Porsche Marks 70 Years of Sports Cars with Special Exhibition

The Porsche Museum recently held the opening ceremony for the “70 years of the Porsche sports car” special exhibition. It was a high profile event that was attended by eminent guests like Minister President of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, the Lord Mayor of Stuttgart, Fritz Kuhn, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Steffen Bilger, and many individuals drawn from the industry, politics and the local community.

Dr Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG, Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG and Uwe Hück, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG, spoke regarding their memories of the birth of the Porsche brand. The function was held on June 8, the very day that the Porsche 356 “No. 1” Roadster received its general operating permit in 1948. Since then, the company had produced much more than just sports cars: Porsche is a synonym for a sporty driving experience and way of thinking; for automotive innovation, design and functionality.

Porsche will use this special exhibition to present many stories and milestones which depict how Porsche shaped the development of sports cars from 1948 to the current age. The aim of the exhibition is to highlight Porsche’s major achievements with regard to the development of sports cars over the past seven decades. The exhibition will have over 75 exhibits including the legendary Porsche 356 “No. 1” Roadster from 1948 to the pure electric Porsche Mission E, which has now been renamed as the Taycan and these exhibits represent the past, present and the future of the premium brand.

“With this exhibition celebrating the anniversary of our brand, we are breaking completely new ground”, Achim Stejskal, Director of the Porsche Museum, points out. “For the first time, we have completely re-designed our entire exhibition area, which covers more than 5,600 square metres”.

The 70-year-old 356 “No. 1” Roadster represents the “origin of the sports car”, and will be the first thing that visitors see at the exhibition. Porsche is one of the few automobile manufacturers who still retain possession of the original first vehicle they built.

Many of the exhibits for each decade represent Porsche’s achievements in the world of motorsports. Throughout the history of the company, Porsche has developed and tested many new technologies in racing cars which are then used in production models and become legends. This idea is also shaping what is billed as “the future of the sports car”, with Porsche’s latest model, the Mission E or Taycan being the series version of a vehicle that is the first purely electrically powered Porsche. The vehicle is slated to be launched in 2019 and makes good use of the knowledge gained through Porsche’s experience with development of the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid. Digital projects, like networking through Porsche Connect and the use of blockchain for data security in sports cars, will also be featured in the exhibition.

The special exhibition will be accompanied by interactive experiences, like an augmented reality application for the Mission E. When visitors view the concept study, the AR glasses they use will display further information about the technology behind the Mission E.

The special exhibition’s unique appeal is created by combining Porsche through the eras with the company’s cultural values: Pioneering spirit, passion, sportiness and family. The exhibition also places particular emphasis on the employees, racing drivers and friends of Porsche that have made the company the force it is today. Without the legendary passion of Porsche’s employees and the enthusiasm of the Porsche community across the world, such a success story would be unthinkable for the sports car manufacturer.

Numerous activities around the world

Porsche held a special exhibition to mark the anniversary year in the Porsche pavilion at the Autostadt visitor attraction in Wolfsburg. During the event, the first four 356 Speedster vehicles ever built showcased the excellence of Porsche engineering. Another special exhibition was held for family day at the Porsche plant in Leipzig.

Porsche is marking this anniversary with many activities which will be held across the world. For example, all Porsche fans were invited to celebrate “Sports Car Together Day” at Porsche Centers across the world on June 9 while on June 10th, Porsche hosted a grand celebration at the Cannstatter Wasen festival grounds. On June 16–17, Porsche plans to welcome its staff, Zuffenhausen residents and fans of the brand for a gala celebration in and around the plant based around Porscheplatz in Zuffenhausen. The festival will comprise interactive activities for both young and old visitors, short tours of the factory, bands, food trucks, live coverage of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the broadcast of the World Cup game between Germany and Mexico. Visitors can gain entry to the museum and all events free of charge.

Porsche will also be commemorating this milestone at the “Festival of Speed”, which is scheduled to be held from July 12–15 at the Goodwood race track in the UK, and the “Rennsport Reunion” which will be held from September 27 to 30 in California. The anniversary celebrations will come to an end with a “Sound Night” event that will be held at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart on October 13.
The “70 years of the Porsche sports car” special exhibition will run until January 6, 2019 and the Porsche Museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm from Tuesday to Sunday.