The Porsche Jump: the drive to keep pushing the boundaries

Always taking that extra step: Porsche has restaged the iconic photo of the 356 B from 1960 in Porsche Jump.

The Porsche Jump shows two-time Olympic ski champion Aksel Lund Svindal jumping over a Porsche Taycan parked between walls of snow as high as buildings.

The new version symbolises the mindset of the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer and indicates how Porsche interprets future viability – daring to try new things and boldly forging ahead, always trusting in itself to go that little bit further than others in order to discover the best solution.

“Aksel Lund Svindal and the Porsche Taycan represent the same values as Egon Zimmermann’s jump over the 356 did in 1960: athleticism, courage, joie de vivre – and of course with the most innovative sports car of its time. All of this is more important than ever for making a difference in the face of global competition,” says Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche AG.

The photo of the jump over the Porsche Taycan is a modern reinterpretation of the historic black and white photo and presents a proud look back on the company’s impressive history. “It is a great honour for me to be able to repeat this iconic jump with Porsche and to give meaning to the story behind the photo. It’s important to have the courage to try new things,” says Porsche brand ambassador Aksel Lund Svindal.

The new image featuring the brand’s first all-electric sports car adds authenticity to Porsche’s characteristic symbiosis of tradition and innovation. “With the new version we are continuing the story and building the bridge between yesterday, today and the innovations of tomorrow,” continues Meschke.

At Porsche, a deep understanding of sports performance together with the will to succeed have defined the mobility of the future from the very beginning. Seeking out competitive sporting challenges is an expression of the motivation to constantly improve through one’s own drive, while still preserving values and spirit. “The historic photo will always be celebrated and is part of Porsche’s DNA. It is our job to respect the past, embrace the present and help shape the future – I also feel that this is sustainable,” says Svindal, who hails from Norway.

“The image of the jump is also a metaphor for the risks you have to take in order to survive as a business. The Porsche Jump is a powerful symbol of the determination with which we at Porsche pursue our dreams,” adds Meschke, who is a keen skier and sports fan.

The jump as a symbol of the opportunity to develop further

With a total of two Olympic victories, five world championship titles and further successes in the World Cup, Svindal is one of the most successful ski racers of recent decades. Through his impressive sporting career, he has learned to approach challenges with an open mind and to always focus on his strengths. “You always have to keep going. In racing, I have to constantly question myself in order to improve – otherwise I’d quickly be overtaken,” the Porsche brand ambassador explains.

Focusing on one’s own development is something Svindal also recognises at Porsche. New ideas can help pave the way for the future. “If I want to race out front, I always have to take some risks, but I can’t get overconfident. That’s why it helps when people give me a different perspective on issues from time to time,” says Svindal, who has retired from professional skiing and now works with start-ups.

Aksel Lund Svindal, Porsche Brand Ambassador, 356 B, Taycan Turbo, 2021, Porsche AG
In recent years, Porsche has steadily expanded its investments in start-ups and venture capital funds. The investments in new business areas provide important impetus for pooling knowledge and innovative technology, as well as for working on completely new projects in the future. “At Porsche, we do not rest on our laurels. We always want to dare to take the decisive step and see challenges first and foremost as an opportunity for further development,” says Meschke. “That’s what drives us.”

The company is underlining its distinctive approach with the new Mission R sports car study. The new project marks the next bold step towards tangible innovative power and demonstrates the importance of motor racing as a platform for developing new technology. The study was recently presented to the public for the first time at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich.

Limited edition art print: The story behind The Porsche Jump

The Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer is the platform on which performance, passion and pioneering spirit become a unique experience. The Porsche Jump is also a tribute to the iconic original of photographer Hans Truöl and skier Egon Zimmermann, who jumped over the Ruby Red Porsche 356 B.

The black and white photo has the ironic subheading ‘On taking a shortcut’ and was taken after the Flexen Pass, near the Austrian ski resort of Zürs, was cleared of an avalanche. To mark the release of the new version, the Porsche Museum will design two high-grade art prints. The reproduction combines the historic image with the reinterpretation and will be available as a set from the Porsche Online Shop at the end of 2021.

The Porsche Jump also reveals some parallels on a sporting level: Svindal and Zimmermann were both Olympic champions in downhill skiing who wore the same competition number during their greatest sporting success. “I knew Egon personally and also feel connected to him because we both had the competition number seven when we won at the Olympics. It was my turn 54 years after his win, in 2018,” says Svindal.

The black and white photo ‘Der Sprung’ is probably the most famous work of Hans Truöl, who specialised in news reporting and winter sports photography. Truöl was born in Augsburg on 26 June, 1920 and died in 1981. Egon Zimmermann was born in Lech, Austria, on 8 February, 1939. A trained chef, he started skiing at the age of six and became world champion in the giant slalom in 1962. He followed that two years later with an Olympic victory in downhill skiing at the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck. Zimmermann passed away in his home town in 2019.

Christophorus issue 400: The Jump – as an artistic cover image

The 400th issue of the Porsche magazine Christophorus, out in September, is also devoted to the Porsche Jump. US designer Jeffrey Docherty has designed the cover of the anniversary issue with a graphic adaptation of the Jump photo. Inside, readers can learn how Docherty went about creating this and the various designs he tried out in the process.

The spectacular action of the Porsche Jump in the Austrian Alps is also presented in a special feature, and the 9:11 online video magazine offers a look behind the scenes too. The episode, which also appears in September, presents impressive and emotive film footage of the stunt and lets the protagonists have their say both in front of and behind the camera.

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