Porsche – a reputation built on quality without compromise
As an experienced driver, you know the importance of keeping your Porsche in tip-top condition. Regular servicing will extend your car’s life and identify defects before they become catastrophic.
Porsche has built its reputation on pioneering designs, performance and lightweight engineering excellence. Booking a Porsche service that is conducted with care and precision is vitally important in retaining the performance of the sports car you are driving.
Porsche facts you may not know
The history of the Porsche name in car design begins with Ferdinand Porsche senior, who was the chief designer at the Austrian manufacturer Austro-Daimler. His flair for designing racing cars and compact cars was demonstrated by success on the circuit. However, in 1929, after the Daimler-Benz merger, his work was frozen as the company decided to focus on larger and more luxurious Mercedes-Benz cars.
Porsche left Daimler-Benz and started up his own design company in 1931, together with his son, Ferdinand junior (or Ferry) Porsche.
Ferry had become associated with car mechanics at an early age and had learnt to drive at the age of 10. Both ran the business that employed a number of experienced designers.
It was not long before they secured some corporate design contracts, such as with Auto Union (the original Audi Company) and Porsche became the design engine behind their racing cars.
In 1934, design work on a compact car was backed by the National Socialist party, who wanted to see an affordable car for working Germans. Originally named the Porsche 60, it became officially known as the Volkswagen (people’s car).
In 1938 Ferdinand Porsche senior left the Auto Union racing team and moved to the new Volkswagen plant to manage production of the Volkswagen that began in 1939. However, the Volkswagen factory had produced few cars when war was declared and this led to production being switched from civilian to military vehicles.
At the end of the Second World War, the Porsche family were asked by the French government to design and build a French version of the Volkswagen, but this met with political resistance and both Porsche’s ended up being arrested for war crimes and, without trial, a hefty 500,000 each was demanded for their release.
Sufficient money was paid for the son, Ferry Porsche, to be released. However, Porsche senior was held for over a year and a half and forced to assist Renault before his son raised the money to have him freed.
Ferry Porsche re-established the design business in Austria and won a contract to design Grand Prix racing cars for Piero Dusio. The Porsche 360 Cisitalia was born.
Porsche successfully designed their own vehicle, the Porsche 356, which was based on the original Volkswagen and received their first order in 1947.
In 1949, Volkswagen had just embarked on its own future (after failed post-war sale attempts), and a former senior manager at Opel, Heinrich Nordhoff, had been brought in to run the factory. He approached Ferry Porsche to help with design at Volkswagen, to improve the ‘Beetle’. In return, Porsche would receive support in the manufacture and distribution of their vehicles plus a share of profits.
So in 1949, Porsche was re-established back in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany. Production of the Porsche 356 was resumed and development of a new engine began – that became known as the Carrera.
These developments enabled the Porsche name to become established as an independent manufacturer of motor cars.
In 1961 work began on the replacement model for the Porsche 356, a new six cylinder engine with the body designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Ferry Porsche’s son.
Originally called the 901, a legal challenge by Peugeot on the format of the name led to the 901 being renamed the Porsche 911.
In 1963, at the Frankfurt International Automobile Show, Porsche revealed the 911 and production started the following year. The Porsche 911 remained true to its predecessor, with an air-cooled flat engine in the rear.
In 1972 Ferry Porsche decided to turn Porsche from a partnership into a public company, Porsche GmbH and stayed on the board until his death in 1998.
Since then, Porsche has continued to refine and upgrade the 911 and introduce turbo engines, the 914, 917, 924, 928, 959 and the Boxter with continued success on the racing circuit and amongst sports car enthusiasts.
With their history of engineering excellence and innovative design, together with their passion for performance, Porsche has successfully earned its reputation as probably the most successful sports car manufacturer.
Book your Porsche service with confidence
So, when you book your next Porsche service, you can be confident that Service A Car understands the heritage of Porsche and conducts Porsche servicing with the passion and precision the car deserves to retain its outstanding performance.
Service A Car is the fastest growing independent car servicing specialist in the UK with a network of over 500 garages nationwide.