Porsche Museum, Stuttgart

Porsche Museum, Stuttgart

Main entrance of the museum from Porsche-Platz.
Location within Baden-Württemberg
Established	1976 (1976)
Location	Porscheplatz 70435 Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen Germany
Coordinates
Type	Automobile museum
Website	Porsche Museum (English)

The Porsche Museum is an automobile museum in the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart, Germany on the site of carmaker Porsche.

History

The original Porsche museum opened in 1976 in a side-road near the Porsche factory. It was a relatively small works museum with little parking space and it was only big enough to hold around 20 exhibits (in rotation).

Porsche built the museum as a kind of "rolling museum" with rotating exhibits from a stock of 300 restored cars, many in pristine condition and still in full driving order. Originally there was discussion that the new museum would be built alongside a new Mercedes-Benz museum on former trade fair grounds in the Killesberg area of Stuttgart. After the new Mercedes-Benz Museum opened in the east of Stuttgart in 2006, Porsche went ahead with plans to upgrade and extend its museum in the northern district of Zuffenhausen next to the company headquarters. Originally costs were set at 60 million euros but days before the official opening ceremony on 29 January 2009, it was confirmed that the actual costs hit 100 million euros.

Work on the concept for the new Porsche Museum began in 2003. A storyboard comprising relevant topics, exhibits and their presentation was drawn up and a permanent exhibition was designed.

The new museum

Overview

The new Porsche museum stands on a conspicuous junction just outside Porsche Headquarters in Zuffenhausen. The display area covers 5600 square metres featuring around 80 exhibits, many rare cars and a variety of historical models.

The museum was designed by the architects Delugan Meissl. The exhibition spaces were designed by HG Merz who was also involved in the building of the award winning Mercedes-Benz Museum.

On October 17 in 2005 the construction of the museum was officially kicked off. The 8th of December in 2008 the muesum was handeed over to the client and opened one month later, the 28th of January officiallly. Since 31st January 2009 it has opened its doors to visitors.

The result is an exhibition that focuses firmly on the vehicles showcased. All ancillary architectural, media and typographic elements are designed to be unobtrusive and complement the cars.

The museum, which is as flexible as it is exclusive, functions as a home base for the vehicles.

Construction

New Porsche-Museum under construction, September 2007. New Porsche-Museum under construction, September 2007.  The new museum, still under construction in November 2008. The new museum, still under construction in November 2008.

Selected exhibits

• Porsche360.jpg

  Four wheel drive Porsche 360 Cisitalia (1947)

• 

  Porsche 356 Nr. 1 Roadster (1948)

• Porsche 718-2.jpg

  Porsche Type 804 Formula 1 racing car (1962)

• Porsche 917C.jpg

  Porsche 917 Short coupé (1970)

• 1971 Porsche 917-4.9 LH Coupé.jpg

  Porsche 917 Long coupé (1971)

• 

  The 1100 hp Porsche 917/30 Spider (1973)

• Rothmans Porsche 962C (17) (Chassis 006) 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans winner.jpg

  Porsche 962C coupé (1987)

• 

  McLaren TAG Porsche F1 (1985)

• Porsche 911 GT1 '98 -25.jpg

  Porsche 911 GT1 '98, with Le Mans starting number 25 (1998)

• 2003 Porsche Carrera GT.jpg

  The 612 hp Carrera GT (2003)

See also

• List of automobile museums

References

Bibliography

• Official Porsche company information on the new museum

External links

• Porsche Museum – official site
• Porsche Automuseum Gmünd
• Cisitalia Museum
• Porsche Museum on Design Build Network
• Google Virtual Gallery Tour
• The New York Times: Touring the Temples of German Automaking – includes a description of a visit to the museum
• Porsche Newsroom - official press releases