Photograph of Don Dreher, racing his 356, was taken by OVR member, Pete Peters. Thank you to Donna Dreher for providing the archived picture.

Recently a very long-time member of OVR passed away.  Don Dreher was not a founding member of Ohio Valley Region, but he was an early and active participant of Porsche Club and other car clubs in the area. Don and his companion, Cass, were attendees at social events up to the last, with Cass attending the 50th Celebration with Don’s daughter, Donna. At the graveside service his son, Mike, shared some of Don’s history with those attending. While the focus of the talk was, of course, family, there was much of Don’s history of involvement with cars and racing covered. Mike responded to my request of information about Don with sending me that speech from which I have gleaned the following.

A Korean War veteran, he owned Reliance Art Metal Company, a business handed down to him from his father that specialized in ornamental metal artwork.  Some of his metal work’s marquee jobs were at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Krohn Conservatory and various churches around the city where his work is still part of the ornamental structures.  There’s still some copper work on a downtown building front on 4th Street near where Wendy’s is today.  In the mid 70’s the business closed.

“The first sports car I remember dad owning was his 1958 Porsche Speedster.  We’d go out often for a drive just to enjoy the local twisty road and the open air the convertible offered.  I could tell dad enjoyed the car most when the engine was revving near it’s redline!  Sounded fantastic!  Watching him intensely, I learned to be smooth with the operation of a car.  Dad knew how to preserve a car and let it age gracefully, always careful to never slam a door or treat it with any disrespect.”

One of the first members to join OVR, he auto-crossed it and raced it often with the Sports Car Club of America. Went “big time” and started racing an open wheeled Formula V (with a VW engine in the back), stopping only after his wife, Carolyn, became concerned for his safety after a close call where a car rolled over the top of his car where Don could look up and see the driver belted in his seat.

Continuing his racing enthusiasm he and Mike spectated at races at Mid-Ohio Sport Car Couse often and took Mike to see the early days of Cam-Am racing series with Jim Hall, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, several SCCA Runoff races at Road Atlanta, 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, even Formula 1 at Watkins Glen.  In 1995 they shared their Porsche 944 Turbo at a few driver education race track events at Mid-Oho and Road America. Don’s average speed at Road America was 92 mph with two one-mile straight sections reaching 155 mph.

Mike noted they went to local club meetings together but some of the most memorable were when someone brought Porsche factory movies to share.  Dick Weiss serviced and ‘tweeked’ the car: “You always knew something special was about to happen when Dick was on the job.  Meticulous Determination! Recently, Tom Oerther had helped dad with his brakes and exhaust.  Dad drove it to the Drei Straaten Gruppe get-together at Sharon Woods last year.  Everyone marveled at his car as it was the only one still original and unrestored!  You can put numbers on the doors today and you’re back in the 1960’s ready to race!”

Don was also ‘seriously into tennis’, playing 3+ times a week.  He and Mike competed at the 1993 Parade in Cincinnati in the Men’s Doubles class. He continued his love of tennis as a volunteer at the local professional ATP tournament as an usher.

Mike shared his father’s last two days: “ I was fortunate to be with dad last Saturday.  We shared some food together before I went to work on the lawn.  On Sunday, he and Cass traveled together for the Drei Staatan Gruppe’s event at the Neimeier estate where his good friend and racing buddy from the 50’s and 60’s, Bill, had lived. (Bill left us about a year and a half ago.)  Bill’s wife, Ann, and son, Kurt, still live there and manage Bill’s collection of fine sports cars, Jaguars and Lotus to name a few.  Sunday was a chili party and car show.  Dad and Cass enjoyed the company of their good friends, marveled over some fantastic automobiles and dined on great chili and cheesecake.

Don’t we all wish we could have that planned for our last day…”

Submitted by Kathie Hunter