The plan to produce a parade of 911 x 911s was almost immediately exceeded when Porsche announced celebrations for the 50th birthday of the 911. With registrations building hugely in the months leading up to the event, Porsche understood that the initial number was going to be surpassed by quite a margin. Eventually, the Porsche Club GB and Silverstone Classic organisations squeezed an incredible 1,208 examples of the 911 on to a packed circuit – creating a breathtaking sight in the process.
A parade of more than 1,200 Porsche 911 sports cars took to the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit - a world record number – as the Silverstone Classic celebrated the 50thanniversary of the iconic coupe. Mark Porsche, son of 911 designer, Ferdinand Alexander ‘Butzi’ Porsche, and great-grandson of the marque’s original founder, Ferdinand Porsche, got proceedings under way and he was joined by a number of the sports car manufacturer’s most successful racing drivers.
Former F1 driver and five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE joined in the occasion, along with Richard Attwood – winner of the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours for Porsche – and fellow race driver John Fitzpatrick. The parade comprised the most famous 911 models from past and present, including legendary Carrera, RS, RSR, GT, Speedster, Targa and Turbo variants. A number of distinctive race and rally versions of the 911 also featured in the cavalcade.
Mark Porsche said, “It’s been a family member over all the generations of the 911 series and I'm very proud to be here today to represent the Porsche family at this great event. I think that to have these 1,200 cars on track is the attention that the 911 deserves for its 50th birthday. I can’t thank the Porsche Club GB enough for making this event possible.”
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