Carrera Motors — Our Story

While our Porsche ownership and appreciation of mechanical things German started much earlier, the Carrera Motors story begins in 1982.

If it was possible to sell Volkswagens out of a grocery store, Art Rixe figured out how to do it. And what became clear was that selling cars was a bit more fun than selling milk and eggs.

When Tom Anderson came along in 1982, his own passion for German cars prompted him to purchase the dealership, contingent on Porsche and Audi becoming part of the "family" of brands.

They did and so began the great love affair with sports cars and central Oregon.

 "We came to the car business without much experience in the car business, so we didn't have any bad habits. What we had was an enthusiasm for the cars themselves and the experience of driving them," said Tom Anderson.

The company weathered tough economic times by creating an environment where the customer thrives. Anderson said, "What down economies taught us was to understand the customer's needs. We intentionally built a place where the experience of buying a car was unique."

Carrera Motors seemed like an traditionally authentic name for the business which captured the spirit of automotive enthusiasm. Almost immediately, Carrera Motors began supporting motorsports in the area, sponsoring Dane Pitarresi's 944. Other cars and events followed, most recently the Portland Historic Races and the Rose Cup Races.

Over the years, Tom came to own some interesting cars, including the first Porsche 934 which, after a racing career and a few owners, was delivered to the dealership in a sack. The car was eventually restored, rebuilt and sold to the next owner.

With a few exceptions, all of my cars have found me," says Tom.

A 1958 VW Beetle originally purchased from Art Rixe can be found in the VW showroom; it still has its original tires, paint, interior and engine.

A one-owner 1973 VW Thing makes a unique companion for the Beetle in the Showroom.

A 1929 BMW DA2 "Dixi" Sport Roadster holds court in the BMW showroom.

The coachwork for these cars was made with tooling from the Austin 7, which was purchased by BMW so that they could expand beyond the motor werkes for which they were known.
Notice that there is no door on the left-hand side. This is a carryover from the Austin 7 tooling which produced cars for English roads.
Very few of these cars remain, especially the roadsters because each of them was a unique creation built to customer order.

This particular example is believed to be the first car produced by BMW with the "kidney" front grill, a signature design element on all BMW cars produced today.

Dixi features a 15 hp motor and manual transmission. The fan belt is made from leather as is the body beading.

The car was purchased and restored in Poland, then brought directly to Bend, Oregon by Tom Anderson. It is on permanent display in the BMW showroom at Carrera Motors. It still runs perfectly and makes the occasional appearance at concours in the northwest.

A 1982 BMW M1, "the McLaren F1 of its day," was one of the cars for which Tom searched.

"Between the years of 1978 and 1981, there were 455 BMW M1s manufactured by BMW Motorsport. The M1 with its throaty 6-cylinder engine and great styling makes it an easy car to love. However, since the vehicle hasn't been manufactured since 1981, it makes the car hard to maintain."

"This is especially true for the very few individuals in the world who still race them competitively. As a result, most M1s still in existence have been retired to museums or private collections although some are still driven."

From www.bmwm1.com

A 1955 Pre-A Porsche Speedster (left) graces the marquis corner of Club Carrera. One of perhaps the five best examples of this model in the world, this Speedster is a multiple concours winner.

The latest jewel is a 1962 Emory "Special," (below) one of five such cars created by Rod Emory of Emory Motorsports. This is a completely custom Porsche based on a 356 Notchback chassis and converted to an open car with feature requests from the owner, Mr. Anderson.

Tom Anderson remains active in the business as a car finder, spiritual guide and historian. He is always accessible by phone, saying "I've never allowed my calls to be screened." He enjoys hearing from customers and realizes that all feedback is important.

The Emory Special and Tom Anderson. Image by Hal Thoms

Stop in, meet us, see how we're different from the rest of the car dealers you could encounter.
If you love cars, so do we.

Carrera Motors. Make us your destination dealership.