Porsche turns 70 in 2018

“70 years of the Porsche sports car,” is the theme of 2018 for the Stuttgart marque, with this year marking the seventh decade since its beginning.

On June 8 1948, the first car to wear Ferry Porsche’s surname was registered – The Porsche 356 “No.1” Roadster.

Though the Porsche family had long been tinkering and building cars (Ferdinand Porsche, Ferry’s father, built an electric car in 1900), it wasn’t until the late 1940s that Ferry realised the Porsche brand.

Chair of the Porsche Executive Board Oliver Blume says Ferry Porsche’s vision and values “still define the brand to this day.”

“Tradition is a commitment. Without our tradition and without our core values, we would not be where we are today”, says Blume.

“We plan to uphold the standard of technical excellence set by Ferry Porsche well into the future. Intelligent dynamic mobility has a great future ahead of it.

“And we have the solid technological expertise, creative employees and unique team spirit to be involved. We have what it takes to ensure that the Porsche brand continues to fascinate – even in another 70 years.”

To celebrate the milestone, Porsche is holding and taking part in several already-planned events, with more likely to take place through 2018.

Next weekend, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will begin an exhibit called ‘The Porsche Effect’, and in late March, the VW Group Forum will hold the first ‘70 years of the Porsche sports car’ exhibit.

One of the biggest events on the motoring calendar – the Goodwood Festival of Speed – will also have special Porsche celebrations.

The ‘Rennsport Reunion’, which will celebrate the RS badge, will be held in California for a few days from September 27, while Porsche will round out the year with ‘Sound Night’, held in the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart on October 13.

If you’ve got some idea of what Porsche’s Sound Night will be… you’re probably not far off.

MOTOR will look back at the history of Porsche on its exact ‘birthday’, June 8.