Seventy-five ACO members gathered near the Saint-Augustin church late this afternoon to listen to Philippe Delaporte describe the expedition that originated at the Place de la Concorde on May 28, 2016 for a journey of more than 34,000 km across 13 countries, by way of Tokyo (Japan), Anchorage (Alaska) and New York City (New York). It was all friendly, casual and about family: Philippe Delaporte brought one of his two sons who was unable to participate with his brother in the first trip made by his father in 2011 in Central Asia.

Philippe and Thibault Delaporte answered all ACO member questions with a smile, shared anecdotes and surprising meetings, like bears in the mountains, construction vehicles, necessary care for the 928 (mandatory condition before entering Japanese territory!), meeting Porsche fanatic (and stylist to the likes of Alice Cooper and Madonna) Magnus Walker in the U.S.! Despite certain logistical and administrative constraints (namely for the 928's two voyages by boat), a soundbyte was enough for Philippe Delaporte to summarize the adventure: "If the car works, it's on!"

Philippe Delaporte also talked about the exhibition early this month of his 928 at the Porsche stand at Rétromobile where two French two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winners came to see him: Gérard Larrousse (1973-1974) and Romain Dumas (2010-2016). "They were dying to know our average speed," smiled Philippe Delaporte. "For me, passion for Porsche has a lot to do with the 917's victories in 1970 and 1971. There was also, the first time I attended the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud's win (along with Didier Pironi in a Renault-Alpine, Ed.) in 1978."

Currently, the 1989 928 (5-liter engine, 330 hp) is on display at the Porsche Experience Center until the end of May. "It has already run twice at the 24 Hours circuit for the Le Mans Classic," explains Philippe Delaporte. "In 2012, we were invited by Marc Ouayoun a few months after he became the head of Porsche France."

Manufactured from 1978 to 1995, the 928 was the first Porsche with a front V8 engine. It was entered twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1983 and 1984, by renowned Porsche preparer Raymond Boutinaud, today located in Villeneuve-St-Georges, France. "I very much enjoyed driving it because it had a completely neutral behavior, explains Boutinaud. "With a team of friends, we thought why not enter it at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?" Unranked in 1983 due to lack of distance covered, it finished 22nd in 1984. Thirty-three years later, Philippe Delaporte wrote a fantastic chapter for the Porsche 928, set to return to Le Mans at the Porsche Experience Center.

To learn more about Philippe Delaporte's travels, go to porsche-928-expedition.com.

Photo: After to visits to the Le Mans Classic, two world tours and a side trip to Paris, Philippe Delaporte's Porsche 928 is about to head back to Le Mans, and the Porsche Experience Center.