Vasek Polak
So, then. If you've spent any time on my website, you've probably figured it out - I'm a car guy. If you've been paying attention, you may have noticed something more specific - I'm really a Porsche guy. And if you've been to my shop or seen any of my Porsches in person, you may have noticed that they all have something in common.
Here's a hint:
Here's a hint:
That's the back end of my absolutely perfect 1969 Porsche 912. And that's an original, Vasek Polak license plate frame she's wearing - just like every Porsche I own. Believe it or not, that frame is highly collectible and not easy to find. I spend a fair amount of time scouring eBay for these things then restoring them to new.
Why do I do this? What's a Vasek Polak? Well, read on.
Vasek Polak was the very first exclusive Porsche dealership in the United States. It was opened in 1959 by, you guessed it, Mr. Vasek Polak at 199 Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach, CA.
Now let's get to the star of this story - Me.
In the late eighties I was living in Hermosa Beach - working in a record store, trying to be an actor, perfecting my tan. In those days, I used to walk a lot. Not because I couldn't afford a car - I did own a car (a 1968 Mustang my friends called the Rattle Machine because of the variety of noises it made). It was the gas I couldn't usually afford. So I walked. And almost every day, on my way back from my acting classes, I'd walk past Vasek Polak and, most days, I'd stand at the window and stare inside. For a 20-something kid obsessed with cars, the view was both exhilarating and intimidating.
Why do I do this? What's a Vasek Polak? Well, read on.
Vasek Polak was the very first exclusive Porsche dealership in the United States. It was opened in 1959 by, you guessed it, Mr. Vasek Polak at 199 Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach, CA.
Now let's get to the star of this story - Me.
In the late eighties I was living in Hermosa Beach - working in a record store, trying to be an actor, perfecting my tan. In those days, I used to walk a lot. Not because I couldn't afford a car - I did own a car (a 1968 Mustang my friends called the Rattle Machine because of the variety of noises it made). It was the gas I couldn't usually afford. So I walked. And almost every day, on my way back from my acting classes, I'd walk past Vasek Polak and, most days, I'd stand at the window and stare inside. For a 20-something kid obsessed with cars, the view was both exhilarating and intimidating.
Photo Credit: Stolen off the Internet from some guy I've never met.
I probably stopped and stared in that window hundreds of times but I never got up the nerve to open the door and go inside. I guess I figured they'd laugh me and my empty wallet out of the place if I tried. I was OK with that, actually. Because I'd promised myself that someday, when I'd made it big, I'd throw those doors open, strut through the showroom, and buy the shiniest Porsche they had right off the floor. It was my destiny, after all.
I wish I could tell you that I'd fulfilled that destiny. That I'd made my millions, got my Porsche, and married Heather Locklear. But the truth is that it took me longer to make it big than I'd originally planned and I never got the chance. Vasek Polak Porsche closed shortly after Mr. Polak's death (in a Porsche crash on the Autobahn, sadly and of course) in 1997.
So, I'm left with the license plate frames and my memories. And that's OK. As much as I'd love to be the original owner of a car from this now-legendary Porsche dealership, I'm perfectly happy being the one-time kid who spent way too many hours staring through those windows and dreaming of his first time behind the wheel of a 911.
I wish I could tell you that I'd fulfilled that destiny. That I'd made my millions, got my Porsche, and married Heather Locklear. But the truth is that it took me longer to make it big than I'd originally planned and I never got the chance. Vasek Polak Porsche closed shortly after Mr. Polak's death (in a Porsche crash on the Autobahn, sadly and of course) in 1997.
So, I'm left with the license plate frames and my memories. And that's OK. As much as I'd love to be the original owner of a car from this now-legendary Porsche dealership, I'm perfectly happy being the one-time kid who spent way too many hours staring through those windows and dreaming of his first time behind the wheel of a 911.