| Ferdinand Porsche played an important role in | | | | The 911 became easily recognizable: it had |
| the development of airplanes and racing cars, | | | | attractive sloping bonnet and what later |
| and the construction of tanks for the | | | | became characteristic "frog eye" headlights, |
| Wehrmacht. He is an automobile engineer with | | | | curves running from the top edge of the |
| more than a thousand patents to his name. He | | | | windscreen to the rear bumper and a straight |
| was appointed chief engineer at Mercedes-Benz | | | | waistline. From a functional and technical |
| in Stuttgart in the 1920s. Later on, he set | | | | point of view it was more like BMW 1500, |
| up his own engineering workshop and designed | | | | although it retained the stylistic features |
| among others the Volkswagen. At the plant | | | | of the original Porsche. The new 911 will |
| where Volkswagen was made, Wolfsburg, he was | | | | become the foundation stone of Porsche's |
| chief of operations and at the end of the war | | | | identity, even though the design was not |
| he was interned by the Allies.He was released | | | | always appreciated. During the 1970`s and |
| a few years later and started building his | | | | 1980`s, the designers attempts to distance |
| first car with his son, Ferry Porsche. The | | | | Porsche from its legendary design brought the |
| car was named the Porsche 356 and it was a | | | | company to the edge of disaster. The more |
| sports car and a reminiscent of the | | | | modern 924 model, "a people's Porsche", |
| Volkswagen. It had the same four-cylinder | | | | developed with Volkswagen, as well as the 928 |
| boxer engine that was rear-mounted, just like | | | | were far from fulfilling the expectations. |
| the VW. It was far from being a powerful | | | | |
| sports car, developing only 40 bhp and a | | | | In the 1990`s, the company realized that what |
| maximum speed of 87 mph (140 km/h). First | | | | for over twenty years was perceived as a |
| produced as a convertible and later as a hard | | | | straitjacket, it was in fact a |
| top it distinguished by the very elegant and | | | | marketadvantage. During the 1990`s, Porsche |
| innovative body. It was developed in | | | | became highly profitable since they now knew |
| theworkshop of Erwin Komenda, a master of | | | | that the typical Porsche features were |
| restrained streamlining who had been in | | | | timeless. Nearly forty people now worked in |
| charge of sheet metal and design techniques | | | | the design department on further developments |
| at Porsche since the VW Beetle. The new stle | | | | of the long-running 911. These developments |
| of closed coupe was designed by Komenda and | | | | included the 911 GTI, a powerful |
| it soon became the embodiment of the sports | | | | combinationof sports and racing car, put |
| car, thanks to its fastback. | | | | forward by the in-house designer Anthony R. |
| | | | Hatter. In 1999, chief designer proudly |
| This tradition was continued by Komenda and | | | | presented the new Boxster which enabled |
| Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, the founder's | | | | Porshe to establish a second independent |
| grandson, with the 911. | | | | range of models. |
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