Photo credit: Porsche, Wheelsage
In 1989, Ferry Porsche, the son of Ferdinand and the originator of the manufacturing adventure of the Stuttgart company, received this one-off car that even today, anyone would love to receive as a gift for his or her 80th birthday. Named “Panamericana” in celebration of the success of the Porsche 550 Spyder in the sports-car class of the 1954 Carrera, the car features several stylistic touches that evoked difficult terrain without losing its sporty character.
The open fendered body panels housed large 17-inch wheels which, just to underline the refinement at play here, were fitted with one-of-a-kind special tyres with the Porsche logo stamped in the tread pattern, and the fact that they were largely uncovered gave the car its unique character, while the roof featured the “double bubble” treatment made famous over the years by Zagato. The curious thing is that the car, which looks like a coupe, is actually a hybrid, and users could transform it into a coupe, a convertible, or a Targa giving great lightness to the whole. The dual separate rear grille is a magnificent detail, as is the reduced front section that makes it more streamlined.
However, it remained a unique example, inspiring later models such as the Targa version of the 993, with a similar roof opening and the 911 R (991), which featured the double bubble roofline. The mechanics were derived from the all-wheel drive Porsche 964 Carrera 4, as was the powertrain, a 250hp flat-6. Today it is proudly on display at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
