| Ferdinand Porsche was an automobile engineer with | | | | The 911 became instantly recognizable: it had an |
| more than a thousand patents to his name, and | | | | attractive sloping bonnet reminiscent of the 356, |
| played an important role in the development of | | | | what later became characterized as "frog eye" |
| airplanes and the construction of tanks for the | | | | headlights, curves running from the top edge of the |
| Wehrmacht as well. In the 1920s he was appointed | | | | windscreen to the rear bumper, and a straight |
| chief engineer at Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and | | | | waistline. From a functional and technical point of |
| later set up his own engineering workshop. There he | | | | view it shared more in common with a BMW 1500, |
| designed, among other things, the Volkswagen. He | | | | but it retained the distinctive stylistic features of the |
| acted as chief of operations at the plant where the | | | | original Porsche. The new 911 became the keystone |
| Volkswagen was made, Wolfsburg, and at the end | | | | of Porsche's identity, even though the design was |
| of the war he was interned by the Allies. | | | | not always fully appreciated. During the 1970's and |
| He was released a few years later and immediately | | | | 1980's, many Porsche designers attempted to |
| went to work building his first car with his son, Ferry | | | | distance Porsche from its legendary design and nearly |
| Porsche. This car was named the Porsche 356, after | | | | brought the company to the edge of disaster. The |
| Ferry, and was a sports car with styling reminiscent | | | | more modern 924 model, "a people's Porsche", |
| of the Volkswagen. In fact it had the same | | | | developed with Volkswagen, as well as the 928 fell |
| four-cylinder boxer engine, and wore it rear-mounted, | | | | short fulfilling expectations, and failed to allow the |
| just as the VW did. This meant that it was far from | | | | company to branch out in new directions and styles. |
| being a powerful sports car, boasting a mere 40 bhp | | | | However, in the 1990's the company seemed to |
| and a maximum speed of 87 mph (140 km/h). | | | | realize that what some perceived as a stylistic |
| Distinguished by its elegant and innovative body, the | | | | straitjacket was in fact a market advantage. During |
| Porsche 356 was first produced as a convertible and | | | | this period Porsche embraced the timeless nature of |
| then as a hard top. Father and son developed it in | | | | classic styling to become highly profitable. Nearly |
| the workshop of Erwin Komenda, a master of | | | | forty people now worked in the design department |
| restrained streamlining who had been in charge of | | | | solely dedicated to further improvement of the long |
| sheet metal and design techniques for Ferdinand | | | | running 911. Such developments included the 911 GTI, |
| Porsche since the VW Beetle. This new style of | | | | put forward by the in-house designer Anthony R. |
| closed coupe designed by Komenda soon became | | | | Hatter as a powerful combination of sports and |
| the embodiment of the sports car, due in part to its | | | | racing car. In 1999, Porsche's chief designer proudly |
| "fastback". | | | | unveiled the new Boxster, enabling Porsche to |
| Erwin Komenda and Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, the | | | | establish a second independent range of successful |
| founder's grandson, continued this tradition with the | | | | models. |
| 911. | | | | |