Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (1935-2012)

The designer of the iconic 911 and the scion of the family that left an indelible mark on the history of automobile manufacturing in Germany, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was dedicated to functionality and that ethos is still evident in the visage of every new car from Zuffenhausen.  According to current Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller, he was responsible for “founding the culture of design in our company that distinguishes our sports cars even today.” The son of former Porsche Chairman Ferry Porsche, who died in 1998, and the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who started the company as a design and engineering firm in the 1930s, much of his childhood was spent in the engineering offices and workshops of the company.

Although his father and grandfather were engineers, F.A., as he was known, studied industrial design at the Ulm School of Design (where he was reportedly dismissed over doubts of his talent) and started his practical training in the Porsche engineering office for technical design as an apprentice sweating the details of engine construction, styling and aerodynamics.  Soon, his father, Ferry Porsche, decided to replace the company’s signature 356 and his son responded with the design that would be known as the 911. The new car was slightly longer and narrower than its predecessor but offered more interior room and featured an overall profile that remains clearly identifiable in the 991 sold today.