75 years of Porsche in Monaco

75 years of Porsche sports cars” in the Principality of Monaco

Porsche loans six cars to the Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco. 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 organized 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 was 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.

Porsche 908 KH, Porsche 910, Porsche 962 Le Mans GT, Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GTL, Porsche 911 GT1 Evo (l-r), Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Porsche 908 KH, Porsche 910 (l-r), Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

“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 honor 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.

Ferdinand Porsche, Thierry Boutsen, Prince Albert of Monaco, Stéphane Ortelli, Porsche 911 GT1 Evo, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Thierry Boutsen, Prince Albert of Monaco, Stéphane Ortelli, Porsche 911 RSR, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

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-liter 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-centimeter ground clearance, long spring travel and a whole lot of will to win, Björn Waldegård and Vic Preston drove 5,000 kilometers in East Africa.

Porsche 934, Porsche 911 SC Safari (l-r), Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Ferdinand Porsche, Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GTL, Porsche 962 Dauer Le Mans GT, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

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.

Porsche 908/03 Spyder, Porsche 908 KH, Porsche 910, Porsche 962 Dauer Le Mans GT (l-r), Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

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 favorite in the Principality.

Porsche 99X Electric Formula E, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, 2023, Porsche AG © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

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.