In April of 2009 for Gale’s 65th birthday we decided a Treffen with Fast Lane Travel was the only way to ring in her “senior citizen” years. On Gale’s actual birthday we toured the Porsche Museum and factory and were fortunate enough to see a preproduction Panamera sitting outside the factory. The Panamera had just officially been unveiled a couple of days prior in Shanghai. Upon returning to the US Gale decided as a late birthday present to herself she would purchase a Panamera. At the time the only Porsche in the family was a 2002 Boxster S. In June of 2009 she decided she would order from Hendrick Porsche in Charlotte, NC, one of the sponsors of the 2008 Parade Charlotte. She quickly made an appointment to meet with a salesman and picked out not just a couple of options but a grand total of 39 options including the matching Yachting Blue Metallic paint and Yachting Blue and Cream two tone interior. Ironically enough Yachting Blue Metallic was the “launch” color chosen for the Panamera in preproduction release photos sent out in early 2009. Yachting Blue Metallic was only ever offered as a factory production color on the Panamera and was discontinued in 2016; however, it has popped up from time to time as a paint to sample on other Porsches. The car was completed on October 18, 2009 just three days after the official launch of the Panamera at dealers nationwide. A delivery date was estimated in late November but an unexpected delay due to a problem with the Entry and Drive system delayed delivery of approximately 200 cars that had already been completed and shipped to the US. Due to this delay Porsche AG gifted her a four-piece set of matching luggage. On December 15, 2009 Gale took delivery of her first Porsche, nearly six months after deciding she was ordering it as her late birthday present. In July of 2010 we packed up the barely broken in Panamera and drove to St. Charles, IL for it’s first Parade where it was one of only four Panameras in attendance. The 2010 Porsche Parade was the Panamera’s first Parade Concours d’Elegance where it won first in class. In 2011 we followed up our win with another first in class win in the Concours at the Porsche Parade in Savannah, GA as well as a first in class in the Parade Autocross. In 2012 after a near 2000 mile drive in two and a half days we arrived in Salt Lake City, UT for Porsche Parade. A third, first in class win in the Concours along with Division and Group wins made the Panamera the first and so far only four-door Porsche to ever win a group award at the Parade Concours d’Elegance. Since the 2012 Parade the Panamera has been to the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2021 Parades in Traverse City, MI, Monterey, CA, French Lick, IN, Lake of the Ozarks, MO, and a repeat to French Lick, IN. During the various Parades the Panamera has been entered in numerous Concours, Autocrosses, Gimmick Rallies, Tours, and Parade laps at both Road America and Leguna Seca. Over all this Panamera has nine first in class wins at Parade Concours, 2010-2015, 2018, & 2021, one division win, one group win, two first in class Carolinas Region Concours wins, three first in class Parade Autocross wins, 2011-2013, and two first in class Carolinas Region Autocross wins. Hopefully it will have many more years of competition with our family and be present at many more Porsche Parades. In November of 2015 it was featured in the Panorama article “Connecting Road” by Ada Lee Halofsky with photos by Randy Wells.