Porsche

Lore & Background

The origins of the company date to the 1930s, when Ferdinand Porsche founded Porsche with Adolf Rosenberger and Anton Piëch. In its early days, it was contracted by the German government to create a vehicle for the masses, which later became the Volkswagen Beetle. After World War II, Ferdinand was arrested for war crimes, and his son Ferry Porsche began building his own car, which resulted in the Porsche 356. In 2009, Porsche entered an agreement with Volkswagen to create an 'integrated working group' by merging the two companies' car manufacturing operations. By 2015, Porsche SE had a controlling interest in the Volkswagen Group.

Reader's Guide

Porsche's current lineup includes the 911, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne, and Taycan. The 911 was launched in 1964, an air-cooled, rear-engined sports car with a six-cylinder boxer engine. The 356 used components from the Volkswagen Beetle, including the engine case, transmission, and suspension parts. The company logo stems from the coat of arms of the Free People's State of Württemberg, with the arms of Stuttgart in the middle.

Did You Know?

• The Porsche 356 was first built in a small sawmill in Gmünd, Austria.
• The Porsche 64 was developed in 1939 using many components from the Beetle.
• During World War II, Porsche produced designs for heavy tanks, including the chassis for the Elefant tank destroyer.
• Ferdinand Porsche's biographer wrote that Porsche had thousands of people forcibly brought to work at its factories during the war.