Porsche has managed to build a brand identity hard to equal in terms of speed and style. Economies may burst a tire or two into the potholes on the road, and Porsche cars will still sell like hot bread. Their consistent high sales are due, to some extent, to the company’s many cultural ramifications into films, video games, motorsport, and more. In addition, Porsche did not remain firmly stationed into the role of upper-class luxury acquisition. Rather, it rolled smoothly towards more budget or family-friendly adaptations.
Porsche Cars Forever
Emperors were still hiring the most brilliant engineers in the world to pimp their rides with the latest innovations in royal coaches. Young Ferdinand Porsche was in the service of coach-building firm Lohner in Vienna when he developed the concept of the electric motor. He created quite a buzz at the World Fair in Paris at the turn of the century.
The two world wars that followed did not disrupt the flow of inventions signed by the brilliant engineer. In WW1, he worked on aircraft engines and tractors. In the time of relative peace during the interbellum period, Porsche opened a vehicle consultation and development company in Stuttgart.
Spurred by Hitler’s populist party policies, Ferdinand Porsche would forever change the face of German car-making when he submitted his design in 1934 for the ‘people’s car’, the legendary Volkswagen Beetle. By now, the engineer’s high profile made him an asset for the Nazi. As a result, he and others were enlisted in the war effort to develop, among other killing machines, the Elefant tank destroyer.
When Ferdinand Porsche died in 1951, he transferred the reins of his design engineering firm in Stuttgart and the Porsche dealership in Salzburg over to his son, Ferry. An empire built on horsepower and status. The first business would later develop into the Porsche sports car company. The second would become Europe’s largest vehicle dealership.
The 1966 Porsche 911 – The Blueprint for Speed
A mere glimpse into the history of Porsche cars elicits flash memories of iconic images. The famous Stuttgart coat of arms, like any blue-blooded line breathing out heritage status and displaying an impressive genealogical tree, will forever draw its newer models on their predecessors.
The original Porsche 911 was the first crowned king of speed. Although 50 years have rolled by since it first hit the stride in 1966, this eye-catching star car of the sixties continues to be revered. Presently, the original Porsche 911 is no more than a collectible. However, it made our top three picks. Simply because it stands proudly at the start line of a long race for the Porsche brand.
The 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo (930) – How About Some Teeth-Pulling Torque?
The turbocharger introduced in 1973 with the Porsche 930 meant for the race tracks what Apple symbolized for the digital world – a revolution in speed. Supercars were now pulling their weight in such endurance races as the ones in Le Mans. The hot-running engines were hungry for power. Porsche offered a feast with 260 horsepower for the renamed Porsche 911 Turbo.
The 2011 911 GT2 RS – The Culmination of Porsche Engineering
No overstatement here. The GT2 RS moves from 0 to 60 miles/ hour in just 3,4 seconds. It also scores a top speed of 205 miles/hour. It may sacrifice a lot of weight in the name of aerodynamics. However, the GT2 RS ends up moving as swiftly as a gazelle on the race track. The stripped down interior and the liquid-cooled engine were radical changes for Porsche, but well worth it.
The many incarnations Porsche cars have known over the decades have made the luxe brand a symbol of chiseled engineering and one of the most enduring on the auto market.
