Porsche is born
The birth of the Porsche brand was exactly 75 years ago. On 8 June 1948, the Porsche 356 ‘No. 1’ received its general operating permit. For Ferry Porsche, this was a dream come true. The dream of a sports car that had never existed before. This is the entrepreneurial spirit that has characterized the sports car manufacturer to this day. For 75 years, Porsche has been ‘Driven by Dreams’.
Yesterday, the sports car manufacturer celebrated its exemplary success story in five acts together with trailblazers and co-travellers from the past decades. Oliver Blume, host and Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, opened a spectacular live show at 10.00 pm (CET) at Porscheplatz in Zuffenhausen, in the very heart of the brand. “Pioneering spirit and passion – this is what Porsche is all about. We combine tradition and innovation. We’re always looking forward with courage – but we never forget who we are and where we come from. For 75 years we have been continuously reinventing ourselves. While remaining true to ourselves and our values. Only by constantly changing has Porsche remained Porsche,” Blume concluded.
At the end of his speech he announced Dr Wolfgang Porsche, who has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board for many years. Dr Porsche was driven to the stage in the sports car with which the foundation stone of the Porsche legend was laid. Former racing driver Mark Webber piloted the 356 ‘No. 1’ Roadster with the founding family member who has long exemplified the brand.
Driven by Dreams
“Porsche makes dreams come true. Again and again we have succeeded in surprising and inspiring our customers. With fascinating design. With trailblazing technology. With impressive quality. For 75 years,” said Dr Wolfgang Porsche in front of 800 invited guests during the first act: ‘Heritage’.
In the following four acts, contemporary witnesses, brand ambassadors and Porsche representatives from 75 years of brand history applied themselves to the topics ‘Zeitgeist’, ‘Performance’, ‘Pioneering Spirit’ and ‘Dreams’. Between speeches from Oliver Blume, Dr Wolfgang Porsche, Head of Design Michael Mauer, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Overall Vehicle Architecture, and brand ambassador Timo Bernhard, the audience enjoyed spectacular stage shows composed of music, light and choreography. The show was accompanied by driving action in the sports cars related to the respective act. Over and over, the evening illustrated the major role that dreams have played at Porsche. Dreams that came true thanks to brave and passionate pioneers. Dreams that have been anchored in the Porsche DNA for 75 years. Dreams that were the origin of unforgettable moments.
Porsche Mission X: yet another dream takes place
At Porsche, innovative concept cars have always laid the groundwork for the future. The sports car manufacturer is continuing this tradition with this latest concept study. Mission X is a spectacular reinterpretation of a hypercar, with Le Mans-style doors that open upwards to the front and a high-performance, efficient electric powertrain. dramatic-looking two-seater celebrated its premiere on 8 June 2023 – the eve of the ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ exhibition opening at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
“The Porsche Mission X is a technology beacon for the sports car of the future. It picks up the torch of iconic sports cars of decades past: like the 959, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder before it, the Mission X provides critical impetus for the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “Daring to dream and dream cars are two sides of the same coin for us: Porsche has only remained Porsche by constantly changing.” Michael Mauer, Head of Style Porsche, says: “The Mission X is a clear commitment to the core of the brand. The continuing, enhanced expression of our brand and product identity is an important compass for us to navigate the development of our series-production models. The concept study symbolises a symbiosis of unmistakable motorsport DNA with a luxurious overall impression.” Detailed information about the Mission X can be found here.
Porsche donates € 1,800,000 to ‘Make-A-Wish’
For 75 years, Porsche has been making the dreams of sports car enthusiasts all over the world come true. The sports car manufacturer has also adhered to its social responsibility – even beyond the factory gates. For instance, Porsche has been working together with the non-profit organization ‘Make-A-Wish’ and international Porsche companies to make the dreams and wishes of seriously ill children and youths all over the world come true.
