It was all done for a good cause…
A lot of things have been put off because of covid, including Renee Brinkerhoff completing her Project 356 World Rally Tour using her 1956 Porsche 356 A. Well, after a two-year delay the wait is almost over and the modified classic sports car has been revealed. Sporting skis up front and tracks in the rear, the modifications are entirely necessary since Brinkerhoff will be driving 356 miles across Antarctica. Considering the continent has been growing lately, that’s not nearly enough to traverse the entire thing, but it’s plenty of rough traveling for a classic car.
Learn about the origins of Ford Model T snowmobiles here.
The plan is to fly the Porsche to Antarctica from Chile in late November, weather permitting. The journey would then commence on December 5 and hopefully is done by the end of the year. However, as you know life is what happens when you make a plan and things change.
What’s more amazing about the modifications to this 356 A is the fact both the skis and tracks must be removed and replaced by spiked ice tires at one point, all without making changes to wheel alignment. Other changes have been made to the naturally-aspirated classic sports car to successfully deal with the cold, harsh conditions in the Antarctic.
While part of the point of this journey is to do something which hasn’t been done before, there’s more to it. The Project 356 World Rally Tour has seen Brinkerhoff drive the Porsche over all kinds of crazy terrain around the globe. This is the final leg of the amazing journey, which is being used to raise almost half a million dollars for human trafficking victims worldwide.
British explorer Jason de Carteret will be co-pilot for this treacherous journey and his experience will be invaluable. The man ahs led over 50 expeditions between the two poles, so he knows a thing or two about the dangers hidden in the snow and ice.
Photos credit: Porsche
