For the past 70 years, the Porsche brand has been synonymous with sports car construction at the very highest level. To commemorate its anniversary, Porsche is celebrating its past and showcasing its future with special museum exhibits and events held around the world.
Porsche History
Although the official birthday of the Porsche brand is June 8, 1948, the foundation of the sports car manufacturer is built upon the life’s work of Professor Ferdinand Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche had already designed pioneering innovations for the automotive industry as early as the start of the last century. In 1900, he built an electric car with a wheel hub drive known as the Lohner-Porsche. A vehicle on which he would then base the world’s first all-wheel-drive passenger car. In the same year, he created a template for hybrid vehicles with the development of a mixed petrol-electric powertrain.
The Day the Porsche Brand was Born
The first vehicle to bear the Porsche name was registered on June 8, 1948. It was the 356 “No.1” Roadster. The Type 356 turned Ferry Porsche’s dream of a sports car into a reality. The successor model to the 356 was the Porsche 911 designed by Ferry Porsche’s son Ferdinand Alexander. This finally gave the company its breakthrough as one of the leading manufacturers of sports cars in the world, both from a technical and a design perspective. The Porsche 911, presented to the global public for the first time in 1963, has now been built over a million times.
“His vision at that time embodied all of the values that still define the brand to this day”, said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.
The Future
The future of Porsche sports cars is already getting attention in the form of the Mission E. This is the first purely electrically driven technology champion from Zuffenhausen, Germany. This concept vehicle combines the distinctive emotional design of a Porsche, exceptional driving performance and forward-thinking everyday functionality.
“We plan to uphold the standard of technical excellence set by Ferry Porsche well into the future,” explained Blume.
The four-door model with four individual seats delivers a system performance of over 600 hp and a range of more than 310 miles. It also has an acceleration from 0 to 60 in less than 3.5 seconds and a charging time of around 15 minutes for 80 percent of the electrical energy required.
Porsche Celebrates
You can find a variety of celebrations around the anniversary in both the United States and Europe.
- On February 3, “The Porsche Effect” opened at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and goes through January 2019.
- The world’s largest gathering of Porsche race cars happens at the Laguna Seca Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI. This “family reunion” takes place September 27-30 and brings together an extraordinary gathering of significant Porsche race cars, as well as those who have designed, engineered, and driven them to victory in the world’s most famous sports car races.
- On June 8, 2018, The Porsche Museum opened its exhibit “70 Years Porsche Sports Cars.” With this special exhibition, Porsche presents numerous stories and milestones through which the company has influenced the development of sports cars. More than 75 exhibits–from the legendary Porsche 356 “No. 1” Roadster from 1948 to the purely electric Porsche Mission E–provide insights into the past and future of the brand.
- You will find something for all ages with the “Porsche 4Kids” Children’s program. From July 28 to August 19, families can visit seven experience stations at the Porsche Museum.
- The Festival of Speed at the Goodwood Race track in the UK will also celebrate the anniversary from July 12-15.
Porsche Sound Night
The celebrations will conclude with the “Porsche Sound Night” held for the first time in the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on October 13, 2018. This is one event for those who love the sound of revving engines. Former and current race car drivers and Weissach engineers will be presenting unique vehicles and starting them live at the show. This is definitely something you don’t want to miss!
So, will you be celebrating the anniversary with Porsche this year? If you love cars, you might also enjoy reading about the Most Powerful Land Rover Ever Built.
