Three Dozen Vintage Porsches Cruise Through Cody For Ramshorn Rally 

One of the sounds of summer many Wyomingites have become accustomed to is the rumbling of 3.0-litre engines as they cruise along the scenic routes of the Cowboy State in early June. It’s the unmistakable calling card of the Ramshorn Rally.

The annual “marque Porsche event” rolled into Cody on Wednesday. Thirty-five Porsches, all from 1989 or older, carried 70 people across Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota, with three auto mechanic companies in tow if necessary.

For vintage Porsche owners, driving along the most scenic routes in the American West is one of the highlights of their year. Nothing beats the combination of great scenery and great cars shared by people with a passion for Porsches.

“We prefer the older air-cooled Porsches,” said Ramshorn Rally participant and Wilson resident Nick Orsillo. “The new ones are just too good. Even with the lower horsepower and the altitude, everyone loves it. It’s an easy thing to love.” 

Full Service Rally

The Ramshorn Rally is a multi-state trip designed for 1989 and earlier air-cooled Porsches. It was put together to cater to the growing number of Porsche enthusiasts throughout the United States. 

“This is our ninth year doing the Ramshorn Rally,” said organizer and board member Will Brewster. "Five days and six nights, driving many miles with a good mix of people on windy roads.”

The Ramshorn Rally started in Billings, Montana, on May 31. The Porsches then drove along some of the best winding roads in Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota including the Needles Highway in Custer State Park, Shell Canyon and the Beartooth Highway. 

“Our route books take months to make, turn by turn,” Brewster said. “When someone signs up, everything's taken care of. Their luggage gets to their room when they get to a place. Their meals are scheduled. When cars break down, one of our mechanics picks them up, brings them in, and works on them.” 

Don Dean, owner of DNA Automotive in Missoula, Montana, was one of the three mechanic companies hired to accompany the Ramshorn Rally. He’s been doing rallies with Brewster for over 22 years. 

“I work six days a week and try to play with my toys on Sunday,” he said. “This is almost a vacation, but not quite.”

Vintage vehicles break down, which is why Dean and the other mechanics accompany the Ramshorn Rally. They have the expertise and spare parts to fix any mechanical issue and ensure all the Porsches can continue their trek.

“Today we did a fuel pump, a wheel bearing, fixed some power windows, and a couple of belts,” he said. “It's been a pretty good year, actually. Usually, we're working till midnight, keeping these cars running.” 

Dean wouldn’t have been doing all nine years of the Ramshorn Rally if he didn’t enjoy the work. As a mechanic and vintage Porsche owner himself, there’s plenty of work and reward in the five-day rally.

“This year we have people from across the U.S., two from New Zealand, and two from the United Kingdom,” he said.  “They’re great people and they treat us like gold. It’s pretty incredible.” 

Every Car Has A Story

Orsillo was driving an orange 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera, one of only 140 cars ever made. He had just acquired the Porsche from its only owner.

“We purchased it from an 84-year-old woman who had done a bunch of rallies with it,” he said. “It took her eight months to decide to sell it to us, and she said one of the stipulations was, ‘Are you going to just buy it to sell it?’ We said that my wife and I plan on doing rallies as long as we can and eventually pass the car down to our daughters. And she was ecstatic.”

Orsillo isn’t alone - every Porsche has a story behind it. Brewster’s 1989 3.2-liter Porsche has 250,000 miles on it and can still outpace most of the other Porsches in the rally.

“These air-cooled Porsches are resilient, versatile, well-engineered, and easy to maintain,” said organizer Tye Eyden. “You can do high speeds and tight turns, which is why we drive through Wyoming.” 

The 2025 Ramshorn Rally was Orsillo’s first in the new “family rally car.” He’s done rallies with Brewster before, and the fun and unique atmosphere keeps him coming back. 

“The whole route stays off the highways,” he said. “We go state to state, from little town to little town, and stop everywhere we’d like. It’s really fun.”

Coffee And Charity In Shell

Another thing that many Porsche drivers enjoy about the Ramshorn Rally is its sense of community support. As a nonprofit, Brewster says one of their goals is to give back to the communities that host them. 

“We donate to the local areas we're driving through,” said Eyden. “We're based out of Bozeman, so we contribute a lot to Montana, but as we go through Wyoming and South Dakota, we try to donate along the way.” 

Orsillo recalled their drive through Shell on Wednesday morning. He and Brewster pulled up to a coffee shop, but it was still closed.

“When we pulled up, the owner turned on the light and invited us in,” he said. “We parked our cars out front, and soon there were 10 Porsches lined up out front. We spent an hour there, and it was great.”

Conversation led to a donation. Brewster ended up donating $500 to the Shell Valley Volunteer Fire Department.

“Every dime that's left, they donate,” Orsillo said. “That's terrific, and it happens at every little spot we get to. It’s the best part of the Ramshorn Rally.”

The High Point 

After a relaxing evening of beer and BB gun shooting in Cody, the 2025 Ramshorn Rally departed at 8:30 a.m. for the final day of their trip. Arguably, the best stretch was ahead of them.

“For our last day, we’ll go over Dead Indian Pass, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, and do the Beartooth Highway and lunch in Red Lodge,” Brewster said. Then it’s back to Billings where we started.”

If the Porsches encounter any trouble at 10,000 feet, Dean and the other mechanics are at the ready. Dean is also signed up for Brewster's other big rally: The Going to the Sun Rally, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, which will be held Sept. 5-10.

“That’s up to 55 cars, anything 1973 and older, so it gets really busy,” Dean said. “But these Porsches are driven more, and their owners are willing to do whatever it takes to keep them going.”

Brewster said the Going to the Sun Rally had a wider variety of vintage vehicles that depart Bozeman for a round-trip excursion culminating with a leisurely drive through Glacier National Park.

Variety is great for a vintage vehicle rally, which is why the Going to the Sun Rally is so sought after. The passion for Porsches inspired the creation of the Ramshorn Rally.

“We had 25 people who wanted to bring their Porsches to the Going to the Sun Rally,” Brewster said. “We started this so people could do that with their Porsches. We have many people who have been with us almost every single year and keep coming back every time we can get them on. 

Orsillo and his wife thoroughly enjoyed their inaugural rally in their 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera, taking pictures along the way to share with the original owner.

“I made a promise to the lady prior that we’d drive her 51-year-old Porsche, and that’s what we're going to do,” he said. “We haven't had to do anything other than change the oil, and she’s ecstatic. Every car has a story, but when it comes to air-cooled Porsches, it’s pretty hard to beat.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.