The young Porsche company adopted a Win on Sunday – Sell on Monday philosophy to promote sales of its road cars. With Porsche’s limited budget, posters were used for advertising. In 1950 Richard von Frankenberg met artist Erich Strenger and offered him work creating posters, announcements and other promotional materials for Porsche.
On June 14, 1970 Hans Herrmann and Richard Atwood driving a Porsche 917K entered by Porsche Salzburg delivered the company’s first overall victory at the 24-Hour Sarthe race. Over the next twenty-eight years the Porsche would win another fifteen overall victories at the French race. Back in Stuttgart, his victory was celebrated with a parade, in which he drove his winning car through the city to the market square. Thousands of people turned out to congratulate Hans Herrmann who had decided to retire after winning the race.
1970 Porsche 917K
All photographs copyright ©Porsche AG
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS has been described as a street legal race car and a Porsche for purists. Ex-DTM driver Roland Asch describes it as the ‘best sports car in the world’, an uncompromising automobile fully suited to racing. To prove the point, a 911 GT3 RS entered for the Nürburgring 24-Hours was driven to and from the track with street registration plates (S-GO 2400).
The 2010 Amelia Island Concours at Fernandina Beach, Florida celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the Porsche 917’s victories at the Daytona and Le Mans 24-hour races. A number of the cars were present at the concours to recognize the impact on the 917. A panel discussion focusing on the Type 917 was held on the first day of the event. Moderated by Tim Considine and Sam Posey, the panel consisted of engineer John Horsman and drivers Brian Redman, Vic Elford, Derek Bell, Hurley Haywood and Charley Kemp. Photographs Copyright ©Bill Ibsen
The Porsche Museum has announced an exhibition honoring the 60th anniversary of Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The beginnings and the ongoing development of production at Zuffenhausen will be presented in a series of photographs. The exhibition will run from 20 March to 9 May 2010. The first Porsche 356 Coupé built in Zuffenhausen has been restored and will be shown for the first time as part of the exhibit.
Porsche Museum
In 1937 the Porsche Studio designers created the first designs for a sports car version of the Volkswagen. Designated the Type 64, the aluminum body car had an enlarged engine and a top-speed potential of 150kph. Porsche request a budget to build prototype cars from the German Labor Front. Unfortunately, a sports car was not in the plans of the German Labor Front and funding was not forth coming.
The Porsche design firm used the opportunity to explore the possibility of building the car themselves. Prior to the Type 64 the firm had only performed design and engineering work for other manufactures. Porsche was exploring the possibility of becoming a manufacturing company and increasing their financial base.
Porsche will introduce the 911 GT3 R at the Birmingham Autosport International Racing Car Show. The new GT3 is built to the FIA GT3 regulations.
If you would like a wallpaper of the 2009 Monterey Historic Automobile Races Porsche group photograph email trackthoughts@comcast.net with one of the following files sizes in the subject:
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Erwin and Manfred Kremer of Cologne, Germany developed their own version of Porsche’s 935 race car. Starting in 1977 with the K1 and the K2 for 1978, the K3 was introduced for 1979. The Kremer team partner with the American Whittington brothers to win the Le Mans 24 Hour race. After Le Mans, the Whittington’s purchased the car for use in the IMSA series.
In 1972 Dr. Ferry Porsche decided that all members of the extended Porsche family would no longer take an active role in the management of the Porsche company. Dr. Porsche assumed the position of Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board, his son, Ferry “Buzzi” Porsche, resigned as head of the design department and his nephew, Ferdinand Piëch, left as head of research and development. Dr. Ernst Fuhrman returned as the president and Helmut Bott took over the research and development department.
Ferry Porsche and Fuhrman were concerned with the expensive prototype and Can-Am racing programs and wanted to cut the cost and complexity of the racing programs. Fuhrman’s wanted a project to highlight the abilities of the 911 as a marketing tool. According to Fuhrman, “Racing is good advertising for every car” so Porsche would concentrate on developing the 911 for racing.
