Dr. Wolfgang Porsche Wants to Build a Private Tunnel to His Historic Villa

Quarter mile long private tunnel would be used to transport Porsches to and from the home, but the locals are not happy about it.

is the grandson of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, the man who founded the company that bears his name. Wolfgang is the youngest son of Ferry Porsche, who created the the 356 and is considered the father of  the 911.

With that kind of family pedigree, it is no surprise that Wolfgang would eventually become Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG. It is also no surprise that he is extremely wealthy with a net worth north of one billion dollars.

So, combine that wealth with the Porsche family history and you get a man that wants to go to extreme measures to ensure he can enjoy his Porsche cars at his Austrian mansion. How extreme? He wants to build a private tunnel that would be used exclusively to transport his cars.

Admit it, if you had the means, you would try to do the same thing, right? However, according to a report by German news outlet Manager Magazin the plan to build this private tunnel is not going over well with the locals. Wolfgang has technically cleared all the legal hurdles to build his special tunnel and associated parking garage. But some argue that he was given preferential treatment because of his wealth.

Stefan Zweig Villa

Wolfgang Porsche purchased Stefan Zweig Villa in October of 2020 for 8.4 million euros. The villa got its name from the Austrian writer who lived there from 1919 to 1934.

The historic villa, located on the Kapuzinerberg Mountain in Salzburg, Austria is beautiful. However, the only way to access it is via a driveway that is often icy in the winter. So, Wolfgang wants to build a 500 meter (1,640 feet) private tunnel through the mountain to transport his Porsches safely. At the end of the tunnel will be a private parking garage for 9 cars. From that garage a footpath tunnel will allow you to walk to the villa.

Concerns

The proposed parking garage space and entrance to the tunnel belong to the city of Salzburg. However, last year, Porsche paid a one-time fee of 40,000 euros (about $41,600 at current exchange rate) for the right of entry.

This was approved at the time by the former mayor of Salzburg, Harald Preuner. The Citizens’ List party claims that Preuner gave his consent without informing the local council. They also feel the fee was inadequate and proves that the wealthy get special treatment.

Private Tunnel

Despite the criticism, there does not appear to be any legal roadblocks to completing this project, so it will most likely be built as planned.

Putting the politics of it all aside for a moment, what a fantastic way to ensure the safe passage of some special automobiles. Who would not want a private tunnel, and a garage carved into a mountain? We would love to see some pictures of the completed project.

Photos: Porsche; Salzburger Nachrichten/Robert Ratzer

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.