Oct 23, 20233 min read

RiverWerks/Porsches at the Mill is here to stay

RiverWerks is a new show for Porsches in Northern Georgia and looks to stay on the calendar as organizers and participants alike left the day with smiles on their faces.

Porsche 356 Speedster and Porsche 911 air cooled — 1956 Porsche Carrera Speedster

RiverWerks featured both air-cooled and water-cooled Porsches throughout the grounds of the old Habersham Mills on the riverfront in Demorest, Georgia.

The show is the brainchild of Nash Tehrani of Autohaus Social and Porsche racer Leh Keen. This first event was held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 in what turned out to be the perfect autumn day of sun with crisp air that warmed up as the day went on.

Riverwerks Porsches at the Haversham Mill, Demorest, GA — Inaugural RIverWerks 2023 /// Porsches at the Mill

RiverWerks gained immediate attention among enthusiasts to participate and attend when the show was announced with Porsche Experience Center (PEC) as the lead sponsor supported by the local Atlanta Porsche dealerships, Perimeter and Hennessy, and Hagerty’s Broad Arrow Group. Major collectors supported the RiverWerks with cars from the Ingram Collection and the Brumos Collection.

Porsche GT3 RS at Riverwerks Porsche Experience Center PEC — Porsche Experience Center Display of a Porsche GT3 RS at RiverWerks

The Habersham Mills property is a surviving example of a Mill village reflecting its past as an iron works and textile mill. In addition to the industrial buildings, the village included employee housing, a school, a barbershop, post office and general store.

Porsche 911 Safari and Porsche 911 longhood at Riverwerks — At the Riverfront: Porsche 911 Safari and a Porsche 911 Hot Rod

The Habersham Mill town dates from before the Civil War so the buildings provided the setting and backdrops for a spectacular showcasing of Porsches. The grounds and display of Porsches as presented had visitors discovering Porsches at every turn. Part of the fun was exploring the old buildings and pathways of the grounds to see where you were led and what you found.

Rare Porsche Carrera GT Porsche GT2 and Porsche 964 Turbo — The Path to the Porsche Rare Room at RiverWerks

Walking one path along the river took you to “Turbo Heaven” where over a dozen 930 turbo variations were discovered before entering the “Rare Room” with a Carrera GT and a 964 Turbo.

Porsche 911 Turbo 930 at Riverwerks — Porsche Turbos in the RiverWerks Turbo Heaven display area

As you left the “Rare Room” you circled around the building to spot Ruby, a ruby red 356 cab that just came off winning “People’s Choice” at the 356 East Coast Holiday in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This was the introduction to the Air-Cooled Porsche Corral of over two dozen prime examples of air-cooled Porsches.

Ruby, the ruby red Porsche 356 Cabriolet

A walk down Main Street took you to the PEC exhibit in the old Post Office. Just down the hill and to the right you were greeted at a side building with a burly, armed Security Guard in front that you knew was the entrance to something spectacular. Inside, the centerpiece was the Ingram Collection pristine white Porsche 959 flanked by the Brumos Collection Peter Gregg IMSA winning Porsche 935 and an assortment of special, one of a kind RS’s in a jelly bean assortment of colors.

Porsche 959 Porsche 964 RS — Porsche 959 and Porsche RS in the RiverWerks ultra rare room

These six Porsches alone would have satisfied most Porsche enthusiasts’ appetite for Porsche porn, but you left this building and were greeted with the main exhibition space of over three dozen spectacular models from a 1956 Jade Green Carrera Speedster that was parked next to a current day 911 Speedster, which were next to another 959, early longhoods, modern GT3’s and everything in between.

Porsche exhibit at Habersham Mill Riverwerks 2023 — RiverWerks Main exhibit area at Habersham Mill

Porsche Speedster — A new Porsche 911 Speedster flanking an original Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster

If you could pull yourself from the exhibition area, walking five steps up took you into the vendor building where you could talk suspensions, interiors, exteriors and SIM race, all under one roof. The backdrop of art in the gallery on auction was on display to support the designated charity for show support of Songs for Kids.

But you weren’t done yet. A stroll down the road led you to the GT Car Corral presented by Smokies GT, a special Halloween exhibit featuring orange 911’s and the Cayenne Corral. The theme of discovery continued with spectacular cars perched here, there and everywhere.

Riverwerks Porsche GT3 — Porsche GT3's and Porsche Turbo at RiverWerks

Porsche Halloween at Riverwerks — Early Porsche 911 at the RiverWerks Halloween Surprise

Riverwerks Porsche GT Car Display — RiverWerks' GT Car display featuring a Porsche GT4RS and Porsche GT3

The show concluded with Ray Shaffer, of Broad Arrow Auctions and podcaster Adam Sekulow awarding Best of Show to the car that captured the spirit of Porsche. Ray and Adam had an impossible job but eventually landed on the 1970 Irish Green 911T “Restomod” as the winner. It was a spectacular example and first time build by the owner.

Porsche 911T Best of Show Riverwerks 2023 — RiverWerks Best of Show Winner: 1970 Porsche 911T

The day moved into night as a cocktail hour and dinner in the vendor building concluded the festivities with Leh and Nash both saying this is the start of an annual event. Hold the date on your calendar for 2024 as RiverWerks becomes a “must-attend” Porsche gathering on any enthusiasts' calendar.

AutoHaus Social Nash Telvani Keen Project Leh Keen — RiverWerks Organizers and Founders: Leh Keen & Nash Telvani

Air Brigade featured at the show with six members showing three Porsche 356’s around the grounds, including an early Carrera Speedster, a rare Porsche 964 Turbo in the “rare room”, a 964 RS, and Air Brigade founder Jim Moore showing his 1968 911HR (Hot Rod) on the riverfront with the Soque River rushing over the falls as a backdrop.