Porsche Founder Dies at 88
30 March 1998
Professor Dr. Ing h.c. Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche Passes Away
STUTTGART, GERMANY, March 27 -- Porsche AG announced the
death of Professor Dr. "Ferry" Porsche, the founder of the sports car company
Porsche and the Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG. He
died today at the age of 88 in Zell am See, Austria.
Professor Porsche will be remembered for his entrepreneurial achievements
in the international automobile industry. Nearly 50 years ago in Gmund,
Austria, he conceived and built the first sports car named "Porsche." Under
his guidance and from very humble beginnings, the car company developed into
an internationally renowned enterprise.
"It was with great sadness we learned of the death today of Professor
Dr. Ferry Porsche," commented Frederick J. Schwab, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Porsche Cars North America, Inc., and Porsche Cars
Canada, Ltd.
"For his work on the development of the original Volkswagen Beetle as well
as the 16-cylinder Auto Union Grand Prix race cars and Porsche sports cars,
Professor Porsche played an important part in automotive history. His
leadership will be greatly missed at Porsche operations around the world."
Professor Porsche is survived by his sister, Louise Piech, four sons,
Ferdinand Alexander, Gerhard Anton, Wolfgang Heinz and Peter, and
10 grandchildren. He will be buried at Zell am See during a private ceremony.
An official memorial service will be held in Stuttgart at a later date.
Professor Dr. Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche (1909 - 1998)
The Life Story of Professor Dr. "Ferry" Porsche
Although the company of Dr. Ing. h.c.F Porsche AG was formed on April 25,
1931 as "designers and consultants for land, sea and air vehicles," it was
Professor Dr. Ferry Porsche, son of the automotive genius Professor Ferdinand
Porsche, who steered the company into becoming one of the world's leading
automotive engineering design companies and specialist manufacturer of sports
cars. From the time he designed the first Porsche, the Type 356 in 1948, it
was his personal involvement that made Porsche the great marque it is today.
When Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche, known as "Ferry," was born in Wiener
Neustadt, Austria, on September 19, 1909, his father was Technical Director of
the Austro-Daimler Company.
Never far away from the automotive work of his father, Ferry Porsche was
soon behind the wheel of a car and, by the age of twelve, was even permitted
to run in the class winning Targo Florio car, the lightweight Austro-Daimler
Sascha.
When the Porsche family moved to Stuttgart in 1923 for Professor Ferdinand
Porsche to become the Technical Director of Daimler-Benz, the south German
automotive center became Ferry Porsche's second home. It is there that he was
educated and met his wife, Dorothea, she remained his staunch companion until
her death in 1985, and was the mother of his four sons.
Ferry Porsche started working with his father when the latter formed his
independent design office. Their first contract, designated number 007 to
give the impression it was not their first project, was a 2-liter car for
Wanderer. The success of this car was later to lead the newly founded Auto
Union Company, which had incorporated Wanderer, to appoint Professor Porsche
as the designer of a new Grand Prix car to meet the new 750 kgs. maximum
weight formula.
The Auto Union was the most advanced pre-war racing car design concept.
It was of lightweight construction, featured a 16-cylinder super-charged
engine, with unique valve control mounted just behind the driver; an engine
position which is standard for all modern generation F1 cars. Ferry Porsche
played no small part in its design and construction. Less well known is the
fact Ferry Porsche conducted much of the initial test driving of the car until
his father declared one day, "I have enough drivers, but only one son."
One other car which the Porsche firm designed before World War II was to
have an important influence on both Ferry Porsche and the rest of the world.
It was, of course, the most produced car of all time: the Volkswagen Beetle.
The war itself cut deep into the life of the young automobile designer.
Transferred from demolished Stuttgart to the Carinthian town of Gmund in 1943,
Ferry Porsche and a few colleagues had to start again from scratch in 1945 by
keeping busy with repair jobs and the construction of simple farm machinery.
Meanwhile, the French held Ferry's father, Professor Ferdinand Porsche
until 1947, when Ferry Porsche's family managed to raise sufficient money from
new contracts in Italy to buy his freedom. One of these design projects
resulted in the Cisitalia Formula 1 race car, unveiled at the Turin Motor Show
that same year. It was the first race car with a midmounted engine and
four-wheel drive.
After that, Ferry Porsche decided to build his own sports car, effectively
the first "Porsche." He took out plans he made back in 1939 for a light,
compact car based on the Volkswagen, practically the only components available
in Germany at the time. Besides providing speedy acceleration, unmatched
braking and good road holding, an essential criterion was the car had to be
practical for everyday use. Its "marketing concept" adopted by Ferry Porsche
was, "If I build a car that gives me satisfaction, then there must be others
with the same sort of dreams who would be prepared to buy such a car."
The first car to bear the Porsche name, the Type 356, was delivered on
June 8, 1948. It boasted a tubular space frame chassis, an aluminum body and
a rear-mounted four-cylinder 1.131 cc VW engine. The following year, in order
to ensure continued production of the 356, Ferry Porsche negotiated a new
contract with the then head of Volkswagen, Heinz Nordoff, for the supply of
parts. Besides this, the contract appointed Dr. Ing h.c.F Porsche K.G. as
consultant engineer to VW, sole importer of VW's for Austria and recipient of
a royalty sum on every VW Beetle produced at Wolfsburg.
A total of fifty-two 356 cars were built at Gmund in Austria before the
company returned to Stuttgart. Production recommenced there in March 1950.
During the same year, Porsche began designing its own engine, the Carrera.
The 356 model, which was initially forecast to have a world sales potential of
500 units, was last produced in 1965 after over 78,000 cars had been built.
The policy of model longevity is continued today with the Porsche 911, which
enters its 35th year of production.
Professor Dr. Ferry Porsche was happy and grateful that his father
witnessed with approval, shortly before he died on January 30, 1951, the start
of Porsche as a specialist sports car manufacturer. Since 1948, decades of
hard, dedicated work were put in by him to further enhance the Porsche
product, which enjoyed a fine reputation from the beginning, by expanding
customer service and marketing, not to mention accelerating product
development through motor racing.
Since entering Le Mans in 1951 and achieving a class win, the name Porsche
has been synonymous with success in motor sport. Amongst its numerous
triumphs, Porsche has been crowned World Endurance Champion in sports car
racing 14 times and, since 1970, has won the Le Mans 24-hour race a record
15 times. The world famous Monte Carlo rally was won four times by Porsche
911s, and an experimental 4WD 911 Carrera won the 1984 Paris-Dakar desert race
first time out, the very first sports car ever to achieve this honor.
Subsequently in 1986, Porsche 959s finished first, second and sixth on their
debut outing in the event as well as becoming the first all-wheel drive racing
car to enter and win its class at Le Mans.
In all, Professor Dr. Ferry Porsche demanded a great deal from his
engineers, mechanics and drivers. He made courageous investments in new
developments and thereby founded the worldwide reputation of his firm as a
privately controlled, independent producer of technologically advanced sports
and racing cars for worldwide use.
In 1972, the year the Porsche family withdrew from active management of
the company, Weissach was opened. Today, Weissach is world famous as a site
for research and development, where 30%, of all work is undertaken on behalf
of other manufacturers, governments and NATO.
Back in 1965, Ferry Porsche was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the
Technical University of Vienna in recognition of his achievements in so many
branches of the automobile world. In 1984 on his 75th birthday he was awarded
the honorary title of 'Professor.'
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES: PROFESSOR DR. ING. H.C.F PORSCHE
(1909-1998)
1909 Ferdinand Porsche was born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria on September
19.
1931 Began his activities as a designer in the engineering consultancy of
his father, Dr. Ing h.c.F Porsche KG.
1932 Ferdinand Porsche's duties expanded to include supervision and
coordination of testing. Assisted with the design and development of
the Auto Union race car.
1934 Head of VW Testing
1935 Ferdinand Porsche became the Manager of the Research Department in the
newly established Porsche test plant, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
1935 Married Dorothea Reitz from Stuttgart (died 1985). They had four
sons.
1938 Head of Development Department. In same year the design studio moved
to a newly built building in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
1940 Took over the post of deputy director for the entire operation.
1945 Ferdinand Porsche headed the firm, moved to Gmund in Carinthian during
the war, and initiated development of the legendary Porsche 356, based
on the Volkswagen and the first car to carry the Porsche name.
1948 The first 356 was completed in June.
1949 After completing the first 52 cars of this 356 range, Ferdinand
Porsche with his company and most of his colleagues returned to
Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Rebuilding of the consultancy offices for
outside contracts took place.
1950 Production of the Porsche 356 began in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
1959 Professor Theodor Heuss presented the Grosse Verdiensstkreuz
(Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit) of the Federal Republic of
Germany to Ferdinand Porsche in September.
1965 The Technical University of Vienna honored Ferdinand Porsche in
November with the presentation of the title, Dr. techn. E.h.
1972 The Dr. Ing. h.c.F Porsche KG became a joint stock company (AG).
Dr. Ferdinand Porsche assumed the post of Chairman of the Supervisory
Board.
1975 Dr. Porsche received the Grosse Goldene Ehrenzeichen (Great Golden
Cross Of The Order Of The Order Of The Order Of the Order of Merit) of
the Republic of Austria in Vienna on January 31.
1979 On September 19, Lothar Spath, Prime Minister of Baden-Wurttemberg
presented Dr. Porsche with the Grosse Verdienstkreuz mit Stern (Knight
Commander's Cross) of the Bundesverdienstorden, on the occasion of his
70th birthday.
1984 A third of the entire Dr. Ing. h.c.F Porsche AG capital was offered to
the public in the form of non-voting preference shares on April 25.
On September 19, Dr. Ferry Porsche celebrated his 75th anniversary and
was awarded the honorary title of 'Professor.'
1985 The Guild of Motoring Writers Vice Presidents trophy for outstanding
achievements in the field of automobilism was won by Professor
Dr. Ferdinand Porsche.
Honor of "Senator E.h." by University of Stuttgart.
1990-
1998 Honorary President of Supervisory Board, Porsche AG.
SOURCE Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
