked tirelessly to ensure all cars - even those who drove lengthy miles all the way to Italy - were perfectly tuned for the following day’s inaugural rally.

Come the morning, all hopes for decent weather had been dashed. As the 250+ cars began lining up, pouring rain turned the streets into literal rivers. Crews aboard coupé cars unfolded their napkins to wipe windscreens, while co-drivers of speedsters had to get creative and resorted to rags and buckets to try and stop water.

Although soggy weather isn’t exactly what one would expect from a late May weekend on the riviera, morale remained high. Two hours and lots of water later, the cars made their way to San Marino, a microstate nestled on top of a steep mountain where time seemingly stopped in the Middle Ages. The ancient stone fortress, made even more austere by the thick fog surrounding it, served as the perfect backdrop for a much needed stop to dry up the cars - and their crews.

Pouring rain turned the streets into literal rivers. Crews aboard coupé cars unfolded their napkins to wipe windscreens, while co-drivers of speedsters had to get creative and resorted to rags and buckets to try and stop water.

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An Italian Rendez-Vous image text 2 image

After a soaking wet start of the 50th International 356 Meeting, the long convoy of Porsches braced for another day in the elements, one that thankfully never materialised. The skies had finally cleared and bright sun lit the way for the second day, warming up the mood on the drive to the Misano World Circuit. The track was the next big stop for the caravan after a quick stint across hills and vineyards, old and steady flat-four engines beating a steady drumbeat for the procession.

In curious contrast, a grouping of modern GT cars halted their free practice session as the Porsches began to arrive in the parking lot, allowing our comparatively underpowered gathering to have a try at the track’s 16 corners. Watching the 70 year old sports cars giving it their all on the tarmac was in the end no less entertaining than the race cars that had been on before, now waiting patiently in the paddocks. Unfortunately however, this didn’t last long before it was time to rejoin the road.

With tyres still warm and engines still beating, our last drive took us to Santarcangelo di Romagna where we ended the day with another gathering - this time against the picturesque backdrop of the main square. Cars sat in the sun, drivers exchanged chats with locals and espressos brewed en-masse, and thus sealed the most Italian International 356 Meeting to date.