It’s hard to believe it, but 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Porsche 911, the vehicle that remains the flagship design of the leading sports car company.
With its distinctive design, the 911 is a two-door grand tourer car manufactured in Stuttgart, Germany. It was and continues to be a revolutionary model, boasting a rear-engine with independent rear suspension that improved upon the already luxurious design of the Porsche 356 which preceded it. The recently released 911 Carrera 4S proves that this is still one of the most vital racing cars in the world. It’s the largest sports car Porsche has ever devised. This car, of which there are only 1,963 models, clearly honours the original 911 through its featuring multi-spoked wheels motivated by the original 911’s Fuchs rims, and comes complete with green lettering and badge colours in the stitching of the headrests just as the 1963 original did.
However, the 911 has been modified on several occasions by both Porsche and the many racing teams the company provide the vehicle for. These changes have helped keep the car ahead of its competitors by maintaining the original design yet updating it to include all the most recent developments of the motoring world. This 911’s design also served as the structure for many other successful competition cars, particularly during the mid-70s. This includes the modified 911 Carrera RSRs winning several world championship races, including the Targa Florio, Daytona, Sebring and Nrburgring championships. The 935 turbo, another car derived from the 911, won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1979.
Over the last 50 years there have been more than 820,000 Porche 911s have been manufactured. However, these cars haven’t been used only for hitting top speeds on the Autobahns of Germany. On the contrary, the majority of these 911s have been used as everyday family cars for driving around towns and cities around the world. This is because of its multipurpose driving power that allows for softer drives as well as for fast track racing and rally driving experience days.
The popularity of the 911 was assured in 1999 when it came fifth in an international poll to find the greatest car of the 20th century. This was one of just two cars in the top five that have never ceased production since its inception. Here’s to another 50 years!
