The new Porsche Experience Center in Carson, California came with a gate guard already residing on the premises. His unusual dimensions meant Porsche was going to need to take steps to get an appropriate uniform for him. Thankfully the folks at Stand 21 were able to help out. The Dijon, France based company is among the most renowned in the business of driver suits. While they pride themselves on catering to the needs of all racers, this gargantuan suit is likely unique in their history.
The Porsche Experience Center’s new employee is likely the largest in company history. At 25′ tall it’s unlikely that he will fit into any Porsche racer ever made. The gate guard has an extensive resume, and has been in advertising for some decades, including a stint as a Muffler Man, and later as a Golfer.
Stand 21 has been producing high quality fire suits for top level motor racing drivers for decades. Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet Sr. and Alain Prost have all worn Stand 21’s products. Like jockeys, professional racing driver’s are seldom known for cutting Bunyon-esque figures.
According to the folks at Stand 21, crafting this enormous suit was every bit as daunting as it appears. The suit required seventy hours of cutting, embroidery and assembly. The embroidery alone required more than one million stitches
Fitting the suit to the statue was a full day of work on its own, though the former muffler man does look splendid in full Porsche regalia. Stand 21’s products are designed to withstand the conditions of a racecar cockpit, and we suspect their craftsmanship will hold up just fine in the blazing California sun.
This new “employee” won’t be receiving a benefits package, though thanks to his new uniform he is much better dressed than the average statue. We’ve featured this former Muffler Man before, though the photos from Stand 21 of its creation were new to us.
