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911 & PORSCHE WORLD
THE SPECIALISTS
markets, where many cars are bespoke.’
Parr has also developed Brembo brake
systems for late-model Porsches to make them
more suitable for trackday use, and supplies JRZ
shock absorbers for most models. Parr used JRZ
shocks on the British GT Championship cars, and
the Dutch manufactured units are very highly
rated by Robe and his team.
Although most of the cars that come into the
Parr workshops are out of factory warranty, Paul
Robe says that, since the introduction of block
exemption (allowing owners to have their cars
serviced and repaired at other than an official
dealer), they are beginning to see newer
vehicles. He has considered becoming an official
Porsche service agent, but feels the move would
mean the company would lose its own identity.
Some years earlier, the move into motor sport
was inevitable, although Paul’s only personal
racing experience was in stock cars. By the
mid-’80s, he was building cars for the Special
Saloons formula, including an Escort for Andy
Britnell who, much later, would become a
Carrera Cup stalwart. Then David Lees asked
if he could prepare a 911 for the Porsche
Club championship.
Results of the part-time effort – all the work
was done at weekends, to avoid disrupting
normal workshop activities – were good, Parr
became more involved in Porsche racing and the
foundations were laid for bigger things.
‘We had a customer, New Zealander Bill
Farmer, who asked if we’d be interested in
running a 993 GT2 in European events. We
collected the car from Stuttgart and contested
the 1995 BPR Endurance GT rounds, with a view
to going to Le Mans the following year. I built the
team up from the people in the workshop who
had been club racing with us; they were well
organised and their enthusiasm was fantastic.’
(
Note:
BPR Endurance GT was set up following
the demise of Group C, and got its title from the
names of the originators of the series, Jurgen
Barth, Patrick Peter and Stephane Ratel.)
‘We did our first round at Donington, and were
third and on the podium. I could not believe the
mess some of the other teams were in – they
were not managed properly. I told the boys that
if we focus on the job and do it right, we will get a
result. Porsche telephoned me afterwards and
said: “You have a good relationship with this car”. ’
Robe agrees that the early results – they were
second in the next round at Monthlèry – went a
long way to establishing Parr’s credibility with
the factory. At Le Mans, Farmer, Greg Murphy and
Robert Nearn were joined by a second GT2
piloted by Stephane Ortelli, Andrew Pilgrim and
Andy Bagnall, both cars finishing strongly on the
team’s first, and only, outing to the classic event.
After the Le Mans success, the Parr racing
programme dropped a couple of notches: ‘Bill
Farmer sold the GT2 and, although we had an
entry for Le Mans the following year, we did not
take it up. There was also a plan to run a Porsche
GT1 for David Saunders and Stephane Ortelli in
the British GT championship in ’98, but the car
only did one race – although we did run other
cars in the series for customers,’ says Robe.
The 1999 and 2000 seasons were what is best
described as a ‘deviation’ for Parr. The Porsche
successes in the home GT championship
prompted a request to run a brace of
V10-powered Chrysler Vipers, driven by the likes
of John Neilsen and Neil Cunningham. ‘It was
tough,’ says Paul Robe. ‘We were developing the
cars on the run and, although they were quick,
there were some failures.’
Then came the call from Porsche Cars Great
Britain. Managing Director, Andy Goss, was keen
to see the UK company promoting its image
through motor sport – something not done since
the 1960s – and Parr was asked to put a proposal
together. The result was an almost faultless run
through the championship, Kelvin Burt and
Marino Franchitti grabbing the GTO title before
season-end and Edward Horner/Matt Turner
taking the runner-up spot.
‘In fact,’ adds Paul, ‘Porsche GB had planned
a two-year programme, but our aims were
achieved in half the time.’
Plenty of space in the Crawleyworkshop.
All models are catered for – froma 911SC
Porsche Club racer (in the background) to
a road-going C62
Partners Paul
andMadeleine
Robe
(foreground)
head Parr’s
20-strong
workforce
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