Ferdinand Porsche

The Classicist: A Perfect Pictorial History of Porsche

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, The Classicist

"Porsche means looking at the world from a different angle. The fact that, unlike other cars, the ignition switch is located to the left of the steering wheel is just one indication that this company, these sports cars and this family are different from other automobile dynasties." Thus begins Generation Porsche, a brilliant new volume published by teNeues in the wake of the opening of the new Porsche Museum at Zuffenhausen's Porscheplatz in Stuttgart. The most comprehensive and best-designed pictorial history of the marque we've seen to date, it contains a brilliantly curated collection of artfully layered images, taking full advantage of the museum's archives and displays showing how three generations of the Porsche family have defined automobile history, and in particular the saga of the sports car. Until you can actually get over to Germany, this book is the next best thing.

The famed marque officially celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, but its history in fact goes back 110 years to 1900 and 24-year-old Ferdinand Porsche's visionary Lohner electric car concept, debuted at that year's World's Fair in Paris; that's where Generation Porsche kicks off. In merging the highest standards of design with advanced technology, Porsche has since become a byword for four-wheeled works of art, ranking among the most coveted cars in the world. As avid Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld puts it, "Driving a Porsche always gives you a futuristic feeling." The high-tech museum certainly conveys that. Construction began on the building, designed to be an architectural emblem of the Porsche brand, in October 2005, making history as the most spectacular building project ever undertaken by the company. In addition to 80 ever-changing exhibits, the museum also features workshops, a Porsche boutique, the Porsche archive, a restaurant, a café and event space.

Gallery: Generation Porsche

Meanwhile teNeues has published a second work entitled Porsche Icons, showcasing the influence and history of the legendary Type 64, one of the most mysterious yet influential car designs ever, which many consider to be the first true Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche established an independent engineering office in Stuttgart in 1931 and went on to make automotive history with pioneering developments in motorsports. Over the next several decades Porsche introduced innovative production models such as the 356, 911, 914, 924, 944, 928, the Boxster, the Cayenne, and, most recently, the four-door Panamera, while continuing its strong showing in the world's most important auto races. Check out the gallery for a preview of images from Generation Porsche.

Tags: Ferdinand Porsche, FerdinandPorsche, Germany, Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche Museum, Porsche911, PorscheMuseum, Stuttgart, teNeues

The Classicist: Celebrating Porsche's 60th Anniversary

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, The Classicist

In the past six decades, Porsche, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, has become the quintessential sports car, with unique and striking looks matched by superb engineering and performance. Porsche is both the smallest independent German automaker and the world's most profitable automaker. The first Porsche sports car was the legendary Type 356 "No. 1", which debuted in 1948, but the conceptual basis of the brand is the result of the lifelong work of Professor Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951), which was continued by his son Ferry (1909–1998).

Professor Porsche established an independent engineering office in Stuttgart in 1931 and went on to make automotive history with pioneering developments in motorsports. Over the next 60 years Porsche introduced innovative production models such as the 356, 911, 914, 924, 944, 928, the Boxster, the Cayenne, and, most recently, the four-door Panamera, while continuing its strong showing in the world's most important auto races.

In celebration of the 60 year milestone, Universe has published an impressive tribute titled Porsche: The Fine Art of the Sports Car. In merging the highest standards of design with advanced technology, the Porsche has become "a four-wheeled work of art," they note. The book plots a stunningly-photographed course through 48 Porsche models through the most recent innovations. Interwoven with the history of the Porsche's development are factors and events that influenced the evolution of the company.

Gallery: 60 Years of Porsche

These events were not always beneficial, but they all had a profound effect. Taken into account are the imprisonment of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche by the French during World War II, the development of the Volkswagen, the ever-changing rules of national and international racing associations, and "the marketing genius of people as far away from Stuttgart as Chicago." Porsche: The Fine Art of the Sports Car features over 380 pages of text and more than 250 incredible color and 120 historical black-and-white photographs, many drawn from the Porsche archives.

Meanwhile, Porsche's amazing new museum at Zuffenhausen's Porscheplatz in Stuttgart will open on January 31st. Construction began on the high-tech building in October 2005. The museum is designed to be "an architectural emblem of the Porsche brand" and to "make history as the most spectacular building project ever undertaken by the company." In addition to 80 ever-changing exhibits, the museum will also feature workshops, a Porsche boutique, the Porsche archive, a restaurant, a café and an event space.

Tags: Ferdinand Porsche, FerdinandPorsche, Germany, Porsche, Porsche Museum, PorscheMuseum, Stuttgart