Priceless Porsche ‘rolling museum’ to feature in Longford Revival and Targa Tasmania in April

Museum collection to help celebrate 60 years of Porsche in Australia

One of the most exciting collections of Porsche Museum cars to leave Germany is on its way down under to participate in ‘60 Years of Porsche in Australia’ celebrations.

The priceless cars from Porsche’s ‘rolling museum’ will participate in events throughout Australia – as well as feature in static displays – during 2011 to share in 60 years of Porsche in Australia celebrations.

The headline act in the collection is the 935 ‘Moby Dick’ – the climax in 935 race car development. Moby Dick was built for pure speed. With its longer rear body section, improved aerodynamics and 621 kW (845 hp) turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine the svelte coupe reached speeds up to 366 km/h at Le Mans in 1978.

Perhaps the most recognisable of all Porsche race cars – the famous 956/962 which won the Le Mans 24 Hour seven times between 1982 and 1994 – is also part of the exclusive collection. The car secured for Australia is the Rothmans 962 example raced to victory in 1987 by Derek Bell, Hans Stuck and Al Holbert.

Two open-top Porsches that dominated Sicily’s Targo Florio road race are also coming: The 718 RS 60 Spyder which won in 1960 (and 36 years later won Targa Tasmania on Handicap honours with Jochen Mass at the wheel) and the eye-catching 908/02 Spyder which filled the first four places in 1969’s Targo Florio.

The 911 SC raced by Walter Rohrl in the gruelling 1980 San Remo rally completes the motorsport line-up, with the acclaimed Carrera GT road car from 2003 providing a modern touch to Porsche’s past.

The debut event for many of the cars will be Australia’s biggest annual historic race meeting at Phillip Island from March 18-20. A selection of the rolling museum icons will also feature in the inaugural Longford Revival as well as Targa Tasmania road rally in the beginning of April.

“We are again delighted to have the full support of Porsche Germany in providing so many of its precious cars from the ‘rolling museum’ for our 60 year celebrations in Australia in 2011,” says Porsche Cars Australian Managing Director, Michael Winkler.

“Each of the visiting museum cars holds a special place in Porsche history. The fact that each car can be fired into life and driven makes their interaction with the public more dynamic and presence more impactful.”

PCA is also planning a number of special customer and other feature events where the cars will be seen during the diamond anniversary celebration.

Australia became the first right-hand export market for Porsche – and one of the very first export markets overall – following a chance meeting between Porsche 356 designer Ferry Porsche and entrepreneurial Australian Norman Hamilton in Gmund, Austria, in early 1951. In October of that year the very first Porsches – a maroon 356 Coupe and silver 356 Cabriolet – arrived in Australia.

Since then more than 22,100 Porsches have been sold locally, with Australia affectionately referred to as “an enthusiasts market” by Porsche AG in Germany given Australian Porsche buyers’ love of track and tarmac racing and rally competition.

“Australia is one of the Porsche markets in the world where there is a genuine knowledge and appreciation of Porsche history, particularly in motorsport,” says the head of the Porsche Museum, Achim Stejskal. “We are therefore pleased to make this commitment to Porsche in Australia with some of our more significant ‘rolling museum’ cars.”

Accompanying the cars at some of the events will be the museum’s charismatic ambassador, Klaus Bischof.

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