On this day in 1948, the first Porsche was completed and registered as a legal street vehicle. The car was an immediate success, and quickly became a popular choice for luxury transportation. Let’s take a look back at the origins of this iconic brand and how history shaped the life and company of Ferdinand Porsche.
Ferdinand Porsche’s Start
Ferdinand Porsche began working in the automotive business in 1900 when he debuted an electric car at the World’s Fair in Paris. After becoming a full-time employee for Daimler, a German auto manufacturer, he founded his own company in 1931, which we know today as Porsche. He was already an experienced engineer by this time, having worked on various projects such as the Mercedes-Benz SSK and crafting some of the great Mercedes sports cars of the 1920s.
During the early years of Porsche, Ferdinand and his son would be commissioned to work on various projects for other companies but never built their own car. The company did, however, develop an excellent reputation for engineering. Hitler even famously commissioned them to design the famous Volkswagen Beetle, which would become one of the most recognizable cars ever made and would ironically become a symbol of the peace protests during the 1960s in the US.
In 1938, Porsche finally debuted their brand, the Porsche 64. The car was a success, but with the outbreak of World War II, production ground to a halt as the company shifted its focus to military vehicles.
After the War
After WW II Porsche was arrested by the Allies for a year on war crimes and his company was banned from operating in Germany. Ferdinand’s assets were confiscated by the French government and he was told that he was not welcome in Germany anymore.
So he and his son moved back to their homeland of Austria and set up shop there. Porsche recruited some fellow German refugees who had also been banned from working in their own country, and they continued to design cars.
This new car was to be built in small numbers and be the most technically advanced car of its time. It would have a small, lightweight frame and use an engine located in the rear.
The Porsche 356
The first Porsche 356-and the first car built by Porsche since the start of WW II-was hand-built by Ferdinand himself. It was a lightweight sports car that featured an aluminum body and an air-cooled engine. The engine was based on the Volkswagen design, but it was significantly enhanced for performance and racing.
Just as Porsche had envisioned, the car was as light and nimble as possible; only weighing a mere 695 kilograms (1,532 pounds).
The first 356 was registered on June 8th, 1948, and it would go on to become one of the most iconic sports cars ever made.
The 356 Effect
Over the years the 356 would evolve and change, but it always stayed true to Ferdinand’s original vision. Only 50 of the original hand-built cars were ever made, and they are now some of the most valuable Porsches in existence, with the most recent auction valued one at over $5 million.
In addition to the 356 being legendary by itself, it spawned the creation of other models which have become icons in their own right. These models include the Porsche 911, the Porsche 912, and the Porsche 914.
The last Porsche 356 was built in 1966, 18 years after the first model took the auto industry by storm, but the legacy of Ferdinand Porsche and his little sports car still lives on to this day.
