THE SKI JUMP PORSCHE

The Ski Jump Porsche

The famous Der Sprung 356 and the father and son duo who brought it back from the dead.

Though you probably wouldn’t know it on sight, it’s among the most famous Porsches of all time. Delivered new in 1960 to photographer Hans Truöl, it would be immortalised that very winter when he shot it parked in a canyon of snow, with Olympic skier Egon Zimmermann flying high above it in a photograph that would go on to be known as “Der Sprung”. A daring enough feat now, it would have been an absurd image to pull off in the days of film photography, rudimentary communications and predominantly wooden skis.

Throughout that period, Hans Truöl produced a whole range of photos with his Porsche and others, and Der Sprung wasn’t even the only example to feature one of his skiing pals whistling overhead. With time however, that one photograph would prove to be his most iconic. Among the people who’ve tried to reproduce it since are Porsche themselves in 2021. For their shoot they used a new Taycan and a museum-owned 356 in near identical specification to Truöl’s own. It wasn’t however, the same car.

Today, Truöl’s ruby red Porsche 356B Super 90 is in the care of Luigi Bosio and his father Francesco, where it shares a garage with an equally beautiful 1956 Porsche 356A in blue. “The car had ended up in the US,” explains Francesco. “We found and purchased it after a brief negotiation with European Collectibles in Costa Mesa, then we had to tackle all the less romantic aspects of bureaucracy to import the vehicle into Italy. The car had been painted white and the interior was in pretty bad condition.

It needed work, but the body was solid and the mechanics were complete. After two years of restoration, carried out or overseen directly by us, the car was returned to its original specification, just like the days when Hans Truöl photographed it. We made every effort to use parts and materials as close to the originals as possible, researching and sourcing from suppliers all over the world for both bodywork and interior.”

Alongside the “Hans Truöl” 1960 Porsche 356 Super 90, Luigi Bosio and his father Francesco also own an earlier Porsche, a blue 1956 356A.

The two cars side by side tell a fascinating story about how much the company was evolving in the period. Though only four years apart, production techniques improved significantly from one car to the other, which is evident in the more refined and production-optimised design of the 1960 example.

Like the Truöl car, Luigi and Francesco sourced the 356A from the US and spent two years restoring it to its original specification. The father and son pair are lifetime devotees to vintage cars and have had a number of Porsches, but the 356 duo remains the jewel of their collection.

“With both cars, the first thing you feel is the engine’s torque, they’re very enjoyable to drive in any condition” explains Francesco Bosio. “Compared to vehicles from the same period, both cars are remarkably comfortable. There’s a strong ergonomic and rational layout in the controls and instruments.

Certainly, the Super 90 is more fun and engaging in terms of engine and handling. We use them for the pleasure of driving on a Sunday morning when the weather permits and we also participate in classic car rallies. Sometimes, we even use them to go to work since they’re so practical and reliable for daily use.”