The success story of Porsche started in 1948. Ferdinand Porsche made his dream of a sports car come true when he and his team produced the Porsche 356 “No. 1” Roadster. 75 years later, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023 salutes the birth of a legendary marque with Class E “PORSCHE AT 75: DELVING INTO THE STUTTGART LEGEND’S ICONIC AND ECCENTRIC BACK CATALOGUE”. It brings to life the unparalleled success of the myth that is Porsche.
Since time immemorial, the design has been integral to the mythology. Visionary studies and concept vehicles form the platform for the uniquely distinctive and innovative bodies cloaking the Stuttgart-bred vehicles. Today, they still form the pool of ideas at the heart of the company for tomorrow’s Porsche designs. Particularly rare prototypes will therefore be presented in the contest taking place in Class E. These vehicles reveal the development and history of the Porsche marque and make this story a tangible experience in the anniversary year of Porsche.
On the company’s 75th anniversary, this car is coincidentally celebrating its 60th birthday. Since it was unveiled at the International Motor Show (IAA) in September 1963, the eleven has been delighting its fans. The landmark design and the incomparable feel of the driving performance have been engraved in the collective memory of sports-car fans throughout the world.
Since the 356 SL won the company’s first class victory at the Le Mans race in 1951, these attributes have regularly elevated Porsche to the victor’s podium. Alongside the 917 K that celebrated the first overall victory at Le Mans for Porsche in 1970, other models in this year’s award class also recall the marque’s stellar motor-sport history. So far, Porsche is the record winner with 19 overall wins in the 24 Hour Race of Le Mans. Hans-Joachim Stuck drove an amazing average speed of 251.815 km/h in 1985, racing in a works 962 C during qualifying, and Porsche still holds the record for the fastest lap ever.
Celebrating the centenary anniversary of the world’s most famous motor race, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023 is featuring a dedicated class for the 24 Hour Race of Le Mans, packed with illustrious, trophy-winning racing cars.
75 years of Porsche sports cars: Porsche 356 “No. 1” Roadster (1948) (left), Porsche 911 (901 No. 57) (1963) (in the back) with Porsche Vision 357 (2023) (front right), 2023, Porsche AG
