Galpin Makes Rainbow Connection with New bb-Auto 911 Targa Hybrid

• SoCal megadealer Galpin Motors will show this 1986 Porsche bb-Auto Targa Hybrid at the Werks Reunion on Friday and on the Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

• The car has an Ed Pink engine with a Vonnen hybrid good for 550 hp.

• The ‘80s were great, weren't they? Do you remember anything from then?

Galpin Motors, a mega dealership in Southern California, has the money and resources to pursue any automotive project it wants to. It has what may be the largest collection of Ed Roth cars and art, for instance. Its Galpin Auto Sport (G.A.S.) is a modern-day hot rod and speed shop, and it was the host body for several years for the TV show Pimp My Ride.

Now Beau Boeckmann, president and CEO of Galpin Motors, has focused his company’s resources on Porsches from the 1980s. Last year at the Monterey Werks Reunion Galpin showed off a magnificently purple 1988 Porsche Turbo Slantnose 930.

This year it’s a 1986 Porsche bb-Auto Targa Hybrid that will be featured in the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge at the Werks Reunion. After Werks, the car goes to the Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach.

The black-with-rainbow-hued Targa is inspired by and pays homage to a similar car called bb-Auto Rainbow Turbo Targa originally crafted in collaboration with Polaroid for a 1976 German photography show called Photokina.

Depending on how well you remember the 1970s, you may recall bb-Auto. It was founded by Rainer and Kathrin Buchmann in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1974. Galpin Motors now holds exclusive rights for bb-Auto in the US.

Rainer Buchmann himself will be at the Werks Reunion and at Pebble, and you can get autographs from him and from Boeckmann (Buchmann und Boeckmann?) on the Concept Lawn from 10 am to 11:30 am Sunday.

There’s more to the tribute car than its classic colors. Under the decklid is an Ed Pink Racing engine with Vonnen hybrid technology that delivers an “exhilarating” 550 hp, Galpin says.

“The Vonnen technology provides rapid bursts of power to the engine and is lighter and more compact than traditional EV batteries.”

It features a 110-kW electric motor-generator positioned between the engine and transmission. To manage heat, Vonnen includes two cooling circuits with bumper-mounted heat exchangers.

That power is coupled with modern features such as an Active Suspension Management system, custom 18-inch Titan 7 wheels, and Brembo brakes.

The interior features bespoke Recaro LX seats, an electric air conditioning system, and a 660-watt Focal sound system integrated with a Porsche Classic Communication radio and 9.2-inch infotainment screen.

“This project is a true labor of love, blending classic Porsche heritage with our own Galpizined style,” said Boeckmann.

Galpin will also display a 1981 Porsche bb-Auto 928 Targa at Werks. So find the polyester leisure suit you’ve been storing since the prom and get over to Werks Reunion Monterey at the Monterey Pines Golf Course, 1250 Garden Road, Monterey, California, on Friday, August 16.