Porsche Museum turns 15

Fifteen years ago, the Porsche Museum opened its doors to visitors from all over the world for the first time. Since 31 January 2009, it has taken 5,824,325 people on a fascinating journey through the history and development of the Porsche brand. This figure includes celebrity visitors such as Paris Hilton, the Backstreet Boys, Vladimir Klitschko, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mario Barth, Patrick Dempsey, AC/DC, Peter Maffay, Udo Lindenberg and Georg Hackl.

In 2023, the Porsche Museum broke the 2009 record for the number of visitors. In its opening year, the museum welcomed 511,513 guests, while in 2023 there were 535,613 guests. “We would like to thank all the fans and enthusiasts who made last year such a special one for us,” says Achim Stejskal, Head of Porsche Heritage and Museum. “Because of our ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ brand anniversary, the number of visitors to Zuffenhausen was 54 per cent higher than in the previous year. The many interactive exhibition elements and the state-of-the-art presentation techniques make a visit to the museum a thrilling experience for guests of all ages,” Stejskal adds.

Together with his team, he conveys the brand’s passion for performance and design, both looking back and turning to the future. The Porsche Museum is not just a place where historical cars are showcased and their history documented, but also a living space that pays tribute to the cultural significance and the heritage of the brand through regularly changing exhibitions and special exhibitions. “The 15th anniversary of our Porsche Museum also pays homage to the history, innovation and passion that have shaped the brand,” says Stejskal. The Porsche Heritage and Museum department is of course involved in future-oriented projects within the company. “The Porsche Museum not only represents the past by preserving the values and spirit of the brand for future generations. It is already a key part of Porsche’s history that will continue to be written in the future,” Stejskal concludes.

By the numbers

• 5,824,325 million visitors and 2,000 events since its opening in 2009.
• The company archive comprises 25,000 small exhibits, five million photos, 1,700 hours of film material, and around three kilometers of documents.
• The archive has received more than 90,000 queries over the past 15 years.
• Over a million people follow the Porsche Museum on social media (Instagram/Facebook/Weibo).
• 314,219 women, men and children have taken a factory tour.
• To this day, there have been 28,301 guided tours of the museum.
• Team Porsche Heritage and Museum has supported more than 3,300 events worldwide with cars from the collection.
• Over 3,000 vehicles were technically maintained in the museum workshop and prepared for their missions.

Diverse program planned for 2024

2024 will be all about the 50th anniversary of the 911 Turbo. Half a century ago, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer presented the first 911 Turbo with racing technology. This car launched the era of the high-performance sports car. On 30 July, the museum is opening a special exhibition to mark “50 Years of the Turbo”, and will be supporting further Turbo exhibitions in various museums worldwide. From 25 to 28 April 2024, the Porsche Heritage and Museum will present a special selection of Turbo exhibits at “Retro Classics”. This trade fair will gather vintage car fans and sports car enthusiasts from all over the world in Stuttgart. At “Solitude Revival” on 22 and 23 June 2024, visitors will be taken on a motorized journey through time with a selection of historical models from the company’s collection. Additionally, the Tradition team is sending a selection of cars from the collection to events such as the Festival of Speed in Goodwood and the Monterey Car Week in California. This year, once again, a range of workshops and activities for children and young people will be on offer in Zuffenhausen, including “Social Media Ready” or the new exciting and educational smartphone and tablet rallies in which puzzles are solved throughout the Porsche Museum.

Two special exhibitions per year and collaborations all over the world

Since its opening in 2009, the Porsche Museum has usually curated two special exhibitions per year to mark car- and company-related events and anniversaries. “Depending on the topic, we focus on the past, present, and future, and on fascinating people and groundbreaking technologies,” says curator Iris Haker. “For the ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ anniversary last year, we restructured the entire exhibition and created a variety of themed displays. Our concept is vivid, and we modify it to flexibly suit the special exhibitions.” The Porsche Museum also works with other museums all over the world, including the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse Museum, the highest-altitude automotive exhibition on one of the most beautiful panoramic roads in the world.

