The practical side of a Porsche
01/17/2015
45 years ago, Porsche made an effort to communicate the practical side of its sports cars. There were no really spacious models suitable for everyday use such as the Cayenne or Panamera at that time and the company still wanted to grow. The hard-boiled sports drivers were no longer enough as a target segment.
So the 911 was also advertised for families under the title "In a Porsche, you can leave more behind you than you think."
The text of the advertisement then explained in more detail what was meant by this:
" Many people only ever see the Porsche from one side. They see it as a car that, because of its speed and size, is an ideal automobile for bachelors who count driving among their hobbies.
Only very few people know, however, that in 67 out of 100 cases the woman next to a Porsche driver is the wife. And that far more than half of them have children.
So why do they drive a Porsche? Perhaps because it's roomier than you might expect from its aerodynamic bodywork. The driver and front passenger have an unusual amount of freedom of movement in the body-hugging individual seats. And they can also leave a lot behind them: On the two emergency seats there is enough space for the child, for the dog, or, if the backrests are folded down, for luggage that needs to be close at hand during the journey.
But perhaps they are also buying the Porsche for the reasons that make it the most successful sports car in the world: Because of its high-performance technology and reliability. And because it is also so suitable for everyday use, as if it were not a sports car at all."
Of course, they remained honest:
" Of course, the Porsche is still not a family sedan. Rather, it is a good example of how family and sports car can go hand in hand."
Comfort was also emphasized, for example in the headline: "A Porsche is more comfortable to drive than most cars you pass."
And the text of the advertisement then points out the comfort advantages of the 911:
"No driver is completely unaffected when a thoroughbred sports car passes by in the overtaking lane.
And some people imagine what it would be like if they could follow this car with more than just their eyes.
But then they console themselves with the fact that their own vehicle is certainly better sprung, more luxuriously equipped and easier to control than such a fast sled.
The Porsche proves that even this consolation is often just an illusion.
Its independent suspension, the resulting low unsprung masses and the exemplary suspension and damping characteristics give it not only superior road holding, but also impeccable suspension comfort.
Its equipment ranges from the sportily shaped reclining seats to the heated rear window.
And at least 95% of all Porsche drivers who use it exclusively for everyday city and touring traffic can confirm how handy, agile and easy it is to control.
The fact that the Porsche leaves so many other cars behind is therefore not just a question of speed."
Other advertising subjects emphasized, for example, that only 5% of Porsche drivers are racing drivers, while the rest are everyday users like you and me.
They were all beautifully photographed and designed, the Porsche advertisements of the time, and they certainly contributed to the fact that the 911 has remained one of the most popular sports cars of all time to this day.
You can see more car commercials in our picture magic series.
