Ferdinand Porsche founded the company “Dr. Ingo. h. c. f Porsche GmbH" with Adolf Rosenberger and Anton Puech in the year 1931.
Their headquarters were located at Kronenstrasse 24 in the center of Stuttgart, Germany. Initially, the company only offered automotive development and consulting and did not build any cars under its own name. One of the first orders the new company received was a federal government commission to design a car for the people. This is how the word Volkswagen comes translated into German.
This resulted in the Volkswagen Beetle, one of the most successful automobile designs of all time. The Porsche 64 was developed in 1939 using many of the components from the Beetle.
The Volkswagen Beetle is a famous design that many don't know originated from the designs of the Porsche founder.
Porsche produced several heavy tank designs during the war. They lost to Henschel & Son in both contracts, ultimately resulting in the Tiger I and Tiger II designs. However, the chassis designed by Porsche for the Tiger I was used as the basis for the Elefant tank destroyer, of which 91 units were made.
At the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Volkswagen factory fell to the British. Ferdinand lost his post as CEO of Volkswagen, and Ivan Hirst, a major in the British Army, took over management of the plant, which he described as the savior of the Porsche brand.
During his father's 20-month imprisonment, Ferdinand Porsche's son, Ferry Porsche, had to lead the company through some of its most difficult days until his father's release in August 1947.
Next came the development of the 356, many people consider this to be the first made by Porsche as it was the first car this 'new' company had made.
Later, over the years, Porsche has grown and evolved into the company we know today. The Porsche 911 is one of their most influential designs that has become a staple in the automotive industry.
German cars are rich in history, some not that popular, but they have stood the test of time and become the respected brands we know today. At German Automotive Ltd. we are proud of our knowledge of German cars and how they work.