1952

001. Porsche Club Westfalen e.V. 26/05/1952 (former Westfälischer Porsche Club Hohensyburg)
002. Porsche Club Berlin e.V. 25/09/1952

THE FIRST PORSCHE CLUB
On 26th of May 1952, Günter Heidemann, Hans F. Debner, Gustav Pardun, Alfred Göddert, Rolf Vormstein, Emil Handtke and Karl Wertz found the Westfälischer Porsche Club Hohensyburg, which goes on to become the Porsche Club Westfalen e.V., in the presence of publicity manager and legendary racing driver Baron Huschke von Hanstein. The spirit and purpose of the Club – as can be read in the Club’s founding articles – is “...to bring together all Porsche drivers in a spirit of friendship and camaraderie ...”

After Hohensyburg, more Porsche Clubs quickly spring up throughout West Germany. The Porsche Club Wiesbaden is founded in 1952. 25th of September 1952 sees the creation of the Porsche Stamm Berlin, followed by the associations of the Porsche Club Köln e.V., the Württembergischer Porsche Club e.V. and the Porsche Club Niedersachsen e.V.

1953

003. Porsche Club of Belgium 02/01/1953
004. Porsche Club Köln e.V. 10/02/1953
005. Württembergischer Porsche Club e.V. 20/07/1953
006. Porsche Club Niedersachsen e.V. 02/08/1953
007. Porsche Club Bern 11/12/1953

THE SWABIAN CLUB
Five years after the German currency reform, and just one year after the founding of the state of Baden-Württemberg, 19 Porsche fans gather together on 20th of July 1953 to establish the first Club at the company’s headquarters in the surroundings of the Württemberg Automobile Club.

From 1958 onwards, the Württemberg Porsche Club organises, in collaboration with the Austrian Porsche Club, the International Porsche Ski Gathering in Zürs am Arlberg. In the years that follow, this ski event becomes an annual get-together for the national and international Porsche Clubs.

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CLUB: PORSCHE CLUB BELGIUM
In 1953, the first Club outside of Germany is founded under the stewardship of the Porsche importer D’Ieteren. The international success story of the Porsche Clubs begins.

18 Porsche vehicles take part in the 20th Mille Miglia in 1953. In Le Mans, Helm Glöckler/Hans Herrmann and Richard von Frankenberg/Paul Frère claim a brilliant victory in their class.

In Germany, on 10th of May 1953, the Porsche Club Köln is the first Porsche association to stage a Club race on the south loop of the Nürburgring. The Club’s focus on motorsport attracts talented up-and-coming racing drivers. The best-known young talent is Wolfgang Count Berghe von Trips, who joins the Rhenish Porsche Club in 1954.

1954

008. Porsche Club Zürich 07/06/1954

THE ORIGINS IN SWITZERLAND
After the first Porsche 356 is presented in public at the Geneva Motor Show in 1949, club-like structures very quickly begin to form in the Swiss confederation. The first events organised by the Porsche Freunde Zürich include what is referred to as the memorial drive. At this time, 32 Porsche drivers drive to the town of Zell am See to visit the burial chapel for Professor Porsche, who died on 30 January 1951, and to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen to visit the Porsche factory.

1955

009. Porsche Owners Club 27/06/1955
010. Porsche Club of America 13/09/1955

PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA: “IT’S NOT JUST THE CARS, IT’S THE PEOPLE.”

For Porsche, the United States quickly emerges to become the most important export market thanks to the industrious importer Max Hoffman. By as early as the mid-1950s, almost half of the cars produced each year are sold overseas. The history of the Porsche Club of America is a success story in its own right. Initiated in 1955 by Porsche enthusiast Bill Sholar, a commercial graphic design artist from Washington, as a self-help group for carrying out repairs on Porsche vehicles, the Club quickly develops to become a large community outside of Washington as well. Today the Club comprises 147 regions with a total of 145,000 members and is thus the largest Porsche Club in the world.

The quality and size of the first Porsche Parade of the Porsche Club of America is impressive: 111 participants with 85 Porsche vehicles come together for this gathering. The American Porsche Parade quickly develops to become a highlight among the global Club events. To this day, it remains an established fixture of Porsche Club life in the United States.

1956

011. Porsche Club Wien 01/01/1956
012. Porsche Club Holland 28/04/1956

PORSCHE CLUB HOLLAND
The Netherlands can rightly be regarded as another European market with a particular love for the products manufactured in Zuffenhausen. As early as 28th of April 1956, enthusiasts found the Porsche Club Holland.

1957

013. Porsche Club Aachen e.V. 27/03/1957

In addition to the Porsche Club Niedersachsen, Köln and Berlin, the Porsche Club Aachen is now the sixth Club in Germany. Now in its 65th year of existence, the Club is still very active with a wide scope of events for its members.

In the middle of the 1957 motor racing season the Porsche 718/1500 RSK Spyder is unveiled.

1958

014. Porsche Club Nürnberg e.V. 15/09/1958

The Porsche Club Nürnberg is founded on 15th of September 1958.

As well as winning the titles of German champion in the sports car class in 1958 and European champion in the mountain rankings with Count Berghe von Trips, Porsche also comes runner-up in the sports car world championship.

From 1958, the 356 A 1600 GS Carrera de Luxe with 105 hp is available to purchase for the road driver who is used to good performance, and the 1600 GS Carrera GT with 115 hp is on offer for active sporty drivers. In the hands of private drivers with a love of motorsport such as Heini Walter, Paul Ernst Strähle and Sepp Greger, the GT is unbeatable in its class in mountain and long-distance races.

1959

015. Porsche Club Italia 01/10/1959

On 1st of October 1959, the Porsche Club Italia is founded in Milan, Italy “to allow people to come together to experience the Porsche brand”.

MERAN – ORIGIN OF THE INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS
Although the first gathering of Porsche Clubs takes place in Stuttgart in 1954, the Porsche gathering in the Italian town of Meran on 14th and 15th of May 1955 is often referred to as the first international Porsche event. These multinational gatherings have been designed to reinforce international relations, says company boss Ferry Porsche in describing their significance. An international 356 gathering took place in Meran in 2012 organized by the 356 Registry of Italy. A long-lived tradition.

1960

016. Porsche Club Solingen e. V. 02/02/1960
017. Porsche Club of South Africa 05/02/1960
018. Porsche Club Hessen e.V. 11/02/1960
019. Porsche Club Nürburgring e.V. 01/05/1960
020. Porsche Sport Club Zürich 25/11/1960

The Nürburgring. What is known as the “Green Hell”. The heart of German motor sports. The Porsche Club Nürburgring is one of the traditional Clubs among the Porsche Clubs in Germany due to its heritage and its activities involving the Nürburgring. In 2021 the Club celebrated its anniversary with a record on the Nürburgring track: more than 500 Porsche sports cars set a new record.

NÜRBURGRING TRIUMPH FOR PORSCHE IN 1960
It rains incessantly during the race. The start is delayed by 15 minutes. Joakim Bonnier and Count Berghe von Trips in a Porsche take the lead at the start, ahead of Jack Brabham, Cooper. Joakim Bonnier wins.

The Porsche success is completed by drivers Graham Hill, Hans Herrmann and Edgar Barth, who finish in places 4 to 6.

1961

021. Clubs Porsche de France 01/09/1961
022. Porsche Club Great Britain 01/09/1961
023. Club Porsche de France, Motorsport 20/09/1961
024. Porsche Club Berchtesgaden 06/11/1961

PORSCHE CLUB GREAT BRITAIN
The first step to founding a Porsche Club in Great Britain is taken by Arthur H. Sheffield. On 1st of September 1961, the British Porsche enthusiast takes out an advertisement in the British trade magazine Autosport. The title of the short advert “Calling Porsche Owners” gives details of a gathering of British Porsche drivers. However, only eight Porsche owners turn up at this first gathering. These owners agree that people who may have been interested in the Club had possibly not read this brief advertisement. So a second advertisement is then placed in Autosport magazine. This time, as well as 36 Porsche owners with their vehicles, 130 other people also attend the foundation meeting.

The Porsche Club Great Britain is today the largest Porsche Club organisation in Europe, with around 28,000 members. The Porsche Club Great Britain maintains close links with the factory. This is why they organise a visit to the factory twice a year.

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Porsche Club News Online
Carsten Horn
contact@porscheclubnews.com