Porsche Automuseum Pfeifhofer

Porsche Automuseum Pfeifhofer in Gmünd, Carinthia, Austria

Porsche Near Gmünd in 1944-1949

As the Porsche construction office had to move away from Stuttgart’s bombing raids, in 1944 a new location was set up near Gmünd in Carinthia (Gmünd in Kärnten), Austria. It was 320 miles/515 km from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The Porsche construction office started to work in wooden sheds of a former sawmill. During the difficult period, many projects not related to cars (tractors, cable pull for mountain skiers, mining winch etc.) were also carried out. In addition to different machinery, Gmünd is the birthplace of the Porsche type 360 Cisitalia Formula 1 car drawings, the 1948 Porsche 356/1 roadster prototype and the 356/2 coupes and convertibles.

Houses quickly built on Gries an der Lieser street in Gmünd using Heraklith wood-wool panels. Ferdinand Porsche, head designer Karl Rabe and others lived in these houses. © Porsche

The workshop and the auto body shop were housed here. Around 300 people worked for Porsche in Gmünd. © Porsche

1948 Gmünd. Exterior designer Erwin Komenda, Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche, 356 no.1. © Porsche

1948 Porsche 356/2 Gmünd coupé with aluminium body. © Porsche

In 2004 there was a wall with drawing showing what was here in the 1940s

Porsche shed outside of Gmünd, here in 2004© Stuttcars.com

In 2004 there was a wall with drawing showing what was here in the 1940s© Stuttcars.com

Gmünd

Gmünd was first mentioned in 1252. This nice quiet town has a few hotels for relaxing overnight stay.

Central square of the little town© Stuttcars.com

Porsche Museum in Gmünd

Helmut Pfeifhofer (born 1938) founded the Porsche museum in his hometown in 1982. Since 2001 the museum is managed by Helmut Pfeifhofer’s son Christoph Pfeifhofer, who is also racing Porsche cars.

The Pfeifhofer Porsche museum is open every day all year round. For information see auto-museum.at. When you are travelling to Gmünd to see the museum, you want to see the former location of the Porsche company. It is outside of Gmünd and you need to ask for the directions at the museum.

Helmut Pfeifhofer at his newly founded museum beside the aluminium 356/2 no. 20 built in Gmünd. © Automuseum Pfeifhofer

Image Gallery

Please note: the exhibits are in rotation with cars from Porsche museum in Stuttgart and with private collectors, so you never know which gems you will see once you get to the museum in Gmünd.