Porsche, the famous German car manufacturer, has produced some of the world's most successful sports and racing cars. Founder Ferdinand Porsche's earlier projects ranged from the mighty 16-cyclinder Auto Union Grand Prix car to the humble Volkswagen. In 1948, his son introduced the Volkswagen-poewred Type 356 sports car. The nimble 365 soon earned Porsche cars a reputation as giant-killers, beating brute force with finesse. Powered by a sophisticated twin-cam engine, Porsche's first purpose-built racer, the 550 Spyder, won its class at Le Mans in 1954 and overall victory in the 1956 Targa Fiorio.

Porsche continually developed the 356 until 1965, while maintaining its distinctive, curvaceous shape. The same pattern of long-range development continued with the six-cylinder 911, which has been in production since 1964. The 911 has continually evolved, gaining power, performance, and new technology. Even with a switch from the air-cooled flat-six to a water-cooled version in 1997, the 911 has never looked like anything but its iconic self. The Boxster and Cayman mid-engine roadster and coupe share many design features with the 911. Porsche has also produced a long string of race and rally victories, including 16 overall victories at Le Mans. Race-winning Porsches include the 550 Spyder, the 904, the Le Mans-dominating 917, 956, and 962, the 911-based GT1, and the RS Spyder. Few manufacturers can match the combination of name recognition and racing success Porsche has achieved.

Operations Personel

Martin Winterkorn President, CEO (2000-2010)

Historical Figures

Ferdinand Porsche Founder (2000-2010)

Primary Headquarters