MAKING A SHOW OF ITS 70th ANNIVERSARY
Porsche went big with its birthday celebrations this year, showcasing its finest machines at several events throughout the year with cars that you couldn’t help but lust over
It would have been easy for Porsche to just show off the same stand and car line-up at various events this year and be proud of one generic 70-year celebration display. But this German manufacturer doesn’t do ‘generic’. Porsche went big and gave visitors something new and different at each classic car show it attended in 2018, lending its backing to marque celebrations at classic shows across Europe, from historic race meets to the bright lights of indoor classic shows on both sides of the Channel. Porsche prides itself on looking after its classics and ensuring that they live long on the roads going forward. A record-breaking 70 per cent of all Porsche series-production vehicles ever built are still on the road today and are often in good to concours condition. The company’s classic division guarantees the preservation of historic Porsches thanks to a comprehensive range of services and processes for reissuing parts. Porsche itself said: ‘Anyone who buys a Porsche can always be sure that they’re buying a true sports car. This is because the materials and key technologies for the engine, brakes, chassis and bodywork in a seriesproduction Porsche must first be rigorously tested on the race track.’ Porsche held a grand celebration at Retro Classics in Stuttgart back in March, the city where it all began. The bright concours classic Porsches sitting on a clean minimalist stand would become its trademark set with events going forward. Big, spacious, and elegant – the Porsche stand could be seen from far back with its stylish logo sitting bold against a white backdrop. Retro classics in Stuttgart would display the finest examples of the 356, 911, a soft-top 944 and a Group B 959 rally car. Porsche would dominate more shows throughout the year with a 30year celebration of the 964 at Essen, and not forgetting the Le Mans Classic where a display of 690 Porsches was supported by Porsche Clubs France, which had a special display of 30 cars serving as a timeline for its air-cooled and early water-cooled era. Clubs got behind the anniversary too; we loved the record-breaking 650-strong turnout at Porsches on the Prom in Llandudno, masterminded by Porsche Club GB. 2018 finished on a high for Porsche 70, with massive displays at Interclassics in Brussels as well as an incredible line-up at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show in November. Porsche challenged its various UK centres to a ‘Restorace’, where the various centres had to source, restore and then race a Porsche Boxster S adding that all-important element of fun and competition to the restoration of classic Porsches. No question: this was a year to remember for Porsche.