Ferdinand Porsche, a German, started his company in 1931 as a development and consulting company. They didn’t make their own cars yet, but they consulted for other automakers.
Ferdinand Porsche’s first assignment was from the German government (AKA: Adolf Hitler) in the mid 1930s to make Hitler’s ideal “Car of the people.” Hitler wanted this car to be something everyone would own. What Porsche designed—was the Volkswagen Beetle. That’s right. The icon of the hippies—peace and love—was Hitler’s concept of the perfect car for the populace that he controlled leading into WWII. Essentially, the original VW Beetle isn’t really a Volkswagen, it’s a Porsche. Just a year after the Beetle was built, WWII began. With projects like the Beetle pushed aside, Porsche developed the “Kübelwagen” which basically means “tub car.” It was a light military vehicle based heavily on the Beetle. Porsche also designed a couple tanks. As the war came to an end, Ferdinand Porsche was arrested for war crimes, but not tried. However, he was imprisoned for twenty months. During this time, his son, Ferry, successfully held the family company together. Ferry created the first car that was sold under the true Porsche brand. Most cars built by Porsche after WWII and into the 50s used Beetle components because parts were in short supply. Like most car companies, racing their automobiles created publicity and helped sales.
Ferry Porsche’s nephew, Ferdinand Piech was responsible for the iconic Porsche 911 model (1963). After working at Porsche, he worked for Audi and then later became Volkswagen chairman.
Volkswagen and Porsche have always had a close relationship. Today, Volkswagen owns controlling interest in Audi (German), Lamborghini (Italian), Bugatti (French), Porsche (German), and Ducati (Italian motorcycle company). As for the 911 model, they’ve never really changed. To me, all 911 models look exactly the same. Plus, the engine (like the original Beetle) is in the back of the car. Which means when you go around a corner, the rear end can fling out like a pendulum. And that can be fun... or terrifying. Porsche is an incredibly resilient company. With the 911, they’ve sold essentially the same car since 1963 and have remained a strong company with good sales. For many years, it was a family company involving Ferdinand Porsche, Ferry Porsche, and Ferdinand Piech. Even though they worked with the Nazi regime and invented the Beetle, I do have a deep respect for Porsche and their ability to survive a world war and still come out on top with a product that people want… and not to mention a successful racing history. I have grown to respect them as a company with an astonishing history that created iconic images and shaped cultures. While I’m not a fan of the Beetle, you have to commend the Hippie era of the 1960s for taking a Nazi car and turning it into a symbol of peace and love. I’m not sure Hitler would be too happy about that… and that’s success. One final note: the correct pronunciation is"Por-shuh." (Not "Porsh").
References:
Leffingwell, Randy. "Porsche: A History of Excellence." Motorbooks. 2011. Print.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLiberty White Archives
November 2017
Categories |