Every Porsche Fan Needs to Experience the Brumos Collection

A life goal for my father was to purchase a new Porsche from our local dealer. However, Brumos Porsche is anything but ordinary. Founded in 1953 by VW Dealer Herbert Brundage, (BRUndage MOtors), his interests in racing allowed the small shop in Jacksonville, Florida to quickly become the largest Porsche importer in the Southeast.

Having a knack for advertising, Team Brumos fielded race-winning Porsches from 1959 onward. The world’s best drivers fought for their attention, with Hurley Haywood and Peter Gregg continually yielding podium finishes during the Golden Age of IMSA racing. After Brundage was lost in a motorcycle accident, Gregg purchased the team and the dealership in 1965. From then on, he would be known as “Peter Perfect” as a stickler for details in every event.

From the Porsche 904 to the 906 he gained respect around the nation, winning everything from SCCA to Trans-Am before clinching the 24 hours of Daytona in ‘73. It was here that he announced his retirement, but racing had other ideas.

That’s why he and the team expanded by expanding into BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and winning Daytona again in 1975, 76, and 78 while also holding the IMSA GTO World Championship simultaneously. BMW M’s first win in the U.S. opened doors for Procar, and they awarded Peter with a new M1. It is the only Art Car not owned by BMW, and its just one of the three-dozen time capsules you will have access to.

From a small location on Atlantic Boulevard, a new car inventory was displayed between race-winning Daytona Prototypes, making it easy to lose track of time. Running a winning team and operating a profitable dealership requires breathing room, so an ideal solution was made to house the collection in a setting unlike any other.

The relationship between Ford and VW is as strong as ever, and it was the motivation to tell a local story to guests. Jacksonville has been a manufacturing and logistics center since Andrew Jackson used it as a base to remove the state’s Native Tribes. Henry Ford saw it as a perfect spot to build the Model T, and the assembly plant was a cornerstone of style that was lost to urban sprawl.

Grasping an opportunity to connect with tourists, the Brumos Collection chose to build a replica of the downtown Ford factory as a venue for events and motorsports gatherings near the posh beach town of Ponte Vedra. It is here you will experience historical insights without being hindered by red tape. Proper dress is required, and the docents know more about racing than you ever wanted to know.

For an experience you won’t find anywhere else, each car has an interactive digital kiosk loaded with history, engineering, and racing highlights often narrated by the drivers and team members. The experience starts with early pioneers of racing, with names like Oldfield, Rickenbacher, and Foyt pushing the limits of performance along the beaches between Jacksonville and Daytona.

Thanks to crafty curators, the collection is updated monthly to be the perfect backdrop for the Porsche Club of America. Their annual meet at the Amelia Island Concours D'Elegance is highlighted by a cruise down the beach for a guided tour. The best aspect is that you don’t need to be a Porsche owner to participate.

Each ticket benefits the Peter Gregg foundation, whose scholarships allow racing-minded students to learn firsthand from days at the track. Peter’s son Simon Gregg still campaigns #59 on tracks around the country, even though it is now painted on a Camaro SS and a late-model AMG GT. Even if you aren’t into racing, the collection has activities for all ages. So put Jacksonville on your itinerary and tell them we sent you!