I accidently stumbled into the chamber of riches similar to what Ali Baba in the cave of the 40 thieves might have confronted. I had read many a times and knew regarding these riches but here they were – about 83 of them from a collection of over 400 automotive art lovingly made for the sole purpose of going fast and zip through the air.
German sports car Porsche had lined up an exclusive viewing of its cars which bore its logo and stamp. To me it seemed like a place to go worshipping at the pinnacle of high performance motoring but even more significant was the fact that it made the point that the name Porsche has been intrinsically linked to the development of the automobile right from its infant stage in initial few years of the last century!
I liked the thought behind the museum which according to Klaus Bischoff: “Porsche cars do not grow old. Instead, they become classics still suited in every respect for road use.” I think this holds true even for the company’s signature products. Most of the exhibits on display have been at one point or other used extensively the on various historic cars and retro sports car events.
Porsche expects to get around 200,000+ visitors annually to the museum and to help keep the number ticking, there are various Theme Islands in and around the extensive interior of the museum with small exhibits presenting a Porsche Idea zone and not surprisingly, these ideas focused on the very characteristics denoted by Porsche products: fast, light, clever, powerful, intense and consistent.
The other great thing which in my opinion would be a delight for the visitors and enthusiasts is that the cars are not mounted on high pedestal. One has the liberty to get up close and personal with them unlike in most of the conventional museums. This is indeed very much in sync with Porsche’s ethos – built for usage and therefore enjoyment. The art gallery sort of display allows you to not just admire the cars but also try and soak up the era and ambience around each exhibit as it would have been then. On this intricate detail there is nothing which comes closer to the manner in which the museum has been planned and built.
