Porsche: A Brief History

1. Porsche: A Brief History

2. Frank Donatoni has built up a more-than-35-
year career in exotic and luxury automobile
sales, with a focus on the Porsche. As
general manager of Maryland-based Porsche
of Annapolis, he understands both the car
and its colorful history.

3. In 1900, Ferdinand Porsche gave the world its first
combination gasoline-and-electric engine, then
spent his career working with Daimler, Volkswagen,
Mercedes, and other well-known European
manufacturers. Ferdinand’s son Ferry, who became
a test driver for his father, was also the draftsman
who designed the first true Porsche sports car, the
356, which won its first race one month after rolling
out of the factory and continued by garnering a long
list of racing titles for its brand.

4. In 1963, Ferry Porsche debuted the now-iconic 911
model, a six-cylinder direct descendent of the 356
that went on to beget a long series of iterations and
to sell a quarter of a million vehicles by the late
1980s. The 911 retained earlier models’ high quality
but incorporated several new elements that included
dual-end support from a transverse mount in the
rear and a transaxle at the front. It additionally
omitted earlier features such as rear-swing axles.
Long widely beloved, the 911 stayed so popular that
it ended up outstripping its intended successor, the
928, in sales. The design remains classic, yet
always relevant.

5. Today, the Porsche factory in Stuttgart,
Germany produces a limited number of highly
sought-after models: the 911 Carrera, the
Boxster, and the recently debuted Cayman,
Cayenne SUV sports vehicle, and Panamera.
The Porsche company now additionally owns
a controlling share in Volkswagen.

6. Ferry Porsche died in 1988, a half-century
after creating the first Porsche model for his
father’s company. His heritage of fine
precision engineering and luxury design
continues to engage the attention of Frank
Donatoni and thousands of other
professionals and enthusiasts.

7. Ferry Porsche died in 1988, a half-century
after creating the first Porsche model for his
father’s company. His heritage of fine
precision engineering and luxury design
continues to engage the attention of Frank
Donatoni and thousands of other
professionals and enthusiasts.