2023 has been a year filled with festivities around the ’75 years Porsche’ theme. And despite 2024 looking around the corner the car museum Autoworld in Brussels started an exhibition to celebrate the 75 years. Those who visited other theme exhibitions at the Autoworld Museum know they shouldn’t miss this one. After the ‘Porsche – Electric to Electric’ exhibition 10 years ago and ‘Porsche 356 – 70 Years’ in 2018, the museum continues its successful cooperation with Porsche Belgium and the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart with another celebration. With ‘Porsche – Driven By Dreams’, Autoworld aims to show the most beautiful dream stories from the rich Porsche history in 6 separate themes grouping a whole lot of Porsches, often never before shown in Belgium. The exhibition has some 20 cars on loan from the Porsche Museum. Quite some cars belong to renowned Belgian collections, which allowed Autoworld to bring the quality of the exhibition to the highest level and make it world-class.
Unseen: From Concept to Model
A few years ago, Porsche opened the doors to its caves with never-before-seen prototypes for photographer Stephan Bogner. The result was the book ‘Porsche – Unseen’. Autoworld uncovers more of these unseen prototypes and shows the actual production model next to it. Among them, you can see the 2011 Porsche 918 RSR next to the supercar of this generation the Porsche 918 Spyder. An extremely rare Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster GT is shown, next to a concept model of the current generation Porsche 911 Speedster, in which the true enthusiast will recognize the car that was presented in 2018 at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI.
911 Line Up 60th Anniversary
The Porsche 911 is for sure the best-known Porsche model. And 2023 marked a celebration for that model too. In 1963, the successor to the Porsche 356 was presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Porsche 911, Autoworld presented a fantastic line-up of the different generations of the Porsche 911. Among them the 992 model of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the limited edition Porsche 911 Carrera 4S “Belgian Legend Edition” that celebrated the 75th anniversary of Jacky Ickx in 2020.
Heritage
Connoisseurs know that Belgium is related to the history and heritage of Porsche too. Only after the arrival of the Porsche 911 in 1963 did Porsche have its own bodywork company. For the assembly of the bodywork of the 356, various independent bodywork companies such as Reutter, Karmann, and Drauz were called upon. When the Reutter factory burned down in 1960, D’Ieteren in Brussels (Forest) built some models of the 356 B Roadster, of which some 300 survive, thanks to the universally praised high build quality. And one of these gems stood next to the great-grandfather of all Porsches: the Porsche 356 Gmünd.
Motorsport
The number of victories and successes in motorsport achieved by Porsche is beyond imagination. Other brands can only dream of it. Autworld dedicates part of the ‘Driven by Dreams’ exhibition to the theme of motorsport. Not only the newest generation of Porsche race-cars, like the Porsche 963, the Porsche 919, or the Formula E Porsche 99X Electric are on display. The Porsche 356 Carrera Abarth, Porsche 718 RS61 and Porsche 904 are a direct link to the heritage chapter in the exhibition. With Jacky Ickx, Thierry Boutsen, and currently Laurens Vanthoor, we have a Belgian connection with Porsche motorsport, and Autoworld didn’t forget that.
Dakar Universe
Porsche achieved great success in the legendary Paris-Dakar Rallye, with the victory of Rene Metge and Dominique Lemoyne in the 1986 edition, driving a Porsche 959. The car driven by Claude Brasseur and Jacky Ickx finished 2nd and can be admired in the exhibition. Another example of the combination ‘Unseen’ vs production model in the Dakar Universe part, with the Porsche 911 Dakar presented earlier this year next to the prototype Porsche 911 Vision Safari built in 2012.
Art
Some enthusiasts consider a Porsche as a work of art. Others combine their passion for Porsche and art by using Porsche as a canvas when creating art. Belgian street artist Vexx created a very colorful livery for the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo, a study model built at the request of Sony Playstation to be part of the legendary racing game Gran Turismo. Photographer Bart Kuykens is known for the ‘Flat 6 Love Affair’ coffee-table books. And when you speak of an art car, there is no way around the Porsche 911 raced by Johan-Frank Dirickx (911Motorsport) in the 2.0L Cup by Peter Auto.
The ‘Porsche : driven by dreams’ exhibition at the Autoworld Museum in Brussels opened doors December 8 2023 and can be visited till February 25 2024.
Image gallery Driven by Dreams 75 Years Porsche at Autoworld Brussels
Pictures courtesy Tim Havermans
