They’re sleek, sexy and, oh, so fast. Catch Porsche show at Tacoma car museum

Some people collect comic books. Rick Danielson and Scott Miller collect Porsches — the coveted, sleek, high performance German sports car that has captivated its fans for 75 years.

Danielson of Graham has 10 Porsches and Kent resident Miller has seven. Both men have cars in a new exhibit at LeMay — America’s Car Museum in Tacoma. “Porsche at 75” is on view at the museum for the next year and features a collection of about 20 cars, almost all of them on loan from collectors like Miller and Danielson.

At 75, the Porsche brand could be considered a senior citizen, but the cars the automaker produces roll back the clock every year with models that look like they deserve a speeding ticket while parked.

While there are a few late-model cars in the LeMay show, most are vintage like Miller’s. His silver 1955 356 Speedster is one of the first a visitor to the museum will encounter. It exudes class. Miller and his father bought it less than a year ago.

“It’s been the top car on our list,” he said. “Just because of its beauty. The rarity.”

The show

Let’s get this out of the way early: Porsche is a two-syllable word, not “porsh”.

LeMay’s collections manager Tim Willard said the cars will rotate in and out during the year-long run of the show. The emphasis is on older models, including early 911s. But, there are what he calls “odd boys” in the exhibit like a 914, a collaboration between Porsche and Volkswagen.

Porsche has an impressive racing pedigree as illustrated by a couple of vehicles in the show, including Danielson’s 1956 Porsche 356 A Rally that was raced in the La Carrera-Panamericana revival rally. Nearby is a streamlined 1968 Porsche 908 that was an entry in that year’s World Sportscar Championship.

Some models have airfoils and others, like the 911, have their trademark rear wings.

Porsche’s airfoils are the real deal, Willard said, unlike some after-factory kits that are more for looks than performance.

“You know, wearing high heels doesn’t necessarily make you a supermodel,” he said.

If you take a peek under the hood of a Porsche, you’re likely to find luggage or spare tire. The rear-mounted engines are remarkably simple and easy to work on, Danielson said. Miller prefers to leave his engine work to the professionals.

Why Porsche?

“It’s the engineering and the connection you get to the road, and the handling,” Danielson said while visiting the museum last week with his wife, Sally. “The driving experience can be exhilarating and fulfilling.”

Older models, which lack power steering and weigh in at around 1,700 pounds, give the driver a direct connection to the suspension and ultimately the road, he said.

“Whether the car is 70 years old to the last five years, Porsche has done a incredible job of just keeping up with new technology and making the driving experience unique,” Danielson said.

Miller grew up poring over Auto Trader magazine with his father, Stephen. They started collecting Ford Mustangs. But things changed in 2001 with the purchase of their first Porsche.