at-60-years-old,-the-porsche-911-remains-a-cultural-iconAt 60 years old, the Porsche 911 remains a cultural icon

Since its appearance in 1963, the Porsche911 has captivated automotive enthusiasts around the world, proving its worth on the circuit and serving as an iconic status symbol for decades.

Frank Jung, Director of Corporate Archives and Historical Services at Porsche AG, describes the Stuttgart-made car as “the heartbeat and core of Porsche to date.”

Introduced at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 1963 as the Porsche 901, the model number was quickly changed to 911, as the French car manufacturer Peugot owned the international rights to all car type numbers with a zero. in the middle.

Six decades later, more than one million units of the Porsche 911 have left the assembly lines, with different adaptations throughout the eight generations of the model.

Manufactured until today in Zuffenhausen, a neighborhood of Stuttgart in southern Germany, the sports car gained worldwide recognition when it first entered the American market, with the first 911s exported to the United States in February 1965.

“Export was always one of the factors driving the success of the Porsche 911, especially in the US market, but today all over the world,” Jung told DW.

cultural icon

As the 911 is “the image of Porsche around the world, this could be one of the reasons why it has such global iconic status,” says Jung.

The fact that it appears in movies, music videos, works of art and is driven by celebrities has also contributed to the model’s appeal.

In “Downhill Racer” (1969), Robert Redford plays a professional skier who travels through the Alps in a yellow 911T.

The opening sequence of the 1971 film “Le Mans” shows actor Steve McQueen, known at the time as the “King of Cool,” driving a slate-gray 1970 Porsche 911S. He bought the car after filming for his own collection.

The plot of “No Man’s Land” (1987) focuses on thieves who dedicate themselves exclusively to stealing Porsche 911 cars.

Numerous music videos from the past and present present the car as a status symbol and a key ingredient to “living large.”

Among them, the music video for Billy Ocean’s 1988 classic “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” shows the singer in a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

Notable personalities who drive the Porsche 911 include actor Keanu Reeves, rapper Eminem, model Kendall Jenner, footballer David Beckham, basketball legend Michael Jordan and fashion designer Ralph Lauren, as well as pop stars Harry Styles and Justin Bieber.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is said to have several 911 sports cars in his collection.

Looking to the future

Beyond its timeless design, the model continues to evolve through engineering innovations.

In the face of the climate crisis, Porsche has committed to making 80 percent of its range fully electric by 2030. But the company is also boosting its research and investment in e-fuels, to maintain one exception: the 911.

“We will produce the 911 as long as possible with a combustion engine,” the head of Porsche’s e-fuels team, Karl Dums, told the Reuters press agency in July this year.

For now, the famous 911 remains a car for the privileged class: the 2024 model costs more than 120,000 euros. Still, the automaker reports high demand and a two-year wait for deliveries.

The most expensive Porsche 911 sports car sold at auction to date is the Porsche 911 Sally Special, which reached an exorbitant price of $3.6 million at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in August 2022.

(gg/ers)

By Scribe