At a glance
- Around 10,000 Porsche enthusiasts gather at Silverstone, the British racing circuit, for a two-day celebration of 75 years of Porsche in the UK, 75 years of Porsche Motorsport and 65 years of the Porsche Club of Great Britain.
- From one of the first UK-delivered 356 models to the 911 GT3 S/C and Cayenne Turbo Electric, displays across the vast grounds showcase the breadth of Porsche's history and innovation.
- Two exclusive UK-inspired models – the 911 GT3 Earls Court 51 Edition and Taycan Turbo S Soho House One – make their public debut.
- On-track demonstrations, iconic racing cars and Gerry Judah's striking six-car 911 sculpture help create a magical atmosphere at one of the largest Porsche gatherings ever held in Britain.
To celebrate 75 years of Porsche in the United Kingdom – an anniversary that coincides neatly with 75 years of Porsche Motorsport – the famous Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire was given over last weekend to one of the largest single-marque events the venue has ever seen. Created by Porsche Cars Great Britain with support from the country’s official owners’ club, the Icons of Porsche, Sunstede Silverstone Edition ran over two days, bringing more than 10,000 owners and enthusiasts from all of the UK and parts of Europe and North America to celebrate the brand in all its forms and all its disciplines.
Silverstone as the stage for a special anniversary
Sunstede is an ancient English term that describes the summer solstice, reflecting the fact that the festival was held on the longest day of the year. With some welcome British sunshine (and the occasional deluge) elevating long, light evenings, guests were treated to a busy schedule of events, with a series of on-track displays featuring some of Porsche’s most celebrated and influential racing cars, including the first ever 917, the Le Mans-winning 911 GT1-98 and the dominant and wildly technical 919 hybrid. Also appearing around the famous Silverstone circuit was the all-new 911 GT3 Cup racing car, ahead of its debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2027.
Celebrations for many attendees started with co-ordinated drives to Silverstone, from Porsche Centres across the country. Porsche-owning media and friends were invited to a morning of coffee, cars and conversation at the historic Bicester Motion, before driving together along some quintessential British B-roads to Silverstone.
From origins to the present day
The celebrations extended to all corners of the historic motorsport venue, with road cars enjoying equal billing. Illustrating the enduring appeal of Porsche in the UK were displays of models from across the generations. This included one of the first three examples of the 356 delivered to the country, revealed to the public for the first time at the Earls Court Motor Show in London in 1951. This special Porsche bookended a remarkable display of Zuffenhausen’s finest models from across the 20th and 21st centuries, from early examples of the 911, via the water-cooled 924, 944 and 928 models to the most recent high-performance offering from the GT department, the 911 GT3 S/C, and the cutting-edge Cayenne Turbo Electric.
Other crowd-pleasers included displays dedicated to the famous Pink Pig racing livery, complete with a series of Porsche tractors, and the installation of a famous sculpture by the artist Gerry Judah.
First seen at Goodwood during the annual Festival of Speed in 2023, the dramatic 21-metre-tall structure is now on permanent display outside the Porsche Experience Centre Silverstone and features six 911 cars ranging from a G-Series Targa, 964 and 993 Carrera to a 996 Turbo, 997 GT3 RS and a 991 GT3 Cup race car. As a reference to the UK’s Union Flag, the cars have all been painted in Guards Red, Carrara White and Bali Blue.
Porsche Cars Great Britain chose a variety of unexpected ways to mark its 75th anniversary, including partnering with high-end automotive magazine The Road Rat to produce a special edition themed around Porsche in the UK and its 75 years of motorsport. The limited-run 228-page magazine was revealed for the first time at the Sunstede Silverstone event – and even has its own official Porsche part number.
Exclusive public premieres with a distinctly British flavour
Another highlight of the weekend was the unveiling of two very special cars: The first is a limited-edition 911 GT3 with Touring Package, finished in Earlscourtgreen, a unique colour inspired by the Moor Green 356 first revealed to British buyers at the Earls Court Motor Show in London in 1951. Created through Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s Paint to Sample Plus programme, this striking metallic shade will be applied to just 51 examples of the 911 GT3 earls Court 51 Edition, which also features a two-tone Night Green and Chalk Beige leather interior.
Unveiled nearby was another unique model with a distinctly British flavour: the Taycan Turbo S Soho House One. Created by Porsche Sonderwunsch in partnership with Soho Home, the design and interiors division of the exclusive Soho House private members’ clubs, this Taycan is finished in Paint-to-Sample-Plus Greekstreetgreen, in homage to the green door of the original Soho House in Greek Street, London, and trimmed in heritage-inspired textiles and materials designed by Soho Home.
With these two exclusive new models, along with an array of owners’ cars from across the decades, Icons of Porsche, Sunstede Silverstone Edition helped tell the long and ongoing story of Porsche in the UK, celebrating its customers and fans and inspiring a new generation of enthusiasts to carry their passion forward.
A brand connecting generations
”The impact of the first Porsche models arriving in the UK in 1951 is hard to imagine – these diminutive 356 models must have seemed impossibly exotic” says Rory Lumsdon, PR Director Porsche Cars GB Ltd. “The excitement those first cars created has remained undimmed for three-quarters of a century – we Brits are united by our shared passion for Porsche. Sunstede was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate together.”
