If you were to speak to 100 people on the street and ask them to name a sports car brand, no doubt the vast majority will name Porsche.
As a matter of fact, after 75 years, they are still the brand that many car enthusiasts dream of. There are many brands that have a sporty car in their range. Only a few brands are successful in marketing exclusively sporty cars throughout their history. Posche is certainly one of them.
A Porsche is still an exclusive car although I think in the club of exclusive spot cars they are the most accessible. They have the largest production volumes and there is an immense second-hand market for Porsche.
This expo showcases a never-before-seen collection of 50 exclusive Porsche cars. They are neatly divided by theme on the ground and upper floors. A must-see for every Porschist.
60 year 911 line-up
911, without a doubt the number that will make any Porsche enthusiast’s heart beat a little faster. The 911 is turning 60 and Autoworld is showing off a fine line-up of eight generations of 911 here.
Heritage
As with many brands, it often started by the founder building a ‘dream car’ for himself. Actually, it was the same with Porsche. This is how Ferdinand Porsche built his first dream car 75 years ago. The Porsche 64 is actually the first (prototype) Porsche, however, it was never commercialised. So the 356 Gmünd is seen more as the first Porsche. The name Gmünd comes from the place where the first 49 examples of the 356 were built. After this, production moved to Zuffenhausen. Both for the Porsche 64 and the 356, many parts were initially taken from the VW Beetle. Gradually, more and more parts were designed by Porsche itself.
Motorsport
With a sporty car brand like Porsche comes a long history in motorsport. Not only did they participate in numerous races but could also write untold numbers of them on their record. The 991 RSR, 991 GT1, 919 Hybrid and Formula E Gen 3 are just some of the race cars on display that have made Porsche the most successful racing car brand.
Legends
When you conquer so many titles like Porsche, it obviously has to do with the excellent cars. The drivers also have a part in this that cannot be underestimated. At this expo we see several iconic cars like the 959 Paris – Dakar shown above with which Jacky Ickx took victory in 1986. The 959 also made its appearance here as the Paris – Dakar win came before the car was even on sale.
Thierry Boutsen and Laurens Vanthoor have not been forgotten either and their cars are also on display.
Dakar Universe
While we are on the subject of Daker, it is fair to say that it was through the perseverance of Jacky Ickx that Porsche participated. On a separate display, Autoworld shows all Porsche models that have anything to do with this legendary rally.
Art
During the exhibition ‘Porsche – Driven by Dreams’, you will get to know quasi the entire Porsche history. Several brands will invite artists to unleash their skills on a particular model. Belgian street artist Vexx, known for the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo on display, will be present exclusively for Autoworld.
On the ground floor, behind the 911 line-up, you will find a beautiful exhibition by photographer Bart Kuykens. The photo series consists mainly of works in which the 911 plays a prominent role. So be sure to take a look here too when visiting the expo.
Unseen: From concept tot model
This is perhaps the most interesting part of the expo. Here I saw numerous Porsche’s that I never saw before. Not even while visiting the Porsche museum.
In totaal staan er negen nooit eerder in België geëxposeerde Porsche concept cars. De meeste worden getoond naast het productiemodel wat het nog interessanter maakt.
It starts with the 984 that culminated in the 914 to the Taycan prototype that made one dream of an alternative future. Also the 989 (the Panamera project), the 959 Group B study, the 911 Vision safari and a host of others.
Always including the permanent collection
If you visit Autoworld for a specific exhibition like this one of Porsche. Then know that you always have access to the permanent expo an Autoworld. That permanent expo is worth a visit on its own.
Conclusion
As we are used to from Autoworld Brussels, this Porsche expo is very carefully set up. It gives visitors a nice glimpse of the brand’s history. More info & tickets on the Autoworld website.
