Anniversary Model
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche would have celebrated his 90th birthday on December 11, 2025. And to commemorate the occasion, Porsche AG is paying tribute to the designer responsible for the look and feel of the icon with a 911 anniversary model. We pay a visit to Zell am See, Austria.
With mountains, snow, and biting cold, the landscape surrounding Zell am See in the Salzburg region flaunts its wintery beauty this January morning. The Großglockner – at 3,798 meters, Austria’s tallest mountain – looks like it’s covered in a sugar glaze.
Heuberg estate:
The farm building and barn were left unused for quite some time. The estate will now house the Flat 6 Ranch.Is it a good idea to take out a brand-new 911 – the only one of its kind the world over – on such an icy morning when it hasn’t covered a single kilometer on its own axles? After all, it’s the first and, to date, only collector’s model based on the GT3 with Touring package (992) and developed in honor of the man responsible for the unmistakable design of the 901, later renamed the 911.
Fond memories:
Mark Porsche visits the setting of his childhood in the anniversary 911.Mark Philipp Porsche, the youngest son of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, doesn’t hesitate for even a moment. The Sport Classic wheels with a black satin finish and exclusive “GT3 90 F.A.P.” embossing have already been fitted with winter tires. The roads have been cleared of snow, and despite an overcast sky, visibility is good. “What could possibly go wrong?” he says with a laugh before calmly starting the engine with a familiar turning motion (no start button!) to the left of the steering wheel. The 375 kW (510 PS; 911 GT3 90 F. A. Porsche (WLTP)*: Fuel consumption combined: 13.8 – 13.7 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 312 – 310 g/km; CO₂ class: G) of the four-liter naturally aspirated engine immediately springs to life with a deep rumble. Mark Porsche shifts into gear, carefully maneuvers the priceless car through the open, somewhat narrow barn door, and embarks on the vehicle’s maiden voyage around the Heuberg estate with ease. He knows his way around, as he and his brothers, Ferdinand Oliver and Kai Alexander, grew up here.
A family anchor
His father, Ferdinand Alexander, often referred to as F. A., would have turned 90 last December, had he not died in 2012 at the age of 76. The designer with an extensive legacy didn’t leave behind a written biography, no authorized look back at his life.
Maiden voyage:
Despite all the snow and ice, Mark Porsche embarks on a tour of the family estate.All that remains are contemporaries, memories, locations, materials, colors, and his groundbreaking creations, of which the 911 is undoubtedly the most important. “It was the family who provided inspiration for the one-of-a-kind model to mark his 90th birthday,” says Porsche. “How would he configure a 911 today?” Through the Sonderwunsch program, an extraordinary one-off was developed for Mark Porsche. Porsche AG later used this homage as the foundation for a special offer limited to another 89 units.
Following its world premiere in December 2025, the first unit has come home to the Heuberg estate. The other 89 will be available for order starting in April 2026, and customers will have the opportunity to further tailor their personal anniversary vehicle during a unique product consultation in Zell am See with the Sonderwunsch team. An exclusive edition of the legendary Porsche Design Chronograph I and a special duffel bag are included in delivery.
Located above the Salzach River just outside Zell am See, the estate is of the utmost importance to the family. Even for Porsche – today a member of the Supervisory Board and Board of Directors of multiple companies in the Volkswagen Group – this location is more than just a historical property. It’s also an embodiment of childhood, nature, work, and retreat – an emotionally charged anchor in the family’s history. “My mother, Brigitte, often told my father, ‘This piece of land is the apple of your eye,’” says Mark Porsche. “He was very attached to it.”
Quiet and nature:
In the 1970s, F. A. Porsche and his family moved to the manor house on the Heuberg estate, which is located above Salzach Valley, not too far from Zell am See.This places the family’s legacy firmly in its historical context. Zell am See is a central location for the family, for Porsche Design, and for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche himself. The Porsche-Piëch family moved back to the Schüttgut estate in Zell am See not too far from Heuberg during the Second World War, and that’s where F. A. partly grew up with his brothers and cousins. And he returned to the area in 1974 with Porsche Design – two years earlier he had founded the company with his brother Hans-Peter in Stuttgart. The influence of his design language extended far beyond the automotive world. Nature, quiet, and distance from everyday industrial life were, for him, not an obstacle to design, but rather a requirement for it.
Reduction as a principle
F. A. Porsche was not a man of grand gestures and never considered design to be an end in itself. Form has to follow function; materials need to be honest; and details should only be introduced where it makes sense. The famous Porsche Junior, a sled whose design was inspired by his sons, is often cited as an example of that. An object that does without all the bells and whistles, and instead is based on a clear idea and versatility. The sled, too, was relaunched through the Sonderwunsch project, with 90 units in production.
As a father, F. A. Porsche was present, curious, and eager to explain. “Family was very important to him,” recalls the youngest of the three sons. Tinkering and improving things together were a part of everyday life. Nothing was left untouched; nothing was simply accepted just because that’s how it was.
Visionary:
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche would have been 90 years old today. He not only shaped brand history with the 911 and 904, but also established key trends throughout the world of design. His office (below) is just as he left it in 2012.
“He was always examining products, whether it was a lighter, a camera, or a pen, and wondering how to make them better.”
But at the Heuberg estate, F. A. was not first and foremost a designer, not an entrepreneur, but rather a family man. “During the week, he’d wear a suit or one of his go-to sports coats,” says Porsche. “And lederhosen on the weekend.” Then the avid hunter would go exploring in the forest with his sons and dog, “observing the landscape, animals, and changes.”