To mark its anniversary, the company is donating € 1,800,000 to make 356 wishes come true over the next three years, in a reference to the first Porsche 356. The fulfilment of a wish close to their hearts, and the exciting journey this involves, can give children and their families a positive feeling of hope in a difficult time. The first 75 wishes are to be fulfilled in 2023. The sports car manufacturer plans to share the stories behind the wishes and their fulfilment with the public. ‘Make-A-Wish’ is an organization operating worldwide since 1980 that has fulfilled the wishes of more than 500,000 children in over 50 countries.
Special exhibition opens up a cosmos full of dreams
As part of the anniversary show, the special exhibition ‘Driven by Dreams. 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ was also ceremoniously opened in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. On a journey through the Porsche cosmos, visitors experience up close the evolution of the brand over 75 years of sports car history. Until 7 January 2024, guests can enjoy exciting stories about the pioneering spirit, feats of engineering, and courage. Between the prologue and the epilogue, the special exhibition covers many topics of the present and the future. The focus is on those people who stand behind the brand. People who, like Ferry Porsche, believed in their dreams, in achieving great things, and in implementing big ideas. Because many dreams originate in the night and are endless like the cosmos itself, the Porsche Museum presents the protagonists of the special exhibition in the night sky.
Porsche milestone in the jubilee year
The five millionth Porsche has rolled off the production line at the headquarters in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen – a 911 Targa 4 GTS in Night blue metallic. In the anniversary year of “75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars”, Porsche is also celebrating the milestone birthday of “60 Years of the 911“. Since its presentation at the International Motor Show (IAA) in September 1963, the 911 has inspired enthusiasm: with its iconic design and incomparable driving experience, it has burned itself into the collective memory of sports car fans all over the world. The five-millionth Porsche model passes into the ownership of a Belgian customer.
A success story over 400 pages
The official book marking the anniversary is available to buy now. ‘Driven by Dreams: 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ is a joint project of the Delius Klasing and Edition Porsche Museum publishing houses that takes its readers on a journey through time. Over 400 pages they are treated to insights into 75 inspiring stories about people whose dreams and ideas drove them to achieve something special. Readers will find out what Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and Head of Design Michael Mauer think about the past, the present and the future, and about time itself. Together they look forward to the year 2048 and the 100th anniversary of Porsche. The linen-bound book is available in German and English. The retail price in Germany is € 75.00. More information is available here.
Roadshows and celebrations around the world
On 10 and 11 June 2023, Porsche is celebrating its sports car anniversary at the ‘Festival of Dreams’ at the Hockenheimring. Here visitors can experience the whole world of Porsche. The ‘Driven by Dreams’ Heritage Truck specially designed for the anniversary year is also making a stop on its journey here. The mobile exhibition is taking the anniversary to many other nations before and after this stop in its home country. On the Dreamers Plaza, at the centre of the festival at the Hockenheimring, celebrities such as supermodel Toni Garrn and rally legend Walter Röhrl will be talking about their dreams. From 13 to 16 July 2023, the Goodwood Festival of Speed will be celebrating the birthday of the sports car manufacturer.
Every year, the biggest motorsport event of its kind in the world attracts around 180,000 international fans to West Sussex on the south coast of England. This year, Porsche is playing the leading role at Goodwood. To mark the 75th anniversary, a Porsche sculpture by artist Gerry Judah will be the centrepiece of the Festival of Speed. Two and a half months later, from 28 September to 1 October 2023, the Porsche Rennsport Reunion is being held at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California. The racetrack near Monterey is hosting the cult gathering for the seventh time. Visitors can expect an exciting range of sports car highlights from the past, present and future of Porsche.
The one-hour show was also available as a livestream. So, not only invited guests were given the opportunity to look behind the scenes and behold the vision of the sports car of the future, but also people from all around the world. Further information is available in our Media Kit on the topic of ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’: https://media.porsche.com/75-years-sportscars and on the website: https://www.porsche.com/museum
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