STUTTGART, Ark., Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — This December, in partnership with Sotheby’s and RM Sotheby’s, Porsche Design is not only celebrating the 50th anniversary of the globally successful design brand, but above all the pioneering spirit of company founder Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. To honor Porsche Design’s 50-year heritage, two one-off design icons, both designed by F. A. Porsche and unmistakably linked to the brand’s founding year 1972, will be offered for auction via Sotheby’s New York during Luxury Week. The two-week online auction will start on November 29th at 12:00pm EST and close on December 14th, 2022 at 12:00pm EST.
Sotheby’s Luxury Week New York 2022
In this special year for the brand, Porsche Design is the presenting partner of Sotheby’s Luxury Week in New York – a bi-annual sales series showcasing some of the world’s most exceptional and unique luxury items on the market. As a highlight and grand finale to the anniversary year, two unique design icons – both designed by F. A. Porsche – will be offered in a dedicated auction conducted on RM Sotheby’s website, with bidding open from November 29th to December 14th, 2022: a Porsche 911 S 2.4 Targa from 1972, the founding year of Porsche Design, refined by Porsche Classic as part of the Sonderwunsch (special request) program, and a special one-of-a-kind timepiece, the Chronograph 1 – 911 S 2.4 Targa, that is based on the legendary Porsche Design Chronograph I, the world’s first all-black timepiece that was designed by F. A. Porsche in 1972.
The Road to New York
Both the vehicle and the timepiece spent six months as central exhibits of the special show ‘50 Years of Porsche Design’ at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, before they were presented to classic car enthusiasts and watch collectors outside of Europe for the first time at Monterey Car Week in California this past August. The journey of these unique design icons will now provisionally end in New York. Here, Stefan Buescher, CEO of the Porsche Lifestyle Group, will personally present them to a select audience at the opening of Sotheby’s Luxury Week exhibitions in New York on November 29th, 2022, before they make their way to their new owner. “The two one-of-a-kind collectibles are just as unique and exceptional as Porsche Design’s heritage. They embody the fascination and the myth of the automotive lifestyle brand and convey the design philosophy of F. A. Porsche. The exclusive auction in New York pays tribute to the pioneering spirit of our company’s founder and marks the grand finale of our anniversary year. Even half a century after its inception, the brand has lost none of its DNA. Today, our designers work with the same passion to combine timeless, functional design with technical innovation in order to create the classics of tomorrow,” says Stefan Buescher.
Echoes of a Purist Design Aesthetic
Built in 1972, the Porsche 911 S 2.4 Targa was restored and refurbished in an exceptional way by the experts at Porsche Classic over a period of two years. The factory one-off was built as part of the new Sonderwunsch (special request) program, which combines craftsmanship and attention to detail to create individual sports car dreams. The classic is the historical counterpart to the limited-edition special model ‘Porsche 911 Edition 50 Years of Porsche Design’ (model 992). Among other things, both models pick up on the color scheme of the legendary Chronograph I from 1972, the first product design by F. A. Porsche. The color black dominates both the interior and exterior. Like the special model, the one-off is equipped with Sport-Tex in a classic checkered pattern in black and cool gray. As a tribute to the brand’s anniversary, the car features ‘Porsche Design’ lettering on both sides. The ’50 Years of Porsche Design’ logo embellishes the headrests while the dashboard is adorned with a silver-colored “911” plaque bearing the lettering “Edition 50 Years of Porsche Design.” As a special highlight, the Targa bar was painted in high-gloss platinum – a modern reinterpretation of the brushed stainless steel of the historic prototype and thus a perfect match for the new vehicle.
The result is a one-of-a-kind sports car that combines the original design with modern elements, bears the signature of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and is reminiscent of the founding year of Porsche Design. “We chose this vehicle because the 911 continues to shape the Porsche legend to this day. It is characterized by outstanding sportiness and conveys an extraordinary driving experience. I was able to see this for myself during the final testing,” says Uwe Makrutzki, Head of Porsche Classic Factory Restoration. “While the 911 T 2.4 Targa had to make do with 130 hp in its original state, the car’s second birth at the Porsche factory now features the engine, chassis, and brakes of the S version. The top model at the time now draws 190 hp at 6,500 rpm from 2,341 cm3 displacement and features mechanical fuel injection.”
Porsche Classic restores, designs, and enhances a handful of unique sports cars every year. In close cooperation with the Porsche exclusive manufacturing company as part of the so-called co-creation strategy, Porsche is thus reinterpreting the legendary Sonderwunsch (special request) program of the late 1970s and enabling personalized one-offs – co-created by the customer and professionally implemented by Porsche. These are marked with a special seal highlighting their exclusivity and individuality. One of the first factory one-offs to receive this exclusive marking is the 911 S 2.4 Targa.
A Unique Auction Bundle Featuring a Chronograph 1 – 911 S 2.4 Targa
The Chronograph 1 – 911 S 2.4 Targa was exclusively manufactured for the auction on December 14th, 2022. It is a special, custom-made version of the limited anniversary edition of the Chronograph 1, which remains true to the design of the first Porsche Design timepiece down to the last detail and, where necessary, was adapted to today’s technical state-of-the-art standards. The dial, crown, wristband, and case back bear the historic Porsche Design logo.
What makes it truly special is the design of the winding rotor on the back of the case, which reflects that of the historical Fuchsfelge rims of the Targa from 1972. This unique rotor was developed over the course of elaborate construction and testing by the engineers in the in-house watchmaking facility in Solothurn, Switzerland. It translates the movement of the wearer’s wrist into energy to power the mechanical chronograph caliber. With these design features, it bears reference to the classic vehicle and also makes this timepiece an exceptional one-of-a-kind. The two design classics not only pay homage to the close collaboration between the Porsche Design brand and the sports car manufacturer Porsche, but are also intrinsically linked by their shared heritage, as they were both designed by F. A. Porsche, the designer of the legendary Porsche 911 and the founder of Porsche Design.
For more information as well as videos and photos, please visit the Porsche Newsroom:
https://media.porsche.com/mediakit/50-y-porsche-design or auction overview page
About Porsche Design:
In 1963, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche created one of the most iconic design objects in contemporary history: the Porsche 911. Following his vision to take the principles and myth of Porsche beyond the automotive world, he created the exclusive lifestyle brand Porsche Design in 1972. His philosophy and design language can still be seen in all Porsche Design products today. Every Porsche Design product stands for extraordinary precision and perfection, boasts a high level of technological innovation and seamlessly combines intelligent functionality and puristic design. Created by Studio F. A. Porsche in Austria, our products are sold worldwide in Porsche Design stores, high-end department stores, exclusive specialist retailers and the official online store www.porsche-design.com .
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