by John Glynn | Feb 8, 2014 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
I caught up with the talented artist Guy Allen this week. Guy’s the man responsible for the popular (sold out) t-shirts and print ranges previously offered at impactbumpers.com: our forum and website for fans of the 1974-1989 Porsche 911.
ImpactBumpers.com celebrates its 8th anniversary in Feb 2014, so I’m looking at doing some birthday shirts. While awaiting said fabulousness, take a look at Guy Allen’s latest Porsche print: the IROC Porsche 911 RSR, striped in Race of Champions colours.Very cool – of course I got one.
The sweet livery is also right on message with protests and adwork inspired by LGBT concerns at the Sochi Olympics. I read an interesting piece on Putin politics and diversionary tactics in The Guardian this morning.
by John Glynn | Jan 30, 2014 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
January 30th is the anniversary of Professor Ferdinand Porsche, who died on this day in 1951. We remember the Professor with admiration and respect, enjoying his legacy while working on the Cult of Porsche book.
In Stuttgart 1931, astride a successful career working for others, Ferdinand Porsche founded an engineering consultancy that would change the face of motoring. Porsche and his team created some of the world’s most iconic cars, and patented technology still in use today.
Already a successful automotive leader and engineer when freelance took hold, with designs including the world’s first 4wd electric hybrid, and the famous Auto Union racing cars, Professor Porsche would not create the cars which built the world’s most successful automaker, nor fully experience his family’s fame. Yet Ferdinand’s creed resonates from every Porsche produced, through one instantly-identifiable ‘Porsche line’.
Unique in the automotive world, this Porsche line drives and binds our community. A fascination with Ferdinand has underpinned my working life for ten years and counting, and brought a rewarding creative partnership with one of the world’s finest photographers, Jamie Lipman. Working with James continues to inspire great stories.
The Cult of Porsche book
We’ve wanted to create books with these stories for a while, and have finally found the ideal creative partner and patron in Ricoh, the respected Japanese imaging company. Alongside their market leading commercial electronics business, Ricoh owns Pentax cameras and has developed a exceptional range of Ricoh production printers. Keen to test their production technology to the max and sponsor real stories with passion, Ricoh has invited us to create a series of three books, collating some of our best work to date.
Two versions of each book will be available: a quality hardback version and a limited, beautifully bespoke edition. We’re revisiting some favourite stories, and have also created some brand-new material. We’ll be using a number of groundbreaking Ricoh innovations to deliver a print experience like no other! Our first book will launch at the London Book Fair in April, and Ferdinand Press will publish and distribute the books right here online.
by John Glynn | Jul 10, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Art and Books
Ulf Poschardt, full-time Deputy Editor of Die Welt and Welt am Sonntag and long-time 911 driver has written a new book on the Porsche 911. Titled simply ‘911’, it sounds rather fascinating. I swapped some Facebook messages on the Ferdinand page with Ulf yesterday, and he shared the purpose of this work.
“It’s a cultural & social history of the Porsche 911,” says Ulf. “I have driven a 911 every day since the age of 23 – now more than 23 years. That time has allowed me to reflect on how and why this sports car became a symbol of German modernism after World War II, as well as a manifesto for individualism and a masterpiece in engineering culture.
“I talked to a variety of owners and drivers of Porsche 911 and tried to squeeze out their personal philosophy on the car. Everyone from artists and architects to engineers and politicans – and to Jerry Seinfeld, of course. The Ferdinand blog has many friends in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and they can find 911 in bookshops from July 24.”
Renowned Stuttgart publishing house, Klett-Cotta, is initially publishing the book in German only. Ulf hopes that an English version will follow, and I would certainly be interested in reading it. Of all the 911 books released to coincide with the car’s 50th anniversary, this one piques most interest.
I once took the EB Motorsport Porsche 911 ST built by Tuthills to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, to consider the question “was the 911 part of Germany’s peace offering after the war?” It led to great discussion with citizens who endured concentrated bombing through the Coventry Blitz, which wiped out the ancient cathedral.
We left with an exceptional view of the people of Coventry: it was an incredible day. When I later mused upon Britain’s equivalent cultural offering, I struggled a bit. It’s something I still wonder about – my current favourite answer is ‘The Beatles’.
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by John Glynn | Mar 15, 2013 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
An exciting design exhibition will grace North Carolina’s Museum of Art this Autumn. Twenty-plus Porsche cars will make up the museum’s first design exhibition, celebrating the “consistency of the Porsche esthetic over decades of engineering innovations”.
“Porsche has had a very distinctive look and way of building its cars,” says NCMA curator and former Petersen Museum director, Ken Gross. “The line of its first car – the 1938/39 Type 64 Berlin-Rom Racer which will be shown at the museum – can be seen sweeping through whole history of Porsche.”
The concept of a Porsche line comes up at every cars and coffee meeting I’ve ever been to. Accepted as the key to Porsche identity, kudos to North Carolina for stamping it with art approval. Porsche will support the event by shipping four cars from Stuttgart, with other cars coming from famous US collectors, including Chip Connor and Ralph Lauren. Chad McQueen will lend his dad’s 1600 Speedster, with a 904, 908 and 917 also on the list.
Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed opens on October 12 and runs to January 20, 2014. Pics courtesy of the NCMA.
by John Glynn | Feb 5, 2013 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
It’s about six weeks since I spent a day with Porsche Cars GB at the Silverstone Experience Centre. If you’ve never been there, the upstairs overlooking Silverstone’s Hangar Straight and the Porsche handling circuit is a great place to while away a few hours.
As soon as I got to Silverstone, I sailed upstairs and grabbed a coffee, then sat on the sofas to wait for the rest. On the table in front of me was a giant book I had never seen before. It was Porsche: Die Marke. Die Werbung. by company archivist, Dieter Landenberger.
Dieter had mentioned this book at our last meeting during Nurburgring 24, 2011. Standing at the top of the TUV Tower at 2am, eating ice cream and watching racing, Herr Landenberger told how his latest book examined all of Porsche’s advertising from the earliest days right to the present. Here was that book, and it was pretty special.
The whole thing is in German, which won’t upset the ardent Porsche fan. I’ve seen a lot of Porsche ads and images over my years as a fan, but there were loads in this book I had never seen before. I sat engrossed in it for almost an hour until someone pointed out it was time to get driving.
After the day, I searched the Internet for the book, finding only one copy online through an eBay store in America, but the postage was huge and the guy would not return my emails. I added the book to my Amazon wish list and set up a Google Alert but, five weeks later, there was still no sign. I decided to email the shop at the Porsche Museum.
It took a day to get a reply from Porsche but, yes, they had it in stock, and what was my address for postage? UPS came to €12, so with €50 for the book, it was worth getting sorted. The coolest thing was, I emailed the author (below) and asked him to sign it before despatch, which he was happy to do. Waiting for it to arrive now!
The Porsche Museum Shop couldn’t have been more helpful on email and over the phone. If you’re chasing something interesting, give them a shout and tell them I sent you!
by John Glynn | Nov 1, 2012 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
There’s just three days left to see the Porsche Museum’s Hanns Lohrer Porsche art and graphic design exhibition, which ends on November 4th.
For the last two months, the hub of historic Porsche has been exhibiting the works of Stuttgart painter and commercial graphic designer Hanns Lohrer (1912 – 1995). During the 1950s and ’60s, Lohrer played a pivotal role in the branding and visual appearance of Porsche, by showing not simply what was expected (the cars) but also the style and liftstyle which one might reasonable expect if the decision was made to purchase a Porsche sports car.
Hanns Lohrer Porsche Artist
The motorsport victory posters created by Lohrer at the end of every year to capture Porsche’s sporting successes make up one channel celebrated in this Lohrer Porsche exhibition. The Porsche Museum also shows sales brochure artwork by Lohrer. Visitors can view the red cover page of the 1958 356A catalogue, showing a woman’s hand wearing an elegant glove and handling the gear shift of a Porsche with gentle effortlessness.
Lohrer repeatedly utilised a poodle motif throughout his work for Stuttgart. Away from the prissy show dogs, real poodles are working dogs used in hunting: a pastime which which was close to Ferry Porsche’s heart. Poodles are famed for tough coats and endless stamina, which would no doubt have appealed to Ferry.
One poster shows a refined young lady with a poodle on its lead at the lower right, adding to the relevance of “powerful elegance guided with ease”. Another poster from 1960 uses a standard poodle, proclaiming “I too, prefer Porsche”. The exhibition pieces are supplemented by 30 original sketches and pictures showing Lohrer’s full range.
Hanns Lohrer led a graphic revolution at Porsche, and continues to inspire modern-day creatives. His Porsche work mixed an engaging brand message with accessible, fine art style. We should not underestimate the huge contribution this iconic imagery brought to Stuttgart’s marketing success: kudos to the Porsche museum for this great exhibition.
