Porsche Museum in Stuttgart Automatic translate

Every self-respecting car manufacturer has a museum that displays models and solutions that are the brand’s milestones. One of the most interesting places of this type is the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

The Porsche Museum opened in the second half of the 1970s. It all started with a modest factory exhibition, which was attended by tens of thousands of people every year. The possibility of the simultaneous presentation of about 20 cars determined the nature of the exhibition, which was systematically updated. The rotation of the cars made it possible to present the most important models, as well as to organize thematic exhibitions. The sophisticated and well-proven system was also on display at the new Porsche Museum, which opened in January 2009.

About 400 exhibits are presented in the exhibition halls with an area of ​​5600 meters. Almost a hundred of them are cars. A permanent part of the exhibition are models that are flagship of the Porsche brand, including Volkswagen Kfer, Porsche 356, 550, 914, 917, 924, 928, 959, 911 and Carrera GT.

The chronological arrangement of the models makes it easy to trace the evolution. Here are not only Porsche cars, but also technical solutions, stylistic trends. Turbocharging, active all-wheel drive, adaptive suspension, extensive aerodynamic elements, ceramic brakes, aluminum and carbon fiber bodies… Porsche has paved the way many times.

A visit to the museum will also remind you of the difficult history of the brand. Sports cars are the hallmark of Porsche. Over the years, it hasn’t always been a sport for big people. The budget models 914, 924, or 944 were an attempt to meet the expectations of customers with less affluent wallets. Porsche has been criticized many times for trying to find new solutions. You don’t have to go far for examples. Suffice it to mention the Boxster or the Cayenne. Much bad has been said about the off-road Porsche. Critics often forget that the 911 spin-offs saved owners’ budgets.

An interesting car that never entered mass production is the 1994 C 88 prototype. This was in response to competition from the Chinese government - the FAW plant intended to launch production of a budget sedan. The C 88 was supposed to be simple and cheap, but reliable and safe to operate. Under the hood was a 1.1 liter engine, which provided performance that matched the class of the car and the expectations of the local market. Where did the idea for the name come from? In China, the number 88 is considered lucky. Porsche was less fortunate. The competition has not been announced. This did not prevent Chinese brands from launching cars that are in many ways very close to the C 88 prototype.

A variety of permanent exhibitions are thematic exhibitions such as Porsche Engineering or Project: Top Secret! In the first of these, the results of the design work of Porsche engineers, who, in particular, took part in the creation of the Auto Union of the 1930s, the Mercedes 500 E, the first generation Opel Zafira or the Harley V-Rod. There are also everyday models from the Porsche Design offer, as well as… the high-performance snowmobiles in which Georg Hackl won a silver medal at the Olympic Games.

At the exhibition "Project: Top Secret!" 16 prototypes were presented, which until now have been carefully hidden from the eyes of the general public. The oil crisis of the 1970s prompted Porsche to start building a car with durable design and fuel economy solutions. Even then, the idea was to use recyclable materials. Another, so far little-known attraction of the Project: Top Secret! - models 928 Cabriolet, four-door Porsche 989 or Porsche 965 with a liquid-cooled V8 engine located at the rear. Fans of the latest automotive industry were interested in the Panamera prototypes or the Porsche 918 Spyder chassis, which facilitated the initial testing of the hybrid supercar.

The Porsche Museum is also a real treat for lovers of modern architecture. The building design is one of 170 proposals submitted for the competition. The design was chosen by the Viennese studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects. It is a clever combination of minimalism and dynamism - values ​​that Porsche has adhered to over the years.

We took care not only of the place of presentation of the cars. From the lobby of the museum, you can admire the glass workshop, where work is carried out with historic cars. The well-stocked shop has something for everyone - you can buy souvenirs and gadgets, as well as literature or scaled-down models of Porsche cars that delight in their precision.

The Porsche Museum is located in Stuttgart, in the immediate vicinity of the brand’s headquarters. Anyone who knows the history of the automotive industry should add Porscheplatz 1 to the list of addresses to visit. Some people travel to Germany to spend their winter holidays in the Alps. If you have enough time, consider taking the route through Stuttgart.