About PorscheFerdinand Porsche teamed with Lohner and Company to build an electric powered car in the early 1900s. Porsche realized that gasoline engines were needed to get cars to speeds over 25 mph. The first gas-electric hybrid was his creation, with a gasoline engine driving an electric generator that provided power to motors at the wheels.Dr. Porsche opened his own design and engineering firm in 1931. The next year, Auto Union AG formed from struggling automobile companies Audi, Wanderer, DKW, and Horch. It was through Auto Union that Porsche would initially accept a project from German chancellor Adolf Hitler. The project--later called Volkswagen--was one that Dr. Porsche had always wanted to work on: an inexpensive all-purpose car. Projects would continue through World War II for the Third Reich in the form of military vehicles and tanks, including the Panzer, Tiger, Leopard, and the Maus. The first vehicle to... View more be named "Porsche", the 356, was designed and built by hand, and was pieced together from VW Beetles in a sawmill. Banks refused to loan the company any cash, so money from orders was taken in advance. The hope was to build 500 cars, but from the start of the 356 in 1948 to the final model in 1965, Porsche produced over 76,000 units. One of the most recognizable sports cars would have had a different name if Peugeot didn't have trademarks on '#0#' model names. The Porsche 911 was first looked to as the 901, but the name was changed shortly after its introduction to avoid conflict with Peugeot. Changes to the design were made on a regular basis--but a little at a time. The current design still has evident roots from the first ones sold in 1965. Porsche's racing history has been undeniably successful--14 manufacturer and team championships, 9 sports car drivers' world titles, 20 hill climbing championships, 16 24-Hours of Le Mans wins, and dozens more. The company is among the largest race car manufacturers in the world. Porsche's crest as we see it today wasn't designed until 1952, after Dr. Porsche's death. He suffered a stroke and failed to recover, dying in January 1951. The company remained family-owned until 1972, when ten direct relations would become shareholders, converting the company from KG to AG. Expanding the corporate portfolio began in