Although it’s a German company, the history and success of Porsche are closely tied to American drivers. It only makes sense, then, that the 34th automobile added to the National Historic Vehicle Register is this 1952 Porsche America Roadster.
Chassis number 12336, it was one of 16 aluminum-bodied cars built specifically for American racers by Porsche. The cars were built thanks to the efforts of the legendary importer, Max Hoffman, and famed racecar driver and dealer, John von Neumann.
The car was raced by Josie von Neumann after her stepfather sold it to John Crean, an entrepreneur. She took home a number of victories at the wheel of the America Roadster, and bested some of the most famous European sports cars of the era in her short career.
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Von Neumann’s success, as well as that of the racers of the other 15 examples, helped encourage the—at the time—young German company to build more competitive models than just the standard 356 on which the America Roadster is based.
“Porsches have long captivated auto enthusiasts in the United States—and while there are many tremendous examples, this is a great place to see where that influential history began in the U.S.,” said Casey Maxon, senior manager of heritage for the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. “The car’s unique tie to Max Hoffman, as well as John and Josie von Neumann, make it a fantastic example to document and preserve Porsche’s story in the Library of Congress for future generations to learn about.”
The announcement that the 1952 Porsche America Roadster chassis number 12663 will join the National Historic Vehicle Register was made on June 10 at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta’s 75th Anniversary Broad Arrow Group Porsche sale.
The celebration of the car was held in the memory of Robert Ingram, who bought it in 2009. A full nut and bolt restoration of the classic car was performed by Road Scholars, led by Robert’s son, Cam Ingram in 2018, and it took 3rd in class at the Pebble Beach Concours soon after.
“Having the America Roadster added to the National Historic Vehicle Register and documented for perpetuity on the anniversary of Porsche is an enormous honor. Of all of the significant Porsches, we feel this is a fitting example for the Register,” said Rory Ingram, Robert’s other son. “This is a tough year to have lost our dad and to honor his legacy with the celebration of this important car and document Porsche heritage in the U.S. in our father’s honor is a great distinction.”
Anyone who is in Washington, D.C., will be able to see the car in September, when it is placed in a special case and displayed along the National Mall, during the National Historic Vehicle Register’s annual “Cars at the Capital” event. The organization seeks to celebrate vehicles with a historic importance to America’s relationship with automobiles by documenting them in the Library of Congress.
