Forget flowers and chocolates. The Petersen Automotive Museum is giving Porsche an entire retrospective for its 75th birthday.
The exhibition, titled We Are Porsche, will showcase a “once-in-a-lifetime collection of vehicles” and illustrate how influential American collectors helped the German marque reach international acclaim.
Opening to the public on April 16, the show will see 40 of Stuttgart’s finest artfully displayed throughout the museum’s first and second floors. The lineup, which was amassed in collaboration with Porsche Cars North America, runs the gamut from a 1953 550 Spyder that was raced by Betty Shutes and Ken Miles to Steve McQueen’s 1976 911 Turbo.
A must-see for racing enthusiasts is Dan Gurney’s 1962 804, a.k.a. Porsche’s first and only Formula 1 race car which claimed the marque’s sole F1 win in ‘62. Other highlights include the winningest Carrera GT Speedster in history (that is, a 1958 racer driven by Bruce Jennings), a powerful 1973 917/30 Can-Am Spyder that was piloted by Mark Donohue, and the 1973 911 2.8 RSR that won both the IMSA and Trans Am championships.
The original “Outlaw Porsche” (Dean Jeffries’ custom 1957 356 Carrera) will also be on display, alongside the famous models featured in blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverick, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Cars.
You’ll also learn about the people who have contributed to Porsche’s pervasive popularity, including Patrick Dempsey, Steve McQueen, Dan Gurney, Hurley Haywood, Ken Miles, Patrick Long, Rod Emory, and Daniel Arsham. Oh, and “the Spyder Women” (Betty Shutes, Ruth Levy, and Denise McCluggage).
“As a Porsche lover, I’m particularly excited that the Petersen gets to play such a significant role in celebrating the 75th anniversary of these incredible machines,” Petersen’s executive director Terry L. Karges said in a statement. “Porsche’s history on and off the track speaks for itself, and we are honored to help them commemorate this milestone.”
We Are Porsche will run through April 2024. The best part? The exhibition will have a rotation of vehicles during its tenure and a variety of special events.
Click here to see all the photos of the exhibition.
