Very different from previous production Porsches, the 914 was an attempt by Zuffenhausen to introduce a lower cost model. Commercially it was only a moderate success, but it’s very distinct minimalist styling, though part of the idiom of the 1960s, was very much an in-house design. Almost two decades after the first Gmünd coupés, the 914 was the company’s third new … [Read more...]
50 Years Porsche 914
Whether you love it or hate it, the 914 served as a very important family member in the Porsche model line-up of the day. To appreciate this fully, you need to understand the circumstances surrounding its conception, and to have an insight into the period in which this model was launched. In the late ‘60s, it was not uncommon for Ferry Porsche as the head of his company, … [Read more...]
Porsche Speedster
There is a model in Porsche’s family line-up that receives little coverage and, as a result, it does not enjoy the attention it so richly deserves. The Speedster played an extremely important role in Porsche’s early popularity in America and this latest piece of work by Berlin Motor Books, Porsche Speedster: Legends 1954-2020, certainly does this model justice. We said … [Read more...]
Hans Mezger: 1929 to 2020
It was with great sadness that the motoring and motorsport world learned last week of the passing of Hans Mezger, Porsche engineer extraordinaire. He died at the age of 90 years, having grown up and lived near Stuttgart all of his life. His contribution to Porsche’s engineering prowess was nothing short of exceptional. Hans Mezger was born on 18 November 1929 in … [Read more...]
Scarlet the 1957 Porsche 356 A Speedster
It was Max Hoffman, the New York-based Porsche importer, who was instrumental in getting the factory to produce a lightweight sports car for local competition in the USA. Hoffman’s clients were demanding a stripped-down factory version of the 356 to compete in the rapidly developing sports car racing scene in America. At less than $3000, the Speedster, which took the form of a … [Read more...]
Porsche – The Golden Years
It is always a pleasure when a top-quality book lands on my desk, so when Porsche – The Golden Years arrived at the Porsche Road & Race offices, I was especially pleased. We had the pleasure of reviewing Ferrari – The Golden Years on our sister website, Virtual Motorpix, back in 20 October 2017 and so we expected nothing but the best from this top author. We weren’t … [Read more...]
Weissach – Centre of Porsche Excellence
By the late 1950s, the German Wirtschaftswunder was well underway and as the economy grew, so traffic density increased. This was particularly noticeable around Stuttgart often making testing on local Autobahnen inconvenient and it caused Ferry to think about creating his own test track. Thanks to its close relationship with VW, Porsche could always use the vast Ehra-Lessien … [Read more...]
Porsche’s 70th anniversary – we look back 30 years to 1988
Last month we looked at some of Porsche’s milestones around the time of the company’s 50th anniversary in 1998. This month we track back a further ten years to 1988, and we look back 30 years at what was happening in the world of Porsche around the year. With the Type 2708 CART, Porsche ventured into unchartered waters as it sought to test the American CART racing scene. … [Read more...]
Porsche’s 70th anniversary – we look back 20 years to 1998
This year, 2018, Porsche will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Although the official date for the registration of the first car, 356-001, is on 8 June, Porsche Road & Race will be bringing you a snapshot into the timeline along the road of these seven decades. Starting in 1998, six milestones covering seven decades will bring us back to when it all started, on 8 June … [Read more...]
Tilman Brodbeck remembers
To be able to write on your résumé that you worked for one of Porsche’s CEOs would be quite an achievement. Tilman Brodbeck can however do a little better than that, for in a 40-year career, he was assistant to no fewer than five successive Porsche presidents. But, as he tells us, he held other posts too. When he started at Zuffenhausen, the company was still ruled by Ferry … [Read more...]
