Porsche Panamericana

The Porsche Panamericana was produced in 1989 to celebrate Ferdinand Alexander Porsche's 80th birthday. The car was based upon the recently-released Porsche 964, in Carrera 4 guise, and was displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989 to display Porsche's new design direction.

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The Harm Lagaay-styled Panamericana was developed in the short space of six months, with the conversion work being completed by the Prototype Department at the Porsche factory in Weissach. The bodywork used many new materials and production processes, such as the use of carbon and plastic composites. Speedline were contracted to produce a unique three-spoke, three-piece alloy wheel design.

It was the bodystyling which got everybody talking, though. Following on from the 959, the wings were smoother and more streamlined than the standard 964's, and the car was fitted with capacious wheel arches, which allowed it to be used offroad if so desired. The car rode higher than the standard 964, and the roofline was completely different, due to the appearance of the next-generation 'Targa' roof, which could be covered with a pink fabric sheet and secured by a zip. The interior also got the concept car treatment, with the leather seats colour-matched to the bodywork.

Although Lagaay hoped that the Panamericana would enter a limited production run early in the 1990s, the Porsche management blanket was also applied to the Panamericana project, and hence it was stopped in its tracks, along with the 969 and 989. However, the design lessons learnt in the production of the Panamericana were utilised on the Porsche 993, and especially the Targa model, which benefitted from the full-length sunroof - albeit with a glass panel instead of pink fabric. The lights, front and rear, were aped on the Porsche Boxster and Porsche 996, and the carbon composite panels were used in Porsche's racing projects.

Reportedly, Ferdinand Porsche still has the car.