The Community Behind the Car: Lessons from the Porsche Club of America

Why Car Clubs Are One of the Best-Kept Secrets in Agent Prospecting

When someone buys a Porsche, they're buying a car. But when they join the Porsche Club of America, they're buying into something else entirely.

That distinction matters more to agents than you might think.

Vu Nguyen has spent more than two decades as Executive Director of the PCA, the largest single-marque club in the world, with more than 165,000 members across the U.S. and Canada. On a recent episode of The Accelerator, he sat down with hosts John Gessner and Bryant Kolle to talk about what makes enthusiast communities thrive, who today's club members really are, and why understanding that world makes agents better at their jobs.

People Join for the Car. They Stay for the Community.

This is Vu's clearest message and the one most worth internalizing.

The car gets someone in the door. But what keeps them engaged year after year is the community that forms around it. The Saturday morning drives. The tech sessions where a more experienced member helps a newcomer sort out a tricky repair. The friendships built at autocross events, ice cream runs, and regional meetups. The PCA hosts more than 3,500 events a year across the U.S. and Canada, and even that, Vu says, isn't always enough to keep up with demand.

The practical takeaway for agents: when a client belongs to a car club, their vehicle isn't just a possession. It's their social life, their hobby, their identity. That changes the entire conversation about protection and coverage.

The "Club Person" Misconception

One of the most common barriers to joining a car club according to Vu is the assumption that you have to already know everything about the car to fit in. You don't.

Vu describes PCA as welcoming to anyone with enthusiasm for the marque, regardless of expertise. New owners are taken under the wing of longtime members who share knowledge freely. Non-owners can participate through a "Test Drive" program that gives access to events and resources before committing to a purchase. And when someone is shopping for a classic, a car club is one of the best places to get a pre-purchase inspection referral from a local expert who knows the model and can give an honest assessment.

For agents, that same instinct of showing up, being genuinely curious, and not pretending to know everything applies directly. You don't need to know the difference between a 993 and a 964 to earn a Porsche owner's trust. You need to ask good questions and show that you understand what the car means to them.

What Enthusiasts Actually Need From Their Insurance

Vu said something on this episode that agents should write down.

Most enthusiasts, he explained, assume their existing insurance is fine. They got a good rate. They're covered. What they don't realize is that "covered" and "properly covered" are two very different things when it comes to a vehicle with a $30,000 rebuilt engine or a full custom restoration.

Agreed value coverage, OEM parts, and a claims team that actually knows what to do with a 1959 356 aren't upsells. They're the difference between a claim that restores someone's life and one that leaves them feeling betrayed.

Vu made it simple: show up at club events, get to know the members, and when the moment is right, explain what Hagerty actually does differently. Not in a sales pitch. In the same way a fellow enthusiast would say, "Hey, I've got someone you should talk to."

An Invitation

Vu's final tip for agents was direct: go to PCA.org, find your local region, look up the executive committee contacts, and send an email. Say you want to be involved. Most clubs are actively looking for partners who understand their world.

That's a low-barrier entry point into a community of passionate, financially engaged vehicle owners who are more often than not underinsured on standard policies.

You don't need to be a car person to walk into a car club event. You just need to be a people person. The rest follows.

The Bigger Picture

What Vu described as a community where people share knowledge, build relationships, and help each other get more from a shared passion is also a description of the ideal agent relationship. The agents who win in the enthusiast space aren't the ones who know the most about cars. They're the ones who understand what the car means, protect it accordingly, and show up in the spaces where their clients actually live.

Car clubs are one of those spaces. And the door is open.

Want to hear the full conversation?

In this episode of The Accelerator, Vu Nguyen joins hosts John Gessner and Bryant Kolle to share what makes enthusiast communities thrive, how agents can get involved, and why the best insurance conversations start with passion — not policy language. Listen wherever you get your podcasts (Apple | Spotify).