TORONTO: The Canadian International AutoShow is proud to announce that a feature attraction at this year’s show, scheduled for Feb. 16-25 at the downtown Metro Toronto Convention Centre, will be a major display of cars celebrating the “70 Years of Porsche.”
Said General Manager Jason Campbell: “Porsche is among the most iconic of automotive brands and the Canadian International AutoShow is thrilled to be able to tell their story, from the beginning in 1948 to the present.”
Although company founder Ferdinand Porsche started in business in Germany in 1931 doing automotive consulting and development, it wasn’t until 1948 that the first Porsche road car, the 356, was built. Spearheaded by the founder’s son, Ferry Porsche, who couldn’t find the sports car of his dreams, the 356 was constructed in an Austrian sawmill.
Porsche, like other European automakers of the day, used motor racing to both market their cars and to test them for reliability. The 550 was one of the most successful cars of that era, being driven to victory frequently by Formula One ace Hans Hermann. Its successor, the Porsche 718, started racing in 1957 and was as successful as the 550.
“We look forward to using this display to tell the story of Porsche from beginning to present,” said Marc Ouayoun, President & CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “The feature area will bring the evolution of Porsche over the past 70 years to life, host a selection of classic, historically significant Porsche models, and integrate memorable motorsport feats, highlighted by claiming overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans a record 19 times.”
However, Ouayoun said that Porsche is about looking forward as much as it is about looking back. “The company has developed a lightning quick battery charger that will power up its new, all-electric vehicle, based on the Mission E concept study, in as little as 20 minutes,” he said. “So we’re excited to be presenting a display that celebrates the history of Porsche, but also peeks at where the brand is going.”
The “70 Years of Porsche” will be on display on Level 100 of the North Building, just to the west of Auto Exotica in a space that was occupied last year by “50 Years of Formula One in Canada.”