Alfredo Häberli, an acclaimed Swiss industrial designer, has collaborated with Porsche Center Zurich to create the fantastic 356 art car. The hand-painted Porsche 356 SC from 1964 was eventually auctioned off with the proceeds being donated to Kinderkrebshilfe Schweiz, a Swiss association that assists children with cancer.

The aim of the project was to set an example when it comes to support for art and culture in Switzerland. It also honours the tradition of craftsmanship in the making of car bodies. “We are delighted to present this extraordinary vehicle,” says Sascha Leardi, Managing Director of Porsche Center Zurich. “Alfredo Häberli’s art opens up many new lines of sight to design, performance, tradition, and art, and also of course to Porsche. It crystallizes lightness and perfection.”

Häberli painted the 356 SC together with his assistant Dominic Plüer. Roughly one kilogram of paint in three light shades was applied to around 80 percent of the car body’s surface. “I selected neutral colours in order to bring out this iconic Porsche’s language of form,” explains the artist. “The colour and structure of the brushstrokes highlight the 356’s lines in a classical, timeless, and poetic manner, but in a different way to an automotive paint job – in fact, like a sculpture.”

The result of this paintwork – a combination of art, craftsmanship, and sports car design – is entitled Das Gewicht der Leichtigkeit (The Weight of Lightness). Häberli pursues two main topics in his philosophy of design, namely precision and poetry. He has always been fascinated by the concept of lightness.

Alfredo Häberli x Porsche