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We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again that the Porsche is a model of style, class and performance. It is the best car to drive your family, be seen in at a high school reunion or just taking a long drive down the coast. The good people at the North Carolina Museum of Art decided to make the Porsche art.

They have taken classic, vintage and modern Porsche models and decided to put them in a modern art exhibit starting October 12 at their Raleigh, North Carolina location. These 22 Porsche models will definitely get plenty of eyes on them but they all come with a story as some of their owners are quite famous as the Porsche name.

Porsches on display here used to be owned by many famous names: Actor Steve McQueen (who is probably more famous for his driving skills in Mustang in the movie Bullitt), legendary musician Janis Joplin and fashion icon Ralph Lauren. These cars and many more from other owners were brought together for this exhibit by Ken Gross, former director of the famed Peterson Auto Gallery in Los Angeles.

Aside putting on this great exhibition, Mr. Gross himself is an auto enthusiast as well as an automotive writer. He was even able to bring in a little of the quirky past from the factory in Stuttgart, Germany. The Panamericana concept comes in on loan and it will give Porsche enthusiasts a little glimpse of what could have been.

The oldest model on display will be the 1938 Type 64 Berlin-Rom Racer. Several generations of the 911 from the 60’s, 70's, 80’s and the past decades will be there too. Racing Porsches like the 917, 935 will be off the track and on the museum floor. Plenty of prototypes, including the Panamericana are included. Last, and going with the art theme, a 1965 Type 356C Cabriolet has a custom paint that resembles the album art of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine.

This exhibit won’t be around for a while. You will see several generations of Porsche classics and prototype. If you believe the Porsche brand is all about the 911, you will change your tune after seeing this exhibit. The highlight maybe the Panamericana, which looks more like an off road buggy than a road car.

Image credit: Georg Schwalbach on Flickr