Porsche cars are known for their luxury and speed. Many consider them to be the ultimate sports cars! Porsche AG is a German automobile manufacturer that specializes in high-performance sports cars, sedans, and SUVs. Here’s what you should know about Porsche and its history:

How It All Began

The Porsche company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche who was the chief engineer at Mercedes-Benz. In 1931 he incorporated a company in his own name. Back in 1900 he designed the first electric/gasoline hybrid. He would also work with Daimler, Volkswagen, Auto Union, and more throughout his 50-year career. The first Porsche was manufactured using machinery used to make the VW Bug.

The first Porsche released was the “Porsche 64” in 1939. During WWII, Porsche developed designs for heavy tanks, but was the chassis that was designed for the Tiger I that was used as the base for the Elefant tank destroyer. In 1948, Porsche’s son Ferry built the first Porsche sports car, the 356. It went into regular production in 1950 and had a rear-mounted, souped-up 40-horsepower Volkswagen engine and other parts sourced from random places. In 1954 a speedster version was introduced. In 1956 the 10,000th 356 rolled off the assembly line. Following the 356 would come the Porsche 911. The original 911 was based on the 356, but has come a long way since then.

Today the maximum power of the engine is 540-horsepower with 486-lb-foot torque. The Porsche 912 was a cheaper version of the 911 and was only in production from 1965 – 1969. In 1970 the 911 was replaced by the 912, a lower-priced, mid-engine sports car. During the mid-1950s Porsche would introduce its own engine The Porsche logo is based on the “Coat of Arms of the Free People State.” When Ferdinand Porsche died in 1951, the company was taken over by his son Ferry.

The Modern Years

In 1977, Porsche production surpassed the 300,000 mark. In 1982 Porsche Cars North America was established with its headquarters in Reno, Nevada. The 911 Cabriolet is introduced in 1983 and outsells the Targa. In 1986, the Porsche 944 is the first car to be sold in the US with both driver’s side and passenger side airbags as a standard feature. 1990 brought the all-wheel drive 911 Carrera 4 and rear-wheel drive 911 Carrera 2. In 1995 Porsche discontinued its front-engine models and the next year the one-millionth Porsche would be built.

Top-selling Models and Awards

Porsche automobiles have won numerous awards over the years. In 2018 just some of the awards won include: the Kelley Blue Book Resale Value: Luxury Brand, Automobile All-Star: 911 GTS, N.Y. Daily News Best Luxury Performance Car (911), Car and Driver Best 10 Cars (718 Cayman and 718 Boxster), and J.D. Power Total Ownership Experience Award. Some of the best-selling Porsche models of all-time include: the 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster (a collectible today), 2002 Porsche Boxster 986, and the 911. The one-millionth 911 was built in May of 2017.

Porsche has built automobiles that are popular year after year and only get better with time. They are fun to drive and fans of the cars remain loyal with each new release!