For Apple aficionados lamenting that the company never followed through on plans to build a car, Porsche has developed a consolation prize.
The carmaker has announced that it is to unveil a Porsche 963 with vintage Apple branding for round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in California on Sunday. Porsche said the design was to coincide with Apple's 50th anniversary.
The multicoloured version of the US technology company's logo will be displayed across the exterior of the car.
The project pays careful attention to Apple's corporate marketing history, employing the Motter Tektura typeface used by Apple in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Apple, along with several other technology companies at the time, used Motter Tektura to depict a bold vision for futuristic consumer technology.
The words “Apple Computer” can also be seen on the vehicle's wrap, a nod to the original name of the California company. It dropped “computer” from its official corporate filings and marketing shortly after introducing the iPhone in 2007.
Apple vice president Oliver Schusser reflected on Porsche's efforts. “We’ve enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Porsche, going back to 1980 when a Porsche race car first carried the Apple logo,” he said.
The initial collaboration sparked a shared vision for innovation and creativity in technology and transport, he said. “As Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’re proud to once again partner with Porsche on a design that pays tribute to that original 1980 livery,” he added.
Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche Motorsport vice president, said his company shared some similarities with Apple. “Both are icons that stand for innovation and continuous development by experts in Zuffenhausen, Weissach and Cupertino,” he said.
Although never officially confirmed by Apple, one of the worst-kept secrets in the technology industry over the past decade was that the company was looking to build its own car. Media reports were plentiful, as were job listings on Apple's website that sought workers familiar with self-driving technology and car engineering.
After several years and billions of dollars spent, however, Apple scrapped the endeavour in 2024 to focus on Vision Pro, the iPhone and artificial intelligence. It was a rare failure in what has otherwise been a major success streak for Apple.
The decision to scrap its plans for a car has not had a significant effect on Apple's financial success. After the announcement last month that Apple chief executive Tim Cook was to step down after 15 years at the helm, industry analysts said that, under his leadership, the company's market capitalisation grew from about $350 billion to $4 trillion.
The company's success under Mr Cook has caused many to forget the financial woes that plagued the company and pushed it to the brink of collapse in the mid-1990s.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997 and was eventually named chief executive amid the introduction of new products including the iMac, iPod and iPhone, which propelled profit and expansion. Amid its ups and downs over the past 50 years, the company has developed a loyal following – hardly an easy task in a fickle consumer technology market.
