For three quarters of a century, Porsche has been a synonym for exceptional sports cars. The 8th of June 1948 is the date on which the brand was born. On that Tuesday, the first car bearing the Porsche name received its road approval: the 356 “No. 1” Roadster. On the occasion of the anniversary, the “Cercle des Amis de la Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco”* has organised a unique exhibition of Porsche sports cars. From 20 February to 20 March 2023, the exhibition can be seen in the new rooms of the car museum that were opened a few months ago in Port Hercule. There, visitors will be able to enjoy a dozen cars with cult status, including six racing cars that are on loan from the collection of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer.
“75 years of Porsche sports cars” is the first special exhibition at the new site of the Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco, which is now situated at the legendary Formula 1 course. “It is an honour for us to be providing half of the cars for this special exhibition. We are very happy to celebrate our sports car anniversary with six milestones in the Principality of Monaco,” says Achim Stejskal, Head of Porsche Heritage and Museum.
Former Porsche works driver Thierry Boutsen is President of the “Cercle des Amis de la Collection de Voitures de SAS le Prince de Monaco” and curator of the exhibition. In 1994, he took third place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with his team colleagues Hans-Joachim Stuck and Danny Sullivan. The 962 Dauer Le Mans GT with a three-litre biturbo engine could go from 0 to 200 km/h in just 7.3 seconds. This racing car will be a particular eye-catcher at the exhibition. The 911 SC Safari on loan from the Porsche Heritage and Museum department will also be on display there. In 1978, in blistering heat and torrential rainfall, the works team completed the Safari Rally with two of these cars. With 28 centimetre ground clearance, long spring travel and a whole lot of will to win, Björn Waldegård and Vic Preston drove 5,000 kilometres in East Africa.
The next exhibit from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen is almost 20 years younger: the 911 GT1 Evo. In 1998, just a few of these racing cars were given to selected customer teams, who then had to hold their ground against lighter and faster prototypes, for example in the “Petit Le Mans” 10-hour race. In the 12 Hours of Sebring, the racing car managed third place overall. The third 911 to be exhibited is a 911 RSR from 2016. This car not only won the GTLM class in the 12 Hours of Sebring, but also took second place in its class in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 908/03 Spyder is a particularly light exhibit. Developed for the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the open, agile sports prototype weighs only 545 kilograms. In total, Porsche made only a dozen of the 908/03 Spyder. The exhibited model was driven by Leo Kinnunen and Pedro Rodriguez in the Targa Florio in 1970, finishing second behind the victorious sister car of Jo Siffert and Brian Redman. Somewhat more leisurely, but no less spectacular, was the 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GTL. In the early 1960s, Porsche opted for a lightweight version of the 356 B in GT sport. 778 kilograms, agile, with high torque – and sure to be another crowd favourite in the Principality.
Visitors can also look forward to a Porsche 908 “short-tail” that started in the Austrian Grand Prix of 1968 with Hans Herrmann and Kurt Ahrens. Alongside Thierry Boutsen another former Porsche works driver will be present at the exhibition opening: Stéphane Ortelli.
“I won two of my three most important titles with Porsche: the FIA GT World Championships of 2002 and 2003,” says the Le Mans winner born in France, who is the most successful Monacan racing driver.
The Collection de Voitures de S.A.S le Prince de Monaco contains around 70 cars, including the racing cars that made their mark at the Monte Carlo Rally, the Paris-Dakar Rally, and the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1.
Info
Porsche exhibition from 20 February to 20 March 2023:
La Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco
54 route de la Piscine – Port Hercule
Tel. +377 92 05 28 56
Email: mtcc@mtcc.mc
*For information about the “Cercle des Amis de la Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco” association, please email your request to: cacv@adb.mc