Porsche celebrates 70 years in Oz with top-secret model

Porsche will celebrate 70 years in Australia in 2021 with a range of events and the launch of a bespoke performance vehicle limited to just 25 units.

Details of the special-edition model are being kept under wraps, but it is clearly generating a lot of excitement within Porsche circles in Australia and Germany – and is almost certain to be an example of the Porsche 911.

A collaboration between Porsche Australia, the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur department and the Style Porsche design team, the top-secret new edition will be confirmed in the first half of 2021.

The special Porsche model will be painted in a new colour developed by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, dubbed Fish Silver Grey Metallic. It is a modern take on the ‘fish silver grey’ paint that adorned the first two examples of the Porsche 356 sports car that were imported into Australia back in 1951.

“This has been an exciting project to work on for everyone here in Stuttgart,” said Grant Larson, director of special projects for Style Porsche, based in Weissach, Germany.

He refers to the vehicle as an ‘iconic’ but ‘modern’ Porsche sports car, which can surely mean only one thing – the classic 911 shape will form the canvas.

“It is fantastic that the new special-edition model for Australia will be based on an iconic, modern Porsche sports car, but with a nod to the very first car we shipped to Australia all those years ago,” Larson said.

“It’s especially pleasing to hear that those first two cars, like most Porsches, are still on the road being enjoyed by their owners to this very day.”

Notably, Porsche marked 70 years of sports car production in 2018 with a special 911 Speedster based on the original 356 Speedster built between 1954 and 1958.

Porsche’s global sales and marketing boss, Detlev von Platen, was also excited about the forthcoming Australian celebrations.

“Porsche and Australia have a close bond and tradition and Australians love our sports cars, especially the iconic Porsche 911,” he said.

“Our Australian fans are keen on everything Porsche’s DNA is about: sportiness, performance and an emotional design – this hasn’t changed in seven decades.”

Celebrations of Porsche’s 70th year in Australia kick off this weekend at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, with a unique (non-championship) race for Porsche motorsport competitors, as the Porsche PAYCE Michelin Cup sees both 991 and 991.2 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars battle it out for the first time in Australia.

Three Sprint events will be held for Porsche Club of Victoria members and a pre-production Porsche Taycan will be in situ for on-track speed runs.

The Porsche Taycan will also be launched in 2021 – a vehicle that just broke a world record for the longest drift by an EV.

“It is fitting that we will celebrate 70 years in Australia just as we launch the Taycan, our first all-electric Porsche sports car and a signal of the future of the brand,” said Porsche Australia chief Sam Curtis.