What’s going on?
At the beginning of the 50’s Mexico fulfilled its part in the construction of the Pan-American Highwaywhose goal was to unite the entire American continent from the far south to the north.
The section of Mexico of said highway was of more than three thousand kilometers, so it is that the government in turn came up with the idea of celebrating that Mexico had fulfilled a great car race that would cross the entire countrythe 1st edition was carried out from the northern part of the country towards the southern border, and in the 1951 edition the direction from south to north was reversed.
We are in 1952!
The 356 Coupé #10 that did not finish and the 356 Cabriolet #11 that won in the Sport Category Under 1500cc in 1952
In the 3rd Edition, in 1952, all sports car brands were already present in it, since the challenge offered by competing and finishing it spoke of the resistance of the cars that participated in it and a small car manufacturer registered two vehicles, and I mean a Porsche that brought to Mexico a 365 Coupe marked with the number 10 and a 356 Cabriolet marked with the number 11. Both cars were supervised throughout the race by Herbert Linge -an extraordinary mechanic- who was in charge of running the cars during the race, car 10 did not finish, but car 11 managed to complete the grueling race and did so in the first place in its category -Sport Menor with engines of less than 1500 cc- and This is how Porsche’s long history of triumphs began, in fact ALL 911 versions with some special feature have carried the last name CARRERA remembering the triumph 70 years ago of the 356 S Cabriolet marked with the number 11 and driven by the Spanish prince Paulo Alfonso de Metternich and the Brazilian baron Manuel Antônio de Teffé.
back to 2022
Porsche and La Carrera Panamericana are closely related said the Director of Porsche Mexico and added: good part of Porsche’s successful history in motorsports began to take shape in Mexicothe Pan-American Race that for many experts was the most demanding road competition in the world in the 1950s.
To remember him, Porsche Latin America and Porsche de México commissioned Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur the customization of a unique car in the world, the 911 Carrera Panamericana Special, which was announced before the start of the 35th edition of the ‘Modern Era’ of the famous competition held year after year in Mexico since 1988 in rally format.
911 Carrera Panamericana Special
This based on a 2022 model 992 rear-wheel drive 911 Carrera S Cabriolet. The two most striking details on its exterior are the Graffiti Gray roof canvas and the white engine grill.
‟Graffiti Gray is not available for the roof of the 911 model, so we had to use the tarpaulin from the 718 Spyder model 982, making this “Sonderwunsch” the only 911 in the world with that color roof,” said Grant. Larson, director of Porsche Special Projects. ‟As for the engine grille, we tried to reinterpret the design used on the 1952 356 S Cabriolet and the intention to highlight the number 11 on that part of the car. We achieved this by turning this 911 into the only one in the world with a white grille and we also darkened the center rear brake lights to give the impression of being an 11, a number that we also painted black on the side doors framed in a circle. white, just like they were on the original car, with a special letter font that is also not on any other 911.”
A very striking detail on the exterior of this collector’s car are its 20-inch front and 21 rear Turbo-design wheels, whose inner drums and spokes are hand-painted in metallic Gentian Blue, while the central hubs are in gray. This combination not only matches the color of the body, but is reminiscent of the wheels of the 1952 356 S Cabriolet.. The brake calipers are enameled black and not the traditional red.
Another reference to the original car is found in the upper part of the windshield, where a decal with the name PORSCHE in white was placed on a black background, reminiscent of the one used by the Prince of Metternich and Baron Teffé on the lid of the car. the trunk of his car. On the upper part of the doors there are also decals with the current shield of La Carrera Panamericana, reminiscent of those of the National Automobile Association (ANA) that carried the 356 S Cabriolet.
Clean interior in gray tones
Inside the 911 Carrera Panamericana Special, its adaptable sports seats Plus (18 positions) stand out in Crayon Gray leather, with piping and the historic La Carrera Panamericana helmet embroidered on the headrests in Graphite Blue. The door panels are also covered in Crayon Gray. Matching Slate Gray is featured on the floor mats, dashboard and steering wheel, which features a Crayon Gray stripe across the top, a detail reminiscent of race cars. Another added element that provides a classy and classic look are the Crayon Gray cross stitching, which is visible on the seats and dashboard.
The inscription ‘911 Carrera S La Carrera Panamericana 1952’ appears on the right side of the dashboard, while the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur logo stamped in Graphite Blue stands out on the center armrest.
Other distinctive elements of this Porsche 911 Carrera Panamericana Special are the tachometer and the central clock that have white outer rings, the LED light projectors on the doors with the iconic design of the La Carrera Panamericana license plate (the same which carried the 356 S Cabriolet at the rear), and the illuminated door sills with the individualized inscription ‘911 Carrera S La Carrera Panamericana 1952’.
As a final touch, the key case in Slate Gray, side reinforcements in Crayon Gray, Slate Gray lanyard, decorative stitching in Crayon Gray and the vehicle key in Gentian Blue metallic with the laser engraving ‘La Carrera Panamericana’.
‟Porsche has such a rich history that you always have to play with it and remember it,” said Larson. ‟If you have a fantastic story, you have to use it. A clear example of this is what we have done with the 911 Carrera Panamericana Special”.
The Porsche 911 Carrera Panamericana Special will be auctioned in March 2023 with a starting price of close to five million pesos (MXN). Part of the money raised will go to a charitable foundation.
If you are a fan of Porsche and the Carrera Panamericana, let’s break the piggy bank!