| Well, not exactly. Porsche isn't one of the oldest | | | | was a developer of the most popular Mercedes |
| automakers in the world but they have certainly | | | | models in history, the SSK. His temperamental attitude |
| become on of the most prestigious and they have | | | | got him in trouble with the higher ups in Mercedes and |
| been for quite some time. So when did the company | | | | he was released for not agreeing with their |
| begin? | | | | philosophies on engineering. He went out on his own |
| Some would say that the story begins when Max | | | | and began a company he called Porsche A.G., which |
| Hoffman started importing the Porsche to the United | | | | was engineering and consulting firm based in Stuttgart. |
| States, of course that would be an American point of | | | | One of his key employees was his young son, Ferry |
| view. I say the story of Porsche begins with the birth | | | | who was highly interested in racing cars and sports. |
| of its founder, Ferdinand Porsche who was born to a | | | | While working for the forerunner of Audi, then known |
| tinsmith in the village of Haffersdorf, Germany in 1875. | | | | as Auto Union, they developed the Front, which was |
| Ferdinand showed his genius at an early age, wiring his | | | | the first front wheel drive car. Then they dazzled the |
| family's home for electricity at the age of eighteen. He | | | | company and the rest of the automotive world with |
| hadn't yet displayed the incredibly disciplined engineering | | | | their mid-engine Grand Prix racers and super charged |
| skills that he would eventually found a company on. | | | | V-12 and V-16 motors that won the majority of racing |
| Sometimes you will see the term "Doctor" added to his | | | | titles in Europe along with Mercedes for almost ten |
| name, although his only formal education in technical | | | | years. |
| engineering was as a part time student in Vienna, | | | | Many people don't realize that is was Ferdinand |
| Austria. | | | | Porsche who engineered the design that would |
| Seven years later, at 25, he had begun designing | | | | become the VW Beetle. He had created prototypes |
| automobiles with his first design accepted by a | | | | for NSU and Zundapp but became dissatisfied with |
| company in Vienna by the name of Lohner & Co. | | | | their not moving on to build the designs so he allowed |
| For the next two decades Ferdinand was an engineer | | | | the German government to buy the plans. Afterwards, |
| with all of the big players of the day in the German | | | | he directed the building of a factory to build the vehicle |
| automotive industry and was responsible for designing | | | | he called the Type 60, which became the Beetle. |
| at least a dozen of the most important vehicles in | | | | It was after WWII that Porsche began making vehicles |
| automotive history, at least from a technical standpoint. | | | | that carried his nameplate and made him a household |
| While working for the renowned Mercedes Benz, he | | | | name all over the world. |