Visitor programs tailored to children and adults

“Over the past 15 years, the Porsche Museum team has regularly launched new programs and developed existing ones,” explains Reimund Heinisch, Head of Visitor Service and Exhibitions. For example, adults can take part in photo workshops in the Porsche 4Experts area and experience what happens behind the scenes during guided tours. Porsche 4Kids and Porsche 4School offer a whole range of different activities for children and young people, including museum and factory tours geared towards children, Discovery Stations in the permanent exhibition, Teamspirits outside the classroom, and holiday programs guaranteed to keep boredom at bay. “Social Media Ready” is a new addition to the program in which youths and young adults aged between 15 and 19 are invited to make something special from the photos and videos on their smartphones, transforming them into professional showreels. “This year, we want to strengthen our collaboration with the Porsche job training center,” announces Heinisch. The goal is to also inspire the next generation with the history of the sports car manufacturer.

The company archive – the backbone of Porsche

The Porsche archive is the company’s memory while also being a repository for any information with an economic, technical, social or cultural connection to Porsche. It is a resource for expanding knowledge about the brand for the purposes of historical public relations, and for maintaining a dialogue with Porsche fans all over the world. The employees at the Porsche Archive and the Head of the Archive Frank Jung process more than 6,000 queries every year, on average. These queries come from internal departments, journalists, scientists, influencers and the authors of books about development, motorsport and the history of the company. Over the past 15 years, more than 90,000 queries have been submitted to the team. “We see ourselves not only as the keepers and administrators of valuable knowledge and innovations from the past. We also have one eye on the future because the innovation of today is the tradition of tomorrow,” Jung emphasizes. He and his team are preserving a comprehensive record of the company’s history for future generations and supporting their colleagues in the museum with special exhibitions or the content of the permanent exhibition, and those working with the car collection on external presentations. The legal department is also helping to verify historical facts based on the knowledge and documents in the archive.

The car collection: museum exhibits as brand ambassadors

Over decades, the Porsche Museum has established and extended its car collection, covering the history of all the models from 1898 to the present day. In the last 15 years, a number of the 800 or so vehicles in the collection have traveled as brand ambassadors and showpieces from Zuffenhausen to places all over the world. Porsche Heritage and Museum has supported more than 3,300 events and trade fairs with these exhibits. The world has been their home and historical public relations their mission. “The cars in our collection are contemporary witnesses that tell the company’s story. We see them as cultural assets to be protected, and the act of preservation is also a cultural asset,” says Alexander E. Klein, Head of the Car Collection and Heritage Concepts. Alongside celebrated cars such as the Porsche 911 (901 No. 57), which was discovered by the team from the TV program “Der Trödeltrupp” (“The Jumble Gang”), the collection also features current model versions that complete the picture for the future.

The majority of the museum exhibits fulfil the purpose for which they were originally built: they drive. And they proactively bring the historical work out into the world. This is also the case with the new Heritage Experience event concept, which has already been implemented in China, Hawaii and Germany. “We centre everything around the creativity of people. The focus is on communicating about heritage conservation work – eye to eye. Journalists thus get to meet the people who have passed on their knowledge, and the traditions they have learnt and lived, from generation to generation.”

The Porsche Museum as an event location

For those wanting to experience the history of the sports car manufacturer exclusively, the Porsche Museum can be booked out for events. “The museum is a very special events venue, not least because of its impressive architecture. An event staged in our rooms gives guests the unfiltered Porsche experience – something they won’t be forgetting any time soon,” says Philipp Schumm, Head of Communication and Events, Porsche Museum. The team also stages a series of its own events, including the Porsche Sound Night, Porsche 4Kids cinema events with ‘Checker Tobi’, or the live broadcast of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

History you can take home from the museum shop

The Porsche Museum shop invites visitors to browse and discover. Whether you’re looking for a souvenir for a child or adult, select clothing and items from the Porsche Lifestyle collections, or special limited-edition products for collectors, the museum shop offers customers and fans a wide range of products. You’ll also find many publications relating to the history of the Porsche brand. The titles in the “Edition Porsche Museum” series are a central part of the literature in the museum shop, since the Porsche Museum’s own publishing house is also celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. “Along with the museum shop, we also look after the factory shops in Zuffenhausen and Weissach, as well as our business-to-business customers,” adds Alexander Keck, Head of Resource Management and Shops.

Many congratulations from around the world

Congratulations from Walter Röhrl, two-time World Rally Champion and Porsche brand ambassador:

“I would like to congratulate the Porsche Museum on its 15th birthday. I love coming there. It always provides the right setting in which to meet not just faithful fans but also many companions and former racing driver colleagues – and to be reunited in the exhibition with many of the racing cars in which I tasted success. The three super sports cars 959, Carrera GT and 918, which I was involved in developing, are of course also regularly on display. What’s really special is that I still get the opportunity to drive these cars for Porsche at various events today. The Porsche Heritage and Museum team has managed to not only preserve the history of Porsche in a very vivid way, but also carry it forward into the future.”

Congratulations from Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic:

“Warm regards to Zuffenhausen. Mercedes-Benz congratulates the Porsche Museum on 15 successful years. We’re so lucky to have two of the most famous car museums in the world in Stuttgart. The Porsche Museum and the Mercedes-Benz Museum are flagships with international allure that attract visitors from every continent. The two brands have shared common ground again and again. From 1923 to 1928, Ferdinand Porsche was Technical Director for the brand with the world-famous star. In 1948, Porsche started the production of its own sports cars in Stuttgart, and cooperations between the two companies followed. For example, the legendary Mercedes-Benz 500 E was built in collaboration with Porsche.”

“Mercedes-Benz congratulates the Porsche Museum on 15 successful years.”

Congratulations from Bettina Haussmann, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Museum:

“The Porsche Museum and the Mercedes-Benz Museum in the same city – an irresistible attraction for visitors. And the two institutions maintain a healthy, successful collaboration that includes the sharing of car exhibits. Since 2016 we’ve had the combo ticket that offers the holder a reduced price of entry to the other museum. In 2023, our cross-brand ‘Classics & Coffee’ meet-up for classic cars dedicated a day to ‘75 Years of Porsche’. And Tina Turbo and Tom Targa, the little mascots of the Porsche Museum, are always welcome when they visit us.”

Congratulations from Angelique Kerber, Wimbledon winner and Porsche brand ambassador:

“I associate the Porsche Museum with a lot of emotional experiences. I’ll never forget my first press conference in Germany as a Wimbledon winner, which was held in the museum. I’ve also had a number of photo and film shoots among these unique classic cars, and got to experience the fascination of Porsche and its history up close – a truly electrifying feeling! I was lucky enough to not just marvel at these classics from the museum’s car collection. I actually had the privilege of driving a few of them myself, as I did recently during the 2023 celebrations to mark 75 years of Porsche sports cars. For me, this was literally “Driven by Dreams”. Happy 15th birthday, dear Porsche Museum! I’m looking forward to my next visit.”

Congratulations from Hans-Joachim Stuck, former racing driver:

“Congratulations, my dear Porsche Museum! Each visit doesn’t just bring back great memories for me. I also get goosebumps every time I see visitors and fans familiarizing themselves with the success story of Porsche. I’m delighted to be able to take part in many events like the legendary Sound Night, or to sit behind the wheel when the team sends its classic cars to rallies and events all over the world.”

Congratulations from Timo Bernhard, Le Mans winner and Porsche brand ambassador:

“For me, the Porsche Museum is a special, almost sacred place in which not only the tradition, passion and spirit of Porsche are tangible, but also the company’s entrepreneurial spirit. I was present at the opening, and I have followed all the museum’s activities with great interest ever since. I’m delighted that in my role as a brand ambassador, I’ve been able to play an active part in spreading the heritage message around the world for several years now and participate at the events. I also love visiting the museum because I can revisit many of the racing cars from my career at the exhibition. Recently, my Team75 Bernhard and I had the honor of passing on the first DTM-winning car to the museum team. I wish the museum and its team the very best and many more wonderful years.”

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