The yet-to-be-announced special limited edition will be painted in a new colour developed by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. The colour, Fish Silver Grey Metallic, is a modern interpretation of ‘fish silver grey’, the colour of one of the first two Porsche 356 imported into Australia back in 1951.
The first two Porsche sportscars brought to Australia, a fish silver grey 356 cabriolet and a maroon 356 coupe, are both still on the road today and driven regularly by their respective owners.
“Australia holds a special place in the history of Porsche,” said Sam Curtis, CEO and Managing Director, Porsche Cars Australia.
“2021 will be a special year for Porsche enthusiasts. It is fitting that we will celebrate 70 years in Australia just as we launch the Taycan, our first all-electric Porsche sportscar and a signal of the future of the brand.”
Australia was introduced to Porsche by Norman Hamilton in 1951 after a chance meeting with Ferry Porsche in Austria. CLICK HERE for a feature on how the Hamilton family established Porsche in Australia.
“Porsche and Australia have a close bond and tradition and Australians love our sportscars, especially the iconic Porsche 911,” said Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.
“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.”
The special edition model will be a feature of the 2021 celebrations. The model, to be announced in the first half of 2021, has been a project bringing together the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur department, the Style Porsche design team and Porsche Cars Australia.
“This has been an exciting project to work on for everyone here in Stuttgart,” said Grant Larson, Director Special Projects, Style Porsche in Weissach.
“It is fantastic that the new special edition model for Australia will be based on an iconic, modern Porsche sportscar, but with a nod to the very first car we shipped to Australia all those years ago. 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.”
Celebrations begin this weekend at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, where a one-off non-championship event will be held for Porsche motorsport competitors. The Porsche PAYCE Michelin Cup will see two generations of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars (type 991 and 991.2) go head-to-head for the first time in a dedicated Porsche event in Australia.
Three Sprint events are also scheduled for members of the Porsche Club of Victoria. A Porsche Taycan pre-production vehicle will also be on-track for a speed comparison demonstration.
Porsche is also launching a photo competition via its @PorscheAus Instagram page. People are encouraged to upload images that creatively interpret the competition theme each fortnight, follow and tag @PorscheAus and use the hashtag #70YearsPorscheAus to be eligible for entry. 70 minor prizes and the grand prize of a luxury getaway driving the new Taycan for up to three days are on offer.
Visit porsche.com/australia/70years for more information regarding 70 years of Porsche in Australia, as well as following @PorscheAus on social media.
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