Bill Richardson Transport World's Newest Exhibit: The Iconic Porsche 911
On September 3 2017, Bill Richardson Transport World is pleased to be bringing you a brand new pop-up Porsche exhibit which showcases Porsche cars from the 1970s to today.
Happy Birthday Ferdinand Porsche!
Why 3 September 2017? Because this is the 172nd birthday of Dr Ferdinand Porsche, designer and founder of Porsche. Porsche’s ideas have had a significant influence on vehicle design. Dr Ferdinand Porsche was the genius behind Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Zündapp and NSU.
We are pleased to say that both Bill Richardson Transport World and Classic Motorcycle Mecca house numerous machines that were influenced by his design. However in this issue of The Ignition we are celebrating his company, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, better known as just Porsche.
Although nothing can replace actually seeing these beautiful cars in person, this blog will celebrate Dr Porsche’s life by exploring Porsche’s most iconic car, the 911. We will be displaying all three 911s during September, so those of you unable to come can still experience a bit of the magic.
Introduction to the Porsche 911
The iconic Porsche 911 began life in 1956 when Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand’s son, ordered Porsche designers to work on a car that was to become the famous 911. It had to be capable of carrying two adults and two children in great comfort, yet be only a little bigger than their previous model 356. The first Porsche 911 rolled off the production line in 1964.
Although it was a brand new car, it stuck with the principles established so successfully in the 356 series. The Porsche 911 was a grand tourer with an air-cooled engine and the same focus on an aero-dynamic body.
It was all about space and design. It had torsion-bar suspension to save space. Specifically, the front torsion bars ran parallel with the frame and used a lower wishbone and MacPherson strut for wheel location, because this system occupied the least space. The space underneath the car was taken up by the large boot, which had to be big enough to hold golf clubs!
Porsche 911s were surprisingly practical when looked at from that angle. But its engine was not designed for the weekly shopping trip. It was a brand new six cylinder, 2 litre engine that was developed from the flat-eight Formula 1 unit used in the early 1960s. It was a fast and impressive sports car.
Porsche 911s being hand made in 1968.
All Different Porsche 911s
Porsche cars have always been about quality not quantity. Because Porsche cars are produced in such low numbers, they can easily by modified and upgraded.
Over 50 years of tweaks and tunes have resulted in numerous variations of the 911. There are currently 22 versions listed on the Porsche website. There are blogs dedicated to explaining the variations.
Bill Richardson Transport World’s Porsche Display
If you are one of the lucky ones able to visit Bill Richardson Transport World over September you will be treated to a display of three Porsche 911s. Our display will feature 911 variations from 1973 to 2006.
And they are….
A 1973 Porsche 911 Carerra RS
This car is special because it is a full spec rally car for historic and classic rally racing.
1984 Porsche 911 Carrera classic
This classic Porsche 911 is a beautiful example of the original Porsche 911.
2006 Porsche 911 Carerra C4S
This Porsche is the result of all the improvements and tunes over the years. It is four wheel drive and its 3.8 litre engine churns out 380BHP.