The year 2023 is all about celebrating anniversaries for Porsche. On 8 June 1948, the Porsche 356 ‘No. 1’ Roadster 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. Thus, the birth of the Porsche brand was 75 years ago. The Frankfurt Book Fair is also celebrating an anniversary this year as it is held for the 75th time. From 18 to 22 October 2023, professional and private visitors can find Porsche in Hall 3.1. There, the sports car manufacturer is presenting many exciting new releases from its ‘Edition Porsche Museum’. Since 2009, the Porsche Museum’s own publishing house has produced publications about the history of the sports car manufacturer. The trade fair stand will be focussing on books commemorating ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ and ‘60 Years of the 911’. To mark the 75th birthday of the Porsche 356, Porsche is also presenting this model as a Coupé. The 810 kilogram car dates from 1953. Many decades ago, Porsche enthusiasts gave the nickname ‘Knickscheibe’ to the Coupé with the undivided, ‘bent windscreen’. This vintage car with 40 kW (55 PS) is one of the earliest museum cars and bears the Porsche crest, which has been around since 1952.
Many new releases
‘Driven by Dreams – 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ is the official book marking the anniversary. Seventy-five inspiring stories told over 400 pages. Stories about people whose dreams and daring drove them to exceptional achievements, including accounts from those who made key contributions to the success of the brand. In the introduction, 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, a journey in time through the history of the Porsche company, is published by Delius Klasing Bielefeld and is available in German and English versions.
A further highlight from Zuffenhausen is the illustrated book ‘Artifacts’, which was produced and issued by the Porsche Museum’s own publisher together with Type 7 and ERG Media. With selected objects from the company’s storerooms at its headquarters in Zuffenhausen, it dives deep into the history of the Porsche DNA. The book opens a window onto the mysterious rooms of the company archive, with everything that made Porsche what it is today: thousands of historical objects, cars, people. Over 356 pages, the large-format illustrated book comprises artistic perspectives and a removable register that tells the story behind each exhibit.
In cooperation with the Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart publishing house, the ‘Porsche Chronik’ recently appeared. The 280-page book relates the eventful history of the company in German and English versions. From the beginnings in 1931 to the first Porsche sports car in 1948 and the anniversary year of 2023. For everyone looking for a chronological, compact experience of the Porsche story.
Publications on the 911
On the ‘Destination 901’ book, the Porsche Museum also cooperated with Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart. Sixty years ago, Porsche presented the sports car of the future for the first time: the 901, which was renamed the 911 a year later. For more than ten years, designers and technical drawers, salespeople and stylists racked their brains about what the successor to the successful 356 was going to be like: technology and design, format and form – everything was open. The prerequisite was that it had to be a genuine Porsche. The development from the four-seater prototype 530 to the 901 is one of the most exciting decades in the history of the sports car manufacturer. Many previously unpublished documents are revealed on these 448 pages. In German and English versions, readers will find lots of information about concepts, designs, backgrounds and decisions. The road to the 901 takes the reader past projects and prototypes, some of which left technical traces behind them. Until finally one of these found favour with Ferry Porsche in terms of its design and style: the 901.
The ‘Ferry Porsche’ biography was also produced in collaboration with Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart. In German and English, it tells the story of Ferry Porsche over 200 pages who set down the principles of the brand values that hold firm to this day. As CEO and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, he shaped the company over five decades. Above all, as a visionary and company personality he was responsible for the development of Porsche into a world-leading sports car manufacturer.
Right on time to mark the 60th birthday of the 911, the extended and revised 4th edition of ‘Porsche 911 x 911’ is being launched. To this day, Porsche has produced more than 1.1 million 911 cars, and the number of related books is practically incalculable. However, the 1200-page edition in five languages has something very special to offer. In cooperation with Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, the Porsche Museum presents the story of the iconic sports car with the aid of photos, drawings and advertisements from the company archive, some of which have never been published before. The new edition, which takes us up to 2023, is available as a telescope box version limited to 911 copies, and as a standard version in a folding box.
‘The Story of the Porsche 356 No. 1 Roadster’ covers the beginnings of the brand and the courage shown in entering uncharted territory, and represents the individuality of all Porsche customers. To this day, the ‘Number 1’ is an important brand ambassador in the Porsche Museum and at its many stops around the world. Seventy-five years ago, Ferry Porsche made the dream of a first sports car of his own a reality with the 356. In collaboration with Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, in German and English versions running to 288 pages, Porsche tells the eventful story of the car that, upon receiving its general operating permit on 8 June 1948, set the gold standard for all of today’s Porsche sports cars.
Another book that will be appearing on the Porsche Museum stand is ‘Porsche at Le Mans’. Over 704 pages, Wilfried Müller reports on the first 72 years of the story of Porsche and Le Mans, telling the story of each race individually. The yearly reports are rounded off with the results and a series of photos offering new perspectives. The company archive has never before published such a wide range of original documents as this one marking the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The book containing 1,000 photos and illustrations is limited to 963 copies in German and English.
In collaboration with the Heel Verlag publishing house in Königswinter, ‘Porsche Archive(s) unlocked – 100 Raritäten aus Zuffenhausen’ has been released. In words and images, the book deals with 100 artefacts from the history of the company and the brand – 384 pages filled with objects that have been printed, driven, worn and collected. The selected objects were photographed at Fotostudio Orel in a specially constructed setting, and the photos then compiled chronologically with an accompanying text. The limited and standard editions commemorating the company are each available in German and English versions.
Info from Porsche Newsroom