This connection to nature also shaped everyday life. Mark Porsche describes how he and his brothers spent much of their childhood at the estate, which was still used for farming at that time, fetching milk, feeding calves, and taking care of the pigs. His brother Kai was passionate about horses and western-style horseback riding.
The family ultimately made the decision to give up farming due to a lack of staff and a generational change among the estate managers. But the childhood memories remain.
A historical ranch
F. A. Porsche’s sons have spent the past two years or so revitalizing the former farm. The barn on the estate grounds has been completely renovated and carefully modernized using historical materials. One of the three former massive grain silos now serves as a stairwell that goes up through the different levels of the barn, which has been christened “Flat 6 Ranch” as a nod to the 911’s six-cylinder boxer engine and the passion for all things western of father and brother.
Open space:
With the Flat 6 Ranch, Mark Porsche has fulfilled the vision of a spectacular location.
Home, sweet home:
The 911 GT3 90 F. A. Porsche will join the family’s vehicle collection at the Flat 6 Ranch on the Heuberg estate.It now houses exhibition and conference rooms, a spacious lounge with bar in the former hayloft, and a large hall for the family’s vehicle collection, which can also be used for conferences thanks to a retractable gallery. The walls are full of Porsche memorability and items highlighting their father’s creative work. Today, the art collection serves as a private museum and meeting place inside the Porsche community. “We want to create an open space for exchange, family, and the brand,” explains the initiator.
And so the idea for the special 911 GT3 developed at a location that’s near and dear to the family, Zell am See. The Porsche Design office, which F. A. Porsche used until the end, has remained largely untouched. With sketches, models, and materials all around, it looks as if he had stepped out of the room only moments ago. It was here in this environment that dialogue on the one-of-a-kind model was initiated with the Zuffenhausen Sonderwunsch team.
It goes without saying that only a 911 could provide the basis for a car that pays tribute to F. A. Porsche. The aim was to create a vehicle that is not reminiscent of the past, but rather feels as if the designer had been involved himself. “It should be like it’s my father’s sports car,” explains Mark Porsche. “And ideally it would make you feel like you’re riding with him.”
The high standards were thus set for the special model – not only in terms of design, but also emotionally. What color would F. A. have chosen? What materials would have impressed him? What details would have been important to him – and which ones could he have done without?
The first impression:
Mark Porsche inspects the interior in Truffle Brown club leather in Walknappa quality, with his labradoodle Charly by his side.Details with character
One of the biggest challenges was developing a suitable shade of green. As the color of nature, calm, and retreat, green played a special role in F. A. Porsche’s life. But simply using a past color was not an option.
Loyal companion:
Even labradoodle Charly gets to enjoy the brief excursion with the Junior sled.A new, independent nuance was developed in collaboration with the experts from the Paint to Sample Plus program. A shade of green that preserves memories, but doesn’t feel nostalgic, and that fits in well with the Porsche color scheme. This was a time-consuming process requiring lots of samples, coordination, and discussion. Vehicles from F. A. Porsche’s private collection, including a 911 Carrera 3.2 Coupé of the G-Series with light-brown leather upholstery and a somewhat muted paint job in dark Brewster Green, also served as a source of inspiration.
A shade was developed over time that has never been used before, but still feels familiar, and was christened F. A. Green Metallic. It will be available as a new color tone through the Paint to Sample program in the future. “It’s similar to Oak Green,” explains Porsche. “But there’s more gold in it, which makes the color more vibrant.” Metallic colors highlight movement and change depending on the time of day, environment, and angle of light.
The materials used in the interior were selected with the same level of care. Mark Porsche describes his father as a humble person. “Status symbols were foreign to him. Quality, on the other hand, was simply a matter of course.” It’s fine for objects to age and develop patina and character. Flawless leather would have gone against the concept.
Instead, they went for Truffle Brown club leather in Walknappa quality, known for its soft and smooth surface, with textile accents – all surfaces that beg to be touched. The vehicle should also offer a tactile experience. Each point of contact – steering wheel, seats, and operating elements like the gearshift with a knob of open-pore walnut – was designed with attention to detail. The seat centers are made from a fabric with an “F. A. Grid-Weave” pattern, a tribute to the sports coats that the designer preferred to wear.
“We wanted to do something special for him,” says his son. Something that’s not only defined by exclusivity, but also an effort to live up to the spirit of F. A. Porsche.
Details:
The “ONE of 90” plaque on the dashboard will feature on each of the collector’s vehicles in the future. Additional highlights include the seat centers with “F. A. Grid-Weave” and an exclusive edition of the legendary Chronograph I.
The legacy
And after the morning drive, the 911 GT3 90 F. A. Porsche with the special plaque “ONE of 90” finds itself once again back at the historical site. With the 911, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche created so much more than just an extraordinarily successful automobile. He also established a principle that endures to this day: reduction over sensationalism, clarity over confusion, and a sense of responsibility for material, function, and person.
Winter-ready:
The rear-wheel-drive 911 GT3 90 F. A. Porsche knows how to flaunt its stuff even in the snow.The anniversary model celebrating his 90th birthday reveals just how topical this principle is today – and how timeless good design can be if it’s based on conviction. Or as Mark Porsche describes it: When a car makes you feel like you’re riding with your father.
