Porsche Apologises After Uproar Over Removal Of Christ Statue From Sports Car Ad

Luxury car brand Porsche is facing criticism online for an advertisement it released an advertisement to celebrate 60 years of Porsche 911 that apparently removed a famous statue of Jesus Christ called Cristo Rei. It overlooks the city of Lisbon, Portugal. The company has apologised saying the landmark statue was mistakenly removed and told Fox Business that the clip has been replaced with a new version. The campaign was launched last week to honour six decades of "very fast years" for Porsche 911.

The original video showed vintage and newer models of the company's legendary car cruising through the mountains. According to New York Post, at the 44-second mark in the two-and-a-half-minute ad, a Porsche 911 was seen driving against the backdrop of the bridge and river that the Cristo Rei overlooks, but the 92-feet-tall statue of Jesus was absent.

However, the concrete pedestal on which it stands, was visible. The mistake drew attention of eagle-eyed viewers who posted about it on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the apparent edit went viral.

Hey, @Porsche , why did you erase the statue of Jesus Christ from your video filmed in Lisbon? pic.twitter.com/VxcfUBrN8D

— Alex B. (@maisumcarneiro) August 5, 2023

After the uproar online, the German car manufacturer apologised calling it a "mistake" and uploaded a version of the video on YouTube that includes the full statue.

"In an early version of a film created in Europe, the Cristo Rei Statue does not appear. We are truly sorry and can fully understand the hurt this has caused. This film has been removed," the company told Fox Business.

The Jesus Christ statue overlooks the Targus River that divides the Portuguese cities of Almada and Lisbon. The arms of the statue are outstretched, just like Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The monument was completed in 1959 to express gratitude for Portugal being spared from the destruction of World War II due to its neutrality in the conflict, the Post said in its report.