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Caretaker of the Porsche passion

This is a big deal. CHALLENGE is starting an exciting new phase in its evolution. It’s clear that CVR is far more than just a bunch of Porsche enthusiasts. We are the caretakers of the Porsche passion. Brand ambassadors of the highest order. Countless hours are volunteered to assure we further the cause, we fulfill our calling, our obligation, to pass along what sliver of the Porsche story each of us can. Nowhere is that more tangible than in the eMagazine that you are now reading, the digital CHALLENGE. Congratulations to all that have lead us to this point, and those CVR members that advanced the mission, filling the “pages” (now apparently we need to learn about “blocks”) with Porsche passion.

CHALLENGE history is like Porsche’s, and indeed is nearly as long. Evolution and refinement to a world class level, punctuated by 959esk advances. You are now seeing such an advancement in front of you. Here are some fun and historical CHALLENGE highlights that shed perspective on this step:

Mimeographed: Hand typed 8.5”x11” articles were spun over a drum that produced a purplish ink copy that was then folded in half and hand stapled, addressed, and mailed. This set the “brochure” size we came to cherish for its tradition and relative uniqueness, and that fit in a Porsche glovebox. It also spread the word about the CVR activities, useful car care tips, and CVR’s camaraderie. As CVR membership grew mimeographing evolved into photocopying but with over 200 copies made each month this needed to evolve further.

Waxed: Around May 1982 CHALLENGE switched to “real” publishing methods. Each hand typed sheet was then hot waxed onto a layout board. To further professionalize the appearance, each board was then edged with “Chart Pac” borders (essentially hand pin-striping each page). Hand cropped black & white photos were rushed from the local photo store to meet deadlines cropped on a cutting board and hand outlined with more Chart Pac tape, then everything was painstakingly aligned using drafting tables and T Squares. After a few weeks of reprieve, the printer finished boxes of the issue that were then labeled and sorted into duffle bags by post code and rushed to the Hartford post office, usually late at night because they had extended hours. A week or two later members would start to get them in the mail.    

Color Covers: June of 1986 started the new world of “full color” covers. Before that 1, 2, then 3 colors were selectively used as accents or for the CHALLENGE masthead. Each color added new potential that stirred creative and collaborative ideas amongst the Editors. Back in the day of taking and “developing” slides however, lead time to plan seasonal shots quickly evolved into being one full year in advance, otherwise that great Fall foliage cover would appear in January. Full color covers nonetheless were a transformational event. They unleashed a wonderful and creative chapter that sparked the “PhotoFest” event that thrives still today and CVR members now could be a part of the little magazine that they loved.

Desktop Publishing; From the first Mac computer (with screens about the size of a phone nowadays but with a fraction of the resolution) to some impressive desktop publishing software the technology evolved quickly. This eased logistical burdens of the Editors but the speed and a new thing called the “internet” replace that with the burden of global content short lead times and infinite “possibilities”. The required skill to be Editor expanded accordingly and creativity was further broadened with journalistic professionalism. CVR has been blessed by the selfless giving, creativity, and professional Editorial talents of the Shelley Korhnengold for about eight years now. He has raised the magazine to a true professional level but done in an all-volunteer club. Shelly has been an exemplary “Caretaker of the Porsche passion” and has CVR’s and my personal deepest gratitude. The downside is that the bar is now so high that inquiries to fill the Editor position ended in astonishment when several candidates found out that this was a volunteer position. Many roles in CVR require extraordinary dedication and effort. While not diminishing any of those, CHALLENGE Editor is without doubt the toughest position in CVR and we are grateful for Shelly’s passion for the marque and for CVR and his skills.     

eMagazine: Here we are today, the beginning of a great journey full of rich possibilities. Much work has gone into benchmarking, and many deep discussions have been held on how to best serve CVR members, protect their privacy, and yet continue the rich tradition of having one of the best magazines out there. We have long held CHALLENGE as number one on our list to see in our mailboxes each month. Now we look forward to seeing it in our inboxes. This modern platform offers the best way to continue that passion for years to come.

Bravo CHALLENGE, bravo CVR…you are truly caretakers of the Porsche passion!

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