Before answering the question, let’s first set some ground rules and define what we mean by famous. We all know there are lots of famous Porsches. There is the Gmund No. 1 that started everything; the 917 Pink Pig (one of my personal favorites); any of the recent winning Spyders at Sebring and other races; the Porsche 959 (possibly the worlds first every day supercar), etc. etc. What we’re interested in are Porsches that have jumped from relative obscurity (known by a select group of Porsche lovers and aficionados) and landed squarely in the public eye.
Two cars come immediately to mind. It’s our opinion that for anyone over 50 years old (and for most Porschephiles) that the Porsche 550 Spyder (made famous by the crash that killed James Dean) would take top honors. For the younger generation, and the general population as a whole, the award just might go to the Porsche 928 made famous by none other than Tom Cruise in the movie Risky Business.
James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder
The Risky Business Porsche 928
When we originally ran this post we asked our readers what they thought. The poll has closed, but you can sitll voice your opinion in the comments at the end of this post below the results from the original poll.
View Comments (32)
Neither. The most famous one will be the Porsche 901 that will star in the movie made of Kevin Gosselin's book after Hollywood has purchased the movie-rights!
:-D
@Etienne,
I know Kevin hopes you are right!!!! It was a great book and I would love to see it on the big screen. :-)
Personally I would say the 911 S used by Steve McQueen in 24hr LeMans
I must agree that the Steve McQueen LeMans car is the most famous Porsche. Each and every Porsche dove-tails into the next. While many of the exotic and race Porsche are beyond the realistic dreams of everyman, the 911 is reachable to a large number of Porsche fans. McQueens' 911 in that movie epotomizes that reachable car. While that car isn't available to all but one, the 911 itself is available. It's iconic, but it can be had in some iteration.
dean's 550 epitomizes the Porsche mystique. I hope to be the guy who finds it, someday.
Canuck,
Not that I'm overly superstitious, but I'm not sure I would want that cursed and twisted lump in MY garage!
"Cursed and twisted" sounds like my minivan ...
In my opinion, it has to be the Turbo 3.6 that Will Smith and Martin Lawerence drove in the movie "Bad Boys". Will Smith is the greatest actor in histroy and the 911 (964) Turbo 3.6 is the last of the old school body stlye turbos.....and icon forever! You should add that car to your voting pole.
A tribute to Matt Drendel following his untimely passing
Yeah The Bad Boys Porsche would one of the best then I would have Steve McQueen's next then James Dean then the 928 from Risky Business also not forgetting the Porsche out of The Death Race movie.
Is would be from the movie "Bad Boys". Why it beat a cobra with the partner of Wil Smith at the wheel.
Clearly it's my 911 sitting in my garage right now.
I'll raise you one, it's my 911 that has been in my garages for 49 years!
Doesn't it need an engine to qualify?
Maybe not the most famous but the first Porsche I really watched in a movie and that motivated me to get a 912 35 years ago and more recently, a 928 (super car to drive with a sharklike appeal). It was the 356 Paul Newman drove in 'Harper' - a detective movie. Good movie. Good Actor. Good looking (albeit in primer partly) Porsche.
Re: survey. The 550 is by far the better known by my generation. The poll is probably skewed by the population sampled. And while the 550 Spyder would be very cool to own and have... if I could just have one as a driver, it would be the 928S. (or I somebody gave me a Spyder, sell it to afford several very interesting and fun to drive sports cars.