The name is instantly associated with ultra-performance sports cars, as well as more lately with almost equally-capable sedans and SUVs. But the fundamental fact is Porsche made that name, not to mention founded its fortune, on the slow, homely, uncomfortable, and dirt-reliable Volkswagen Beetle.
It’s true. Whether interstellar-styled racetrack warriors or interstate warp-speed wagons all spring from the humble people’s car designed and developed by Ferdinand Porsche, whose September 3, 1875 birthdate automobile buffs recall.
In fact, there is a Porsche influence in all the existing major German automobile brands, save one. The young Ferdinand made an industry impression with an electric-driven (motors in both front hubs) vehicle and was hired by Daimler. Which two decades later joined Benz to become Mercedes Benz.
Porsche soon after the merger from a falling-out with management over his ideas of a small, economical car; something M-B was not at all interested in. Soon Porsche was working for Auto Union, where he was a driving force so to speak in developing the magnificent, uncontrollable beasts which battled Mercedes for a glorious decade on grand prix circuits. Auto Union would remerge ultimately as today’s Audi.
War shut down everything un-military in Germany including a certain dictator’s plans for a ‘people’s car.’ The design and development was assigned to Porsche who produced a workable ‘volkswagen’ which was turned into a staff vehicle. After the war and while his father was in French prison, son Ferry began development of what became the 356, the first real Porsche.
But that real Porsche was built on standard or modified Volkswagen parts. Funded, too, as royalties on every first-generation Beetle made the Porsche family wealthy and their company able to develop sports and racing cars. By 1970 the company built on ‘Bugs’ was whipping fabled Ferrari at Le Mans, as seen in Steve McQueen’s movie of the same name.
Today Porsche is synonymous with high performance and high luxury, as well as high technology. That electric drive vehicle Ferdinand developed in the 19th Century has its own heirs in Porsche hybrids and e-cars. If not at the very top tier any more, Porsche racers are the backbone of some international sports car racing series. Ironically the company is owned by Audi, purchased as a personal triumph by a relative-by-marriage.
Porsche, Mercedez Bens, Audi, and of course Volkswagen; all to varying degrees the heirs to one a self-taught and motivated motoring genius. Only BMW among the great German marques somehow missed out on the master’s touch.