Jürgen Barth interview

The legendary former Porsche racer and archivist talks to Total 911 about his 35-year Stuttgart career

It’s amazing to think that in the 1970s and 1980s, an employee in Porsche’s press department also happened to be a motorsport legend in his spare time. Yet that’s the reality for Jürgen Barth. During the week he was the man who helped present a new Porsche to the world’s press and who had a hand in creating the first Porsche Museum and archive facility. Then, on the weekend, Herr Barth would be off all around Europe, competing in some of the most renowned races for Porsche and other manufacturers. It might be a podium on Sunday, yet come Monday morning, Jürgen was back at his desk in Zuffenhausen. “It’s just the way it was,” he tells us.

Jürgen has done many extraordinary things in his career, yet he talks about them as if they’re quite ordinary. There’s plenty to talk about, too: Jurgen’s career at Porsche spanned more than 35 years, punctuated by considerable success both on and off the race track. The man himself sits down with Total 911 to look back and discuss some of those notable achievements from his remarkable career.

Total 911: You’ve done everything at Porsche, but where did you start in the business?

Jürgen Barth: At the time, Porsche was a small firm and when I started my apprenticeship, after my father died, it was Huschke von Hanstein who took over the fathership of me. After my apprenticeship, I went directly into the press department and there I was tasked with overseeing the presentation of new cars and testing the press cars. The press department was only six people at that time, so I was able to build up my experience. I also had to get all the cars that were parked in various garages or on farms, and start building up the first museum.