What is a Jahre, much less 50 of them? It’s years in German, and Porsche Design is celebrating fifty of them. It’s the 50th anniversary of the esteemed design firm, a spinoff of the automaker, Porsche AG. Napleton News has admired and even owned some of their products and designs through the years and wanted to tell you more about them.
A brief history of Porsche Design
The Porsche Studio was founded in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1972 by the late Prof. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who also went by the nickname, Butzi. F.A. Porsche was the grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche. While Gramps founded the car company, Butzi took it further when he designed the Porsche 911. He is also known for his pronouncement that “if you analyze the function of an object, its form often becomes obvious.” It’s another way of saying “Form follows function,” but in a phrase, he is correct.
The company is known for its smartly designed car-related accessories. Through the years, these have included items tailor-made for Porsche automobiles. Porsche Studio created fitted luggage designed to nestle inside various Porsche automobiles. There have also been clothing, purses, t-shirts, model cars and more. Some of their most widely held and well-known items include the Porsche Design Sunglasses and the Chronograph 1 of 1972.
Two Vehicles highlight Porsche Design Anniversary Year.
Two exceptional cars are debuting to highlight the firm’s Golden Jubilee. The first is the 2022 Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design. It is a limited-run vehicle with design elements that give the nod to the iconic designs of F.A. Porsche. It includes an all-black exterior with a classic checked Sport-Tex seat center panel. Also nodding to the past: A red second hand reminiscent of one found on the company’s iconic Chronograph in the standard Sport Chrono Package. It’s available now but only 750 copies are available.
Significant for its historical standing, Porsche Classic, the restoration arm of Porsche, restored a classic 1972 Porsche 911 S 2.4 Targa. Porsche Classic chose the 1972 Targa because it was the year the design firm was founded. “The vision was to produce a historical counterpart to the new 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design vehicle,” said Ulrike Lutz, head of Porsche Classic.
A restored classic
Porsche Classic started with a base 911 T 2.4 Targa from 1972. It was in decidedly poor condition and missing several essential parts. Since Porsche Classic was building a Resto-Mod, they didn’t have to be historically correct with their restoration. Upgrades brought the engine and chassis up to 911 S specifications, complete with more power and mechanical fuel injection.
In tribute to F.A. Porsche, the one-of-a-kind restoration features the same colors as the 2022 Porsche, along with styling inspiration from the Chronograph 1 wristwatch. To cap off the restoration, the rear grille features a Porsche Design 50th Anniversary badge with a reproduction of F.A. Porsche’s signature.
Time for a timekeeper.
Porsche Design presented the Chronograph-1 1972 Limited Edition watch to acknowledge the anniversary. It is a stand-alone offering available today at Porsche Design outlets. There will only be 500 examples available so you should hurry now.
