New book ‘Artifacts’ charts the history of Porsche through its archives

Porsche continues to ramp up its credibility as a brand with impeccable connections to the worlds of art and design, inviting collaborations and partnerships as well as stewarding its own rich past. Artifacts is part of that process, a new book created from the company’s Historic Archive in Zuffenhausen. 

The Porsche archive is unsurprisingly comprehensive and includes plenty of things you would expect – styling models, sketches, engineering drawings – as well as great swathes of more esoteric ephemera from across the company’s 75-year history of producing cars. 

Delve into Porsche history

Some of this is on display in the Porsche Museum – much more is squirrelled away and ripe for discovery. Overseen by ERG Media, which is also responsible for Porsche’s Type 7 Instagram page, Artifacts is presented as if it were an archaeological dig into industrial history.

With a nod to Porsche’s very first model, the book is 356 pages long, with photography throughout by Thomas Walk of ERG Media. Rather than simply scan or catalogue the collection, Walk and his team have opted for a moodier, more atmospheric approach, using strong lighting and fetishistic close-ups of items, whether they’re parts, prototypes or even tools used to shape the early cars. 

The photography is accompanied by a separate pull-out index that gives detail and context about each object, written by Type 7 editor Nat Twiss. The whole monograph is also lavishly presented in a package designed in collaboration with Andy Cruz of House Industries. The hardback book itself is sealed into a reproduction ‘archive box’, which is in turn wrapped in a faux design blueprint. 

Patina and heritage are an integral component of a car-maker’s story, and in this age of new brands and new names, the experienced players are making the most of their past riches. Artifacts is a fitting historic chronicle of a company that has always kept a weather eye on the past. 

Artifacts, available from ERG.media Porsche.com and select Porsche global centres

Type 7 Magazine, House Industries