Porsche Employee and Photographer Shares Some Iconic Moments

Day Job

Ed Peter's day job for quite some time was serving a role as the Sales Manager for Porsche U.S. But in his free time, Peter enjoyed a second occupation/hobby as an amateur photographer. It's a natural fit, of course, as Porsche vehicles are often considered to be some of the most beautiful ever conceived. So it also makes sense that Peters took plenty of photos of Porsches over the years, which he recently shared with the brand.

Photos: Ed Peter for Porsche 

Sunday Funday

Most of Peter's days were occupied by his profession, which began way back in the mid-'60s. But on Sundays, the New York native routinely roamed the streets in his Porsche 911, looking for great spots to take pictures. "New York impressed me immensely back then," he recalled. "It was overwhelming because everyone was so open and you could talk to anyone. Watching the sunset over Manhattan was incredible."

Photos: Ed Peter for Porsche 

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Curious Onlookers

It's hard to imagine now, but Peter's Sunday exploits routinely drew questions from curious onlookers. He would simply park his car in the middle of the metro area, whip out his camera, and snap some pictures. "That wasn't a problem at all in New York back then," Peter said. "I just had to shoot fast because people just flocked to the cars. They always asked, 'What fantastic car is this?' Some people didn't even know then that Porsche existed."

Photos: Ed Peter for Porsche 

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Intuitive Photography

Peter's journeys often took him to the Hudson River on the New Jersey side or Harlem in the early morning. But he often had to deal with police when shooting at the river, who weren't keen on his unique parking jobs. Over the years, he believes that he's accumulated thousands of pictures of Porsche vehicles alone, as they were his favorite subject. "A Porsche is beautiful all over," he said. "It's all a matter of looking – and I've always photographed intuitively."

Photos: Ed Peter for Porsche 

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Perfect Backdrop

Peter also believed that New York provided the perfect backdrop for Porsche design. Thus, this duo was a natural fit. "The great thing back then in New York was that the cars and the architecture fitted so well together," Peter said. "Somehow it looks like they were taken yesterday – if I didn't know any better." Of course, there are some obvious signs of change in many of the photos. Including one taken on Fifth Avenue, long before there were any signs of a metropolis present there.

Photos: Ed Peter for Porsche

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Personal Diary

When Peter left his position and returned to Germany in the '70s, his photography took a backseat to his new position as the division manager of sales and export at Porsche. By the time he had retired in 1993, Peter had largely forgotten about his tens of thousands of photos. With encouragement from his wife, Peter later digitized his extensive catalog, which he calls his "personal diary." Thankfully, he was lucky enough to share at least a small slice of this diary with us.

Photos: Ed Peter for Porsche 

>>Join the conversation about Ed Peter's awesome photos right here in the RennList Forum!

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