Bridgestone Porsche Celebrates 50 Years of the 911
Porsche Celebrates 50 Years of the 911
2013-02-13
Porsche Celebrates 50 Years of the 911

Few cars have been around for decades, but the 911 turns 50 this year, and Porsche has no intention of letting the occasion slip by unnoticed. You may regard the Porsche 911 as the epitome of the sportscar, or you may look at it as an antiquated design. But one way or another, you'll have to admit that Porsche has remained remarkably faithful to its ethos with the 911. But just how long has the 911 been around for? A whopping 50 years, if you can believe it.

Few cars have been around for decades, but the 911 turns 50 this year, and Porsche has no intention of letting the occasion slip by unnoticed. You may regard the Porsche 911 as the epitome of the sportscar, or you may look at it as an antiquated design. But one way or another, you'll have to admit that Porsche has remained remarkably faithful to its ethos with the 911. But just how long has the 911 been around for? A whopping 50 years, if you can believe it. Over the course of five decades, Porsche has sold more than 820,000 examples of the 911, and scored some 20,000 race victories. With each of the 7 generations of the breed, Porsche has perfected what started out as a rather odd design.

The first 911 arrived in 1963 with an air-cooled 2.0-liter flat-six packing just 130 horsepower and mated to a four-speed transmission at the very back of its frame. By now the engine has grown to 3.4 liters or more, with output levels starting at 345 hp, water-cooled, moved ever so slightly forward in the chassis and mated to a seven-speed transmission. To celebrate the semi-centennial of the iconic rear-engined sportscar, Porsche has a series of celebrations planned, from special exhibits at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart to a world tour to be undertaken by a 1967 model. Porsche being Porsche, we wouldn't be surprised to see a special edition 911 released, either.
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