PORSCHE

Ferdinand Porsche founded “Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH” in 1931, though the company did not initially build vehicles under its own name.  It wasn’t until 1945 that Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferry Porsche, designed the first vehicle to be sold as a Porsche – the 356.  The 356 had sleek bodywork and an air-cooled rear engine, features that would define Porsche for generations.  In 1964, with the 356 in need of a major redesign, Porsche introduced the 911.  Though it was new and improved in almost every way, the Porsche 911 carried with it the rear-engine design, rear-wheel drive, and smooth curves of the 356.  Today Porsche claims that even the transition from the 356 to the 911 reflects Porsche’s obsession with finesse and fine-tuning rather than radical change.  The Porsche 911 has become the company’s most iconic, best-selling vehicle, and in recent years has seen a resurgence in popularity.  In fact, Porsche has claimed that it has the highest profit per unit sold of any car company in the world.