25 Years Of R Gruppe- Tricked Out Early Porsche 911s

First published in Vicarious Fall 2024

Story and Photography: Randy Wells

Chances are you’ve probably heard about the early Porsche 911 club called “R Gruppe”, or maybe you just appreciate “hot rod” car culture born in California. Perhaps you’ve even heard of the annual R Gruppe “Treffen” event, where ogling each other’s tricked-out early Porsche 911s is something everyone looks forward to.

Each year, since it’s humble beginnings back in 1999 (except during Covid), the members of R Gruppe have met in a location somewhere in California or Utah. In 2024, R Gruppe celebrated its 25^th year by hosting a car meet in Santa Fe, New Mexico over the U.S. Memorial Day weekend.

The R Gruppe club was inspired by Porsche’s racing history, the 911R Sports Purpose Manual, and the outlaw spirit of Steve McQueen. It was founded by Freeman Thomas and the late Cris Huergas, from Southern and Northern California respectively. These two men discovered they had a similar vision to form a band of like-minded individuals together and provide a venue for them to meet and share what they had learned working on and driving early 911s – long-hood cars built before U.S. bumper and smog regulations were enacted in 1974.

R Gruppe gained notoriety early on for being an invitation-only club that limited its membership to 300 individuals, many of whom did not fit the mold of other Porsche clubs. You will find no concours or Q-tips at their get-togethers. More likely you will find more beer and brats than wine and cheese in the host hotel parking lot where their authentic comradery is on display into the late evening.

Creative and down to earth, these folks are adherents to an ethos more inspired by traditional hot rod values, like a recognition of individualism in the modifications made both for aesthetics and performance, along with a focus on generosity, and equal treatment. It’s not unusual to see elements incorporated into their cars from the limited-edition early Porsche 911 race cars like the R, TR, ST, RS and RSR models.

Their unique cars are more likely to reflect their individuality with custom paint work, modified suspensions and trick air-cooled Porsche motors. The members take special pride that the club is based on the belief that they know a lot about these cars by owning them and driving them in the spirit with which they were intended. In particular, the club has always prided itself on participation and a shared brotherhood best exhibited by their annual gatherings.

Previous locations for the annual Treffen have included the inaugural event in Cambria, California and subsequent meets in San Luis Obispo, Santa Rosa, Solvang, Napa, Palm Springs and Monterey in California and St. George in Utah. This year’s event in Santa Fe had all the makings of a meeting at the crossroads of America.

As an early member who has attended every R Gruppe Treffen, my goal for this year’s meet was to see how things have changed in the club. With the recent passing of Huergas in 2020, new blood has found its way into the club’s management along with the continuity provided by co-founder Thomas and Cris’s daughter Jessica.

Bob Aines of Texas and Jeff Higgins of Washington state have served as new leaders who, along with others, have revamped the club’s organization and set goals that honor the R Gruppe’s founding principles. Both the NorCal and SoCal regions have new “chaptermeisters” as well. In the process, the club has begun considering new membership to those with special air-cooled 911s outside of the 1964-1973 framework, in limited numbers.

With member regions growing in the Mountain states, the Midwest, South and East coast, it was decided there was a need for a more centrally located Treffen this year. Harry Seasons of Albuquerque was the member who volunteered to organize the 2024 R Gruppe Treffen in Santa Fe. The result was both surprising and unsurprising, as the new venue was refreshingly different, yet the overall vibe remained the same.

Along with Seasons, Aines and Higgins brought a lot to the table, inspiring dozens of members from their regions and the Midwest to attend this new venue. For all those R Gruppe members who decided not to attend the 2024 Santa Fe Treffen, they missed one of the best events with epic drives to a location that will likely never be repeated.

Higgins led a small group from Seattle over several days, through Wyoming and Colorado, where their 911s handled splendidly over several scenic mountain passes, including the spectacular Red Mountain Pass from Ouray to Durango, Colorado. A new award for the longest distance traveled went to Bryan Cabatic for traversing over 3,700 km (2,300 miles) from North Seattle to Santa Fe in his Pastel Blue 911 with his PacWest R Gruppe brothers.

Once at the host hotel in Santa Fe, attending members continued to experience great roads through mountains and valleys in the New Mexican landscape. Great stories and memories were made whetting the appetite for next year’s Treffen.