At its base the fifty-two meter sculpture is just 12cm across. Its widest section contains six points holding six Porsches. Yes, real Porsches. You can see through the clear windows and into the interiors, and the underpinnings are visible from below. These are not hollow fiberglass display pieces, but artfully suspended real vehicles. Designed by Gerry Judah, who also designed the 50 Years of 911 sculpture in 2013, and all of the other Festival of Speed sculptures, the new piece greets fans as they enter the 2018 Festival of Speed.
The six points are split evenly between modern and historic Porsche models. The two highest points carry the Porsche 356 and 919 Hybrid Le Mans racer, the next echelon carries a Gulf-livery 917 and the 991 911R, and the lowest pair holds the 918 Spyder and 959 Dakar Racer. A compelling cross-section of notable Porsches which amazingly contains just one 911. The grouping ties the brand’s oil-weeping air-cooled past to its increasingly advanced hybrid future.
Seen from a distance the sculpture appears as one piece, its light coloring aiding in the illusion. When viewed under construction the achievement is even more impressive. The 52 meter sculpture is made of large, heavy-gauge pieces of steel welded together and finished, and each of the points bolts to a central hub which forms a central load bearing structure. Seen with workers for scale during its construction, the scope of the piece becomes even more impressive.
In terms of sheer height, this is among the most impressive Goodwood sculptures. From a curatorial standpoint, did they choose the featured cars correctly? What models would you have selected to represent 70 years of Porsche?