Porsche Club members urged to bring cars to town

Published 2:35 pm Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Car enthusiasts may be in for a real treat Saturday in Columbiana.

An official of the Porsche Club of America’s Alabama region is urging its members to drive their Porsches to Columbiana on Saturday to watch the filming of a commercial which a Birmingham advertising company hopes Porsche will purchase and use to advertise its cars.

“This is very spur of the moment,” said Brynley King, vice president of the Alabama region of the Porsche Club of America. As vice president, King helps organize events, like car shows, dinners and wine and cheese tastings, for Alabama’s 350 members of the club.

“Anything that has to do with promoting Porsche, we try to get involved with,” he said.

King has sent a request to his members to come to Columbiana to “hang out, grab a bite and watch them film a Porsche commercial.”

Columbiana Mayor Allen Lowe said those Porsches that make it to town on Saturday will be parked for viewing at the county courthouse overflow parking lot on College Street.

Shooting of the commercial is expected to begin at 4 p.m. and continue until about midnight.

King said he has no idea how many, if any, of the club’s members will respond to the invitation.

“I wish I could tell you that. I have no guess. The commercial is competing with an all-day event Saturday Indy car pre-season testing at Barber Motorsports Park. Lots of our members will be going out there and spending all day,” he said. “I’ve suggested to them that they watch them test the Indy cars, then run by Columbiana and just chill.”

King said he is going to make every effort to bring his 1980s style Porsche Carrera to Columbiana on Saturday, but he has responsibilities at the Indy car event. “I hope to head that way when I’m finished,” he said.

King said Porsche owners are passionate about their cars.

“Typically, we enjoy high-performance driving. It’s a whole culture that Porsche represents,” King said.