Porsche 1948 to 1989

In an age when most of its competitors have been absorbed into larger manufacturers, Porsche remains a staunchly — and profitably — independent maker of high-performance sportscars. The Porsche name has become synonymous with sports cars and racecars because that is what company founders Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferdinand (“Ferry”) set out to build when they first set up shop with 200 workers in 1948.

The senior Porsche, whose engineering experience included Daimler-Benz, established an independent design and engineering firm in 1931 and designed the Volkswagen Beetle. He brought a half-century of experience with innovation, from a turn-of-the-century four-wheel drive gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle to the virtually unbeatable Auto Union Grand Prix cars of the 1930s.

The younger Porsche helped grow the new company and was instrumental in designing the first Porsche sportscar, the 356. Though sporting just 40 horsepower from a rear-mounted, slightly souped-up Beetle engine, the first Porsche quickly made its mark with agile handling, as well as attributes almost unknown among sportscars of the day — comfort and reliability.

Porsche introduced its own engines in the mid-1950s, along with more powerful versions of the 356. After the 356 came a true legend among modern automobiles, the Porsche 911. Ahead of its time when introduced in 1964, the rear-engine 911 evolved over three decades when Porsche introduced a completely new 911 Carrera for 1999. The lineage includes 911 S (1967), the 911 Turbo (1974 [1976 in the U.S.]), the first 911 Cabriolet (1983) and the first all-wheel drive 911 Carrera 4 (1990).

Porsche introduced a series of front-engine models in the 1970s, starting with the four-cylinder 924 (1976) and the unrelated 928 powered by the company’s first V-8 engine (1978). From the 924 sprang the more powerful and sophisticated 944 and 944 Turbo, and finally the 968 in the early ‘90s. Porsche retired both the 968 and 928 in 1995 to focus on development of the rear-engine 911 and mid-engine Boxster.

Porsche is also synonymous with racing, and Porsche cars began competing almost immediately. To date, Porsche cars have won an estimated 24,000 auto races around the world, including more than 50 class wins at Le Mans.

A Humble Beginning (1948-1954)

1948
Porsche introduces the aerodynamic “356,” named for its design project number. Through 1949, the company hand-builds the first 52 cars in a small garage in Gmund, Austria.

 

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1950
Porsche leases space in the Reutter body factory in Zuffenhausen, a Stuttgart suburb. Reutter builds bodies for the 356 and production reaches 369 for the year. Sportscar enthusiasts take notice of the lightweight, quick-handling 356. In New York, importer Max Hoffman places the first North American order for Porsches.

 

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1951
Ferdinand Porsche dies. Horsepower for the 356 jumps to 60.

 

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1953
550 Spyder road/race model proves a “giant killer” among larger, more powerful cars from Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati and Aston-Martin.

 

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1954
Speedster model introduced as low-priced, “stripped-down” version of 356. Today the 1954-1957 Speedsters are among the most sought-after Porsches by collectors.

Growth and Success (1956-1963)

1956
10,000^th Porsche built. Top performance road car is 100-hp Carrera.

 

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1958
10,000^th 356 built. Porsche outsources body production as demand grows.

 

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1962
Porsche establishes independent distribution network in Europe.

 

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1963
Successor to the 356 first shown — the 911 powered by an all-new 2.0-liter, 130-hp six-cylinder engine. Porsche takes over its former body subcontractor, Reuter and establishes its own distribution network in the United States. Worldwide annual production surpasses 11,000.

A Sportscar Legend (1964-1972)

1964
911 production begins and the new model is an instant hit. US price: $5,500.

 

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1965
10,000^th356 production ends after 17 years and 77,361 built. Porsche quickly responds to demand for new entry model with the 912 — the 911 body with the former 356 four-cylinder engine. US price: $4,000.

 

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1966-1970
Porsche expands the 911 range quickly, adding an innovative Targa with removable roof panel (1966), Sportomatic semi-automatic transmission (1967), the high-performance 911 S (1967), a lower-priced 911 T (1968), fuel injection (1969) and larger engines (1970).

 

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1969
Production passes the 14,000 mark. Porsche enlarges the Zuffenhausen factory with a new multistory assembly operation.

 

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1970
Porsche replaces the 912 with the 914, a lower-priced, mid-engine sportscar. The 914 offers either a Volkswagen four-cylinder engine or a Porsche six-cylinder engine (914/6).

 

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1972
Porsche opens its Research and Development Center in Weissach, Germany. Ferry Porsche becomes chairman of the supervisory board of Porsche AG.

Brave New World (1975-1989)

1975
Porsche introduces 911 Turbo supercar in North America as a 1976 model. The 911 Turbo combines exotic car performance with luxury and everyday usability.

 

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1976
Porsche replaces the 914 with the 924, a front-engine sports coupe. The car is powered by an Audi engine and built by Audi and features a rear transaxle for optimal weight distribution. Porsche becomes the first carmaker in the world to heat-galvanize steel car bodies, and Porsche cars come with a six-year guarantee against rust.

 

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1977
Total Porsche production to date passes 300,000.

 

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1978
Porsche introduces the 928. It is radically different from the 911 and features a front-mounted, liquid-cooled 240-horsepower V-8 engine. The 911 becomes the 911 SC, featuring a 3.0-liter engine and a host of enhancements.

 

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1981
924 model joined by 924 Turbo. The 924 is Porsche’s most popular model and also a successful racecar.

 

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1982
New 944 model based on 924 but with modified body and a Porsche-built four-cylinder engine.

 

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1983
First 911 Cabriolet introduced. In the US, the Cabriolet outsells the Targa and quickly accounts for about one-third of 911 sales.

 

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1984
Porsche Cars North America established with its headquarters in Reno, Nevada. Porsche AG goes public, with the Porsche and Piech families holding 875,000 shares of stock and 875,000 preferred shares listed for investors. 911 now known as the Carrera, featuring greater performance from a 3.2-liter engine.

 

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1986
Porsche 944 is first car sold in US with both driver’s side and passenger airbags as standard equipment.

 

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1987
250,000^th 911 built.

 

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1989
Body production ends at the former Reuter plant. Production shifts to a new factory across the street. Porsche contract-builds the 500E high-performance sedan for Mercedes-Benz. The company will build more than 11,000 of these cars through 1995