TimeLine

 

1897:

The design of an electric motor for wheel hubs by Ferdinand Porsche lays the foundation for numerous other inventions.

 

1900:

The Lohner-Porsche Electric Car at the Paris Expo. The wheel hub motors devised by Ferdinand Porsche, then a young engineer and test driver, made the name Porsche famous worldwide

1907:
Ferdinand Porsche is a pioneer in the field of aviation engines. At Austro-Daimler he designs engines for airships and "aeroplanes."

1917:

Ferdinand Porsche becomes Director of Austro-Daimler and designs a large, six-cylinder car.

1923:

As Technical Director at Daimler in Stuttgart, Ferdinand Porsche develops the legendary/supercharged MercedesBenz SS and SSK sports cars, among others.

1931:

Ferdinand Porsche founded the Porsche Engineering Office in Stuttgart. He thus laid the foundations for Dr.Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AG today. First contract for the newlyfounded design offices was a six-cylinder car for Wanderer in Chemnitz (Porsche Type 7).

1933:

Commissioned by NSU, the Type 32 was designed, a predecessor of the Volkswagen.

1936:

Start on legendary first test runs for a prototype of the most-produced car in the world, the Volkswagen (Porsche Type 60), in the countryside around Stuttgart.

1938:
Under the direction of Ferdinand Porsche, the first assembly lines for Volkswagen are erected in Wolfsburg. The finishing touches have been put to the Type 60, which is ready for series production. But the Second World War got in the way. A jeep was created on the basis of the type 60. It was not until 1946 that the Volkswagen went into series production.

1939:

The Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, built under Ferdinand Porsche's direction, was finished in September but production of the Volkswagen (Porsche Type 60) could only begin after the war.

1948:
Under the direction of Ferry Porsche, a sports car is built in Gmünd based on Volkswagen parts: the 356. On June 8, 1948 the first sports car bearing the name Porsche is born. A roadster of light metal.
 

1949:

Production begins in Stuttgart, Germany; the car is called the 356 because it is the 356th project off the Porsche design desk.

1950s:

Porsche builds the 1.5L flat-12 supercharged Cisitalia racing car with driver-controlled four wheel drive.

1951:

The factory enters a light-weight 356 in the Le Mans 24 hours race. First two right hand drive Porsche 356s built and imported into Australia by Norman Hamilton.

1953:

The 550 mid-engined race car Spyder is created.

1958:

More than 25,000 356 Porsches from Zuffenhausen were sent around the world in the first ten years. Many of them are still running. A 1600 Coupe cost 12,700 marks at that time.

1961:

Work on a new Porsche with six-cylinder engine began behind closed doors. Body designer was Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, oldest son of Ferdinand Porsche Jr.

1963:

Porsche "901" (later renamed the "911" after a protest by Peugeot) is shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, 2L flat-6, air-cooled engine, 97kW at 6200rpm. The engine is later enlarged to 2.2L and 2.4L.
 

1964:

Porsche 911 production begins. The Type 904, designed by F. A. Porsche, anticipates many technical features which only later became common in race car construction. It was the first Porsche with a fiberglass body

1968:

Porsche wins the Targa Florio, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Rallye Monte Carlo.

1969:

The mid-engined sports car, VW Porsche 914, was launched on the world's markets in a marketing cooperative with the Volkswagen factory. It was joined by the Type 914/6 with 911 engine. Porsche captures the World Championship for Makes for the first time.

1970:

Porsche is always found at the front. Overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, World Champion for Makes again and a third victory for a 911 in the Rallye Monte Carlo.

1972:
The Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche KG is turned into a stock company. Weissach Development Center is ready for business.

1973:

New G-body 911 (e.g. larger bumpers), 2.7L flat-6 engine. A prototype 911-Turbo was shown at the Paris Motor Show.

1973/74:

Porsche 911 Turbo, 2.7L, 186kW, rear "whale-tail spoiler".

1974:
New 3.0L, 6.5:1 c.r., 0.8bar boost, turbo engine, 194kW at 5500rpm.

1975:

The 4-cylinder, water-cooled, front engined 924 is a new departure; later developed into the 944 and 968.

1976:

Porsche was the first manufacturer to offer standard, hotdip, galvanized bodies. The Porsche 924 with transaxle chassis arrived as successor to the VW Porsche 914. Porsche is World Champion for Makes again; a first time for the 935 trubo race sports car which dominates until 1981

1977:

3.3L, 7.0:1 c.r. Porsche 911, inter-cooled (1978), 224kW, 416Nm. (And in the front-engined layout... the V8, water-cooled 928.)

1978:

The new Type 928 becomes the first sports car chosen "Car of the Year."

1981:

The Type 944 extends the Porsche model range in this year The 911 Ferry Porsche Special edition was created to celebrate the firm's 50th anniversary.