This is an original Porsche Design motorcycle helmet, it’s said to have been designed by Ferdinand Porsche himself and it was put into production by German helmet manufacturer Romer in in the late 1970s.
It’s important to note that Porsche Design and Porsche AG are two seperate companies, the former is an industrial design firm and the latter is the German automaker known around the world.
Here you can see two of Romer’s helmets from the early 1980s. The upper helmet is one of their own in-house designs and the lower helmet is the one designed by Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche at Porsche Design. Image courtesy of Romer.
Porsche Design was founded by Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche in 1972, he’s best remembered today as the designer of the Porsche 911 (originally the Porsche 901). Porsche Design was founded as an industrial design house that would focus on mostly non-automotive design, things like watches, sunglasses, pens, luggage, homewares, fashion, and there was even a Porsche Design Blackberry back in 2013.
There’s only a limited amount of information available online about the Porsche Design motorcycle helmet, this specific design appears to be the CP-3 model though there was also a CP-4 that looks rather similar.
These helmets were unusual in that the flip-up visor on the front of the helmet is completely internal – it has seven locking positions as it opens and it remains shielded by the outer shell of the helmet when raised.
The period advertising for the helmet touted its superior aerodynamics and its built-in vents which sucked in air at the chin bar and used aerodyanmic pressure to push their air through the helmet where it would exit via a top vent into the low pressure area above and behind the wearer’s head.
These helmets have now been out of production since the 1980s and as a result none of them are safe to wear while actually riding anymore. Helmet manufacturers explain that the EPS or expanded polystyrene impact absorbing layer inside the helmet degrades over time, and as a result it’s best to retire helmets after five years or so.
There can be no denying the distinct 1970s science fiction design cues of the helmet – this is what’s helped to make these Porsche Design helmets such popular display pieces.
These Porsche Design motorcycle helmets have now become popular display pieces due to their unusual and borderline science fiction style cues. The example you see here is now being offered by RM Sotheby’s as part of the White Collection.
It has a price guide of $350 – $450 USD and it’s finished in a red and white colorway with a lightly tinted visor in place. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images: Corey Escobar ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
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