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Home / Lifestyle / Automobiles
Automobiles

Celebrate Porsche’s 50th Anniversary with These 10 Sleek Models

By Alina Cohen on February 20, 2018

A Porsche extravaganza comes to car country with this major exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

© Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

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Since Porsche debuted its first production automobile in 1948 (the lightweight 356, for future trivia reference), the brand’s name has become synonymous with prestige, steering, and, ultimately, speed. The Porsche 911, introduced in 1963, quickly became a racing icon. Engineering vehicles to win competitions, the company led innovations in fuel efficiency, smaller engine design, and component placement. Now on view at Petersen Automotive Museum, The Porsche Effect traces the illustrious history of the manufacturer.

Petersen celebrated Porsche’s 50th anniversary with a major show in 1998, and the current celebration includes automobiles produced in the intervening years in addition to old notables. Replete with literature and paraphernalia from the Porsche archives, the show explores just what makes a Porsche a Porsche, how a German company expanded their market abroad, the cars’ engineering innovations, and much more.

“Porsche put the engine and the transmission in the back, where the drive axle was,” explains Leslie Kendall, the museum’s chief historian. “That meant that all the components that drove the car were centered in that one area, so you didn’t need a long drivetrain.”

Artistry is central to this exhibition, evident in the car designs, the advertising, the posters, and every nuance that’s bolstered the brand’s prime reputation. According to Kendall, Los Angeles is an ideal venue. “LA’s the capital of car creativity, car consumption, and car culture,” he says.

 
Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1939 Type 64 Berlin-Rome

Considered Porsche’s first automobile, the 1939 Type 64 introduced founder Ferdinand Porsche’s ideas about compactness and aerodynamic efficiency. This is particularly evident in the streamlined aluminum body.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1955 550 Spyder

Best known as the model that actor James Dean drove during his fatal car crash, the 1955 550 Spyder isn’t all tragedy. The low-to-the-ground, air-cooled car is fit for both the racetrack and the road.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1955 Continental Cabriolet

Importer Max Hoffman suggested Porsche designate its cars with names, not numbers, to better appeal to the American public. Unfortunately, Ford had already claimed “Continental” and filed suit against the company. Porsche quickly ceased production.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1964 901

Kendall likens the 1964 901 to a pilot production model for the famed 911. Porsche produced only 82 before the name change—necessary after Peugeot claimed all three digit designations with a 0 in the middle.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1968 911 S Softwindow Targa Sportomatic

Working from the 911, Porsche engineered this convertible. The 4-speed “Sportomatic” transmission operates without a clutch.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1979 935 K3

The 935 became a major endurance racecar in the late 1970s. The 935 K3 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1974. Driving a factory spec model, Paul Newman and his cohort placed second.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

1985 959 Paris-Dakar

Built to endure the savannah during the 8,000 mile Paris-Dakar race, the vehicle features all-wheel drive and a flat, or horizontally-opposed, six-turbo engine (which few other manufacturers use).

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

Steve McQueen’s 356 Speedster

Fit for a film star, the spartan, open-top car with bucket seats and a removable windscreen particularly appeals to those driving in warmer climes.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

2003 Gravity Racer

The sleek 2003 Gravity Racer, intended for soapbox racing, forgoes a motor, operates on three wheels, and positions the driver to steer face-first.

Courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

918 Spyder

The 918 Spyder is a gas-electric hybrid with a V-8 engine, all-wheel drive, and electrically-assisted steering. It’s the first production car to complete an under seven- minute lap at Germany’s famed Nürburgring track.

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