Travelling in Time
through the History of Porsche
One of the greatest and
most spectacular building projects in the history of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG opened it's doors on 31st
January 2009: the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffen - hausen. Located directly in the very
heart of this unique sports car company so rich in tradition, the Museum serves to present the
fascinating thrill and diversity of the Porsche brand
to visitors from all over the
world.
More than 80 cars are on
display in the 5,600 square metre (60,250 square feet) Exhibition Area styled and designed futuristically
by the Viennese architects Delugan Meissl, ranging from the legendary wheel hub motor of the
Lohner-Porsche, the world’s first hybrid automobile built as far back as in 1900, all the way
to the latest generation of the Porsche 911.
No less than 170
architects from all over Europe applied for the project before the
architects of the Delugan
Meissl office won the tender in February 2005. Construction work at
Porsche - platz in
Zuffenhausen started just half a year later and in November 2007 the
body of the Exhibition
Building was lowered on to three concrete cores, the first exhibits
moving into the
Exhibition Area not even one
year later. On 8 December 2008, finally, the Museum was han - ded over to Porsche exactly on time.
Porsche expects more
than 200,000 visitors to the Museum each year, so-called Theme Islands and numerous small exhibits
seeking to present the “Porsche Idea” in all its complexity. Apart from the exhibition itself, the
historical archives and the “transparent” workshop for historical cars, the Museum offers a wide
range of catering services complete with a coffee
bar, a bistro and an exclusive
restaurant, as well as generous conference areas finished mainly in white, the fundamental colour of the
Museum.
 The
new Porsche Museum
is also available as an event location for other purposes, for example for conferences, film screenings
or concerts, quite independently of the usual ex - hibition activities.
The new building at Porscheplatz is
located at a very important place in the history of German automobile production, since this is
where the Porsche Design Office moved to from downtown Stuttgart to Plant 1 in
Zuffenhausen back in 1938.
In the same year the forerunners
of the VW Beetle saw the light of day precisely here at this location,
followed by the Type 64
Porsche as the ancestor of all Porsche sports cars, the legendary
Berlin-Rome car, in 1939.
Sports cars proudly bearing the
now world-famous Porsche logo have been built here in Zuffenhausen ever since 1950.
The
Museum Exhibition
The journey in time
through the history of the Company starts in the Porsche Museum with a truly outstanding vision: At the
entrance leading into the Exhibition the visitor will immediately admire the body of the legendary
Porsche Type 64, the Berlin-Rome car built back in 1939.
 The
Type 64 is indeed the great-grandfather of all Porsche cars already
boasting the unmistakable DNA
which makes the sports cars from Zuffenhausen so unique the world over to this very day. Even though this trendsetting racing car
was never raced on account of the war,
it was the first rendition of
numerous
features characteristic of Porsche to this very day: lightweight technology and aerodynamic design,
outstanding performance, reliable technology, and that typical look so characteristic of a
Porsche.
Precisely these features of the Type 64 clearly bear out the Porsche idea the visitor
will experience so visibly through numerous highlights and examples in the Exhibition. The Type 64 not only welcomes visitors to
the Exhibition, but also serves as the link connec - ting the history of Porsche prior to and
after 1948, the year in which the first Porsche 356 saw the light of day. Symbolically, it
offers the visitor the alternative to either focus on the Prologue all about the early decades of
Ferdinand Porsche as an automotive engineer and designer or to start his tour of the
Museum with the history of Porsche as of 1948.
The Museum Workshop and the Porsche Archives
Despite their
excellent condition, the historical cars featured in Porsche’s “museum
on wheels” obviously require
regular care and maintenance in order to enter all kinds of competitions and events at any time. Precisely this is
why specialists in the Museum Workshop prepare all historical racing and sports cars for
their worldwide activities, conducting regular maintenance and carrying out repairs where required.
The same specialists are
also at the disposal of private customers for the restoration of their classic Porsches, These include all
road cars whose series production ended at least ten years ago, that is the 356, 914, 959
and 911 including the 964 model series, as well as water-cooled four- and eight-cylinder
models. These highly skilled
specialists and mechanics do their wonderful job in public, instead of hiding behind closed doors: This is the
world’s only Museum Workshop where the visitor is able to directly observe the work in
progress, a glass partition in the lobby of the Museum offering a clear view of the Workshop.
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From the exhibition
straight to the road: the “Museum on Wheels”
Porsche cars do not grow
old. Instead, they become classics still suited in every respect for road use. Indeed, this is one of the
secrets behind the success of the brand, which is also
why the exhibits proudly
presented in the Porsche Museum are always on the move, nearly all of the vehicles exhibited being
entered regularly in historical races and drive events as
Porsche’s “Museum on Wheels”.
In 2009, for example,
the 550 A Spyder will be making an appearance in the Italian Mille Miglia and the 356 Carrera Abarth GTL
will be entering the Classic Adelaide in Australia. So instead of a conventional, static
exhibition, the visitor is able to enjoy a constantly changing succession of cars with rarities
re-arranged time and again.
Events and Catering
Apart from the
actual exhibition, the new Porsche Museum also has an exclusive Event
Level as well as a truly
versatile range of culinary highlights tailored to the individual
wishes and
preferences of Porsche’s
guests. So whether it is a special cup of coffee, international snacks or the most exclusive cuisine – the
Porsche Museum offers the right choice for everybody.
This in-house catering
service is run by the Porsche Dienstleistungsgesellschaft (PDLG),
Porsche’s Service and Catering
Company. Right from the start
when entering the lobby, the visitor may go straight to the coffee bar or to the “Boxenstopp” Restaurant for
guests, enjoying fresh meals in a friendly environment together with his or her family, friends
or colleagues.
Wining and
dining with a unique view: the Christophorus Restaurant
The Christophorus
Restaurant on the second upper floor is on the same level as the Exhibition and is therefore accessible both
through the Museum and through a separate entrance,
that is beyond the regular
opening hours of the Museum itself.
The Restaurant seeks to offer the highest standard of culinary
excellence, enabling the gourmet
to enjoy both Mediterranean and regional delicacies as well as the most
exquisite wines.
A particular highlight on the
menu is US prime beef grilled fresh right in front of the eyes ofthe guest by Porsche’s very best chefs.
And after visiting the Restaurant, the satisfied connoisseur may then enjoy the rest of the
evening in the adjacent Cigar Lounge.
Looking through the
generous glass façade, guests in the restaurant enjoy a
wonderful panoramic view of
Porscheplatz and the production building where Porsche sports cars and engines are built. And looking through
another glass wall separating the Restaurant from the Exhibition, guests also have the
opportunity to admire the various cars on display in the Museum itself.
Click
on the Stuttgart logo above for City Infomation and where to stop
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