43 Fun Facts About Porsche

In which German city is Porsche headquartered?

Stuttgart: Ferdinand Porsche returned to the city to open the design office that grew into the company.

What does the 'Dr. Ing. h.c.' in Porsche's official name refer to?

Ferdinand Porsche's honorary doctorate: a German technical university gave him one in 1924 for designing the Mercedes that won that year's Targa Florio.

Porsche's people's car was built in a new town founded for it in 1938; what is that town called today?

Wolfsburg: it was still the 'City of the KdF-Wagen' when American troops took it in April 1945 and freed the plant's forced labourers.

Ferdinand Porsche was born in 1875 in Maffersdorf, a town that is now part of which country?

Czech Republic: the town belonged to Austria-Hungary when he was born, which is why he is usually described as an Austrian engineer.

What pioneering vehicle did Ferdinand Porsche create at Jakob Lohner & Company around 1900?

The first petrol-electric hybrid car: instead of a heavy battery pack, a petrol engine drove a generator feeding electric motors in the wheel hubs.

Which 1930s Grand Prix racers did Ferdinand Porsche's design office create?

The Auto Union Silver Arrows: Porsche began the mid-engined V16 design on spec for the new 750 kg formula, before Auto Union agreed to back it.

Porsche's rejected wartime chassis design for the Tiger I was reused as the base for which vehicle?

The Elefant tank destroyer: expecting to win the Tiger order, Porsche had already built dozens of hulls before Henschel's design was chosen.

In which Austrian town did Porsche hand-build its first 356s before production moved to Germany in 1950?

Gmünd, Austria: Porsche had moved design work there during the war to escape the bombing raids on its home city.

Which honour did the 356 win at its first outing, a race at Innsbruck in 1948?

Its class: that first 356 carried its engine ahead of the rear axle, but every production 356 after it had the engine at the back.

What does '356' in the name of Porsche's first production car refer to?

Its design project number: Ferry Porsche insisted the firm build a sports car of its own instead of only designing cars for others.

Which designer shaped the body of the 356, having also designed the Beetle's body?

Erwin Komenda: he went on to lead body development for the 911, devising its self-supporting body structure.

The Porsche crest is based on the arms of which former German state?

Württemberg: Porsche created the crest after its US importer, Max Hoffman, urged Ferry Porsche to give the cars a quality emblem.

After World War II the French imprisoned Ferdinand Porsche; how did his family win his release?

They paid a large sum: in the family's own account, the whole affair was a thinly veiled attempt to extort money from them.

The 911 was originally to be sold under which number, before Peugeot objected?

901: Peugeot claimed French rights to three-digit car names with a zero in the middle, so Porsche swapped the zero for a one.

At which motor show was the 911 first presented, in 1963?

Frankfurt: the car shown there was meant to replace the 356, yet the older model stayed in production until 1965.

Who penned the styling of the original 911?

Ferdinand 'Butzi' Porsche: he later founded his own consumer-products company, Porsche Design.

What engine configuration has every 911 used since 1964?

The 356-derived four-cylinder version in the same body was sold as the 912.

With which generation did the 911 switch from air-cooled to water-cooled engines?

996: Porsche switched to water cooling because its air-cooled engines had reached their limits on emissions and power.

The 911 Targa takes its name from a road race held where?

Sicily: Porsche named the removable-roof 911 after the race because it had won there several times.

Which car won the 1999 Car of the Century vote, in which the Porsche 911 placed fifth?

The Ford Model T: assembly-line production cut its price so far that ordinary families could afford one.

Which Hollywood star was killed in 1955 while driving his new Porsche 550 Spyder?

James Dean: he was driving the car to a race in Salinas, California, when a student turning at a junction collided with him.

Which Hollywood star finished second at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Porsche 935?

Paul Newman: he caught the racing bug while training at a racing school for his 1969 film Winning.

What was the engine layout of the Porsche 917?

It grew from 4.5 to 5.0 litres; the turbocharged 917/30 Can-Am car made about 1,100 bhp in 1973.

What does the K stand for in the name of the Porsche 917K?

Kurzheck (short-tail): the short tail gave more downforce for twisty circuits, while the long-tail Langheck suited fast straights.

Which Porsche prototype won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans?

919: the winning car had fallen far behind with repairs, and it took the lead only in the penultimate hour as rival cars broke down.

Which was the first production road-going Porsche with a water-cooled, front-mounted engine?

924: it began as a Volkswagen project, and when VW dropped it, Porsche bought the design and built the car in Neckarsulm.

Which Porsche, the firm's first production V8, won European Car of the Year in 1978?

928: it was meant to replace the 911, but the older car outlived it.

What set the 1986 Porsche 959 apart from the 911 of its day?

All-wheel drive: the 959 became the blueprint for the all-wheel-drive 911s that followed.

Which rally did Porsche's 911-based 953 win outright in 1984, with René Metge driving?

Paris–Dakar: the previous year's winner, Jacky Ickx, drove a second 953 and fought back from breakdowns to finish sixth.

The 959 was originally conceived to compete in which motorsport category?

Group B rallying: development ran late, and after the 1986 season the FIA banned Group B cars from world rallying.

Which 2002 model was Porsche's first four-door production car?

Cayenne: Porsche began building V8 engines again in 2001 so the new SUV could have one.

The 2002 launch of Porsche's first SUV coincided with the opening of a new factory in which German city?

The plant once accounted for nearly half of Porsche's output and later built the Panamera.

Porsche says the Taycan's name comes from Turkish words describing what?

A young horse: Porsche chose it to echo the leaping steed at the heart of its crest.

What does the 'Turbo' badge on the electric Taycan actually signify?

Increased power, not a turbocharger: Porsche kept its traditional name for its most powerful models even though these cars have no turbos.

Which Porsche, priced at about EUR 450,000 in 2004, was then the company's most expensive production model?

Carrera GT: its V10 came from a Le Mans prototype that Porsche completed but never raced.

Where were Porsche's mid-engined two-seaters built under contract from 1997 to 2011?

Finland: Porsche added the Finnish assembly site to keep up with worldwide demand for its new roadster.

Which CEO, appointed in 1993 amid takeover fears, made Porsche a highly efficient and profitable company?

Wendelin Wiedeking: his tenure ended with a failed bid to take over Volkswagen, which ended up owning Porsche's car business instead.

In 1995 Porsche retired its front-engined cars to focus on the 911 and which new mid-engined roadster?

The Boxster: Porsche developed it alongside the next 911 so the two could share parts and save costs.

Which Porsche family engineer, who oversaw Porsche's racing program, later ran the Volkswagen Group?

Ferdinand Piëch: in 2015 he publicly broke with VW's chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, and within weeks resigned himself.

Which electric-car maker did Porsche take a 10% stake in during 2018?

Rimac Automobili: Porsche bought in to form a development partnership with the electric sports-car specialist.

Which engine powered the VW-Porsche 914/6?

A flat-six from Zuffenhausen: the 914 was a joint project meant to give Volkswagen a range-topper and Porsche a new entry-level car.

Which management and IT consultancy did Porsche AG fully acquire by January 2024?

MHP: in August 2026 Porsche signed an agreement to sell the consultancy to Tata Consultancy Services.

Who was the first CEO of Porsche AG, remembered for the four-cam engine that bears his name?

Ernst Fuhrmann: he wanted to phase out the 911, but his successor, Peter Schutz, kept it alive.