Porsche Museum Preserves 910/8 Bergspyder
Porsche's 910/8 Bergspyder racer has remained in the same condition for 52 years, so why fix what isn't broken?
Preservation, Not Restoration
The legendary, lightweight 910/8 Bergspyder racer you see before you has, amazingly enough, remained in exactly this same condition for the last 52 years. So you can't really blame the Porsche Museum for working to preserve that patina, rather than performing a complete restoration on the car.
Photos: Porsche
Moment In Time
So don't expect the rusty hood, weathered paint, or worn seats to receive any sort of fancy treatment. Not even the worn out timing belt will be replaced. As Porsche says, they want to preserve what the 910/8 Bergspyder conveys: authenticity, originality, a stopped moment in time.
Photos: Porsche
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Preservation Job
"We do nothing to alter the condition," said Alexander Klein, Head of Vehicle Management at the Porsche Museum. "Any tinkering would destroy its unique originality. We have no intention of returning it to a ready-to-drive state. The Bergspyder has fulfilled its mission – it has already proven that it can drive and win."
Photos: Porsche
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One of a Kind
Those characteristics also make the 910/8 Bergspyder a rather unique addition to the Porsche Museum. In fact, it's the first time they've ever exhibited a classic car that's survived its entire racing career and has been completely unaltered ever since.
Photos: Porsche
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Quantum Shift
Only three of the roughly 640 Porsche racing vehicles in existence, in fact, have gone untouched since their retirement. But this particular approach signals a quantum change in the entire car community.
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Changing Times
"Attitudes towards classic cars and what to do with them have changed markedly in the past ten years," explained Achim Stejskal, Director of the Porsche Museum. "The focus is no longer just on restoring them to their original pristine condition."
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Automotive Conservationist
These days, it's all about preserving artifacts of automotive history as is. After all, a car can only be original once. And for Porsche, the 910/8 Bergspyder gave them the perfect chance to play automotive conservationist.
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Perfect Candidate
Porsche has been considering a project such as this for quite some time, and this particular car seemed like the perfect fit. It was last raced in 1967, after which it was drained of all fluids and moved to storage.
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Expert Matter
To ensure the car remains in this condition indefinitely, Porsche turned to Dr. Gundula Tutt, a preservationist and renowned expert on materials and paints. Tutt inspected the car carefully, cleaning it to avoid further deterioration.
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Tedious Process
It's a tedious process indeed, one that ends with a coating of gun oil for the mechanicals and wax coating on the bodywork. One day, perhaps someone will want to see the 910/8 Bergspyder run and drive again. But for now, it's being preserved for posterity.
Photos: Porsche
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