January 31 2009, this date sounds like music to any Porsche fan. The long-expected opening of the brand new Porsche Museum. Whatever way you arrive at the Porscheplatz in Zuffenhausen-Stuttgart, is it by train or by car, the huge white building arises in front of you as few buildings have ever done. You just cannot pass the museum and tell you didn’t notice it.
The building of this new museum was started in October 2005, and it took over 3 years to complete. At first, it was told the design chosen for the museum was unbuildable and impossible. But as Dr. Ferdinand Porsche used to say: ‘Problems are just there to be solved’ and that’s exactly what was done. As a comparison, the steel construction of the museum weighs approx 6000 tons. The Eifel Tower in Paris weighs 7500 tons.
Just a lucky coincidence but exactly the same day when I was in Stuttgart in November on the occasion of the Strähle Swap Meet. , the first cars were moved into the new museum. It is called a rolling museum, which means that every single car in the museum is street-ready and can (and will) be used in races, shows, and competitions. At this very moment, there are about 80 cars in the museum. When you know the Porsche Museum owns approximately 400 cars, you understand it will be worth to visit over and over again, as continuously there will be new cars shown.
One moment the museum was filled with some loud sound. Klaus Bisschof, head of the museum, started a Porsche 356 Carrera Abarth for some TV-stations so they could record the sound. It was a great occasion for me to have the floorplan of the museum signed by him.
The Porsche Museum has some different themes, pictures of this page include the following themes which are
• Porsche before 1948
• Targa Florio
• Studies
• Le Mans
• How is a Porsche born
• The 917 era
• Porsche Engineering
• Motorsport
• Evolution
• My Porsche
On the 2nd floor, there’s a restaurant called Christophorus, named after the house-magazine for clients. It is told they have some excellent food and lots of magnificent wine. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make a reservation so I’ll have to keep this for the next visit.
At the entrance of the museum, one can see right into the workshop where people can have their cars restored, and where all the museum cars are being taken care of. At this moment the collection of the 6 well-known speedsters, now in ownership of Wolfgang Porsche, are an amazing eye-catcher. There’s a possibility to eat at the entrance too in the Boxenstop restaurant, and books and so can be bought in the museum shop.
Picture Gallery of the Opening of the Porsche Museum
Pictures courtesy Laurent Missbauer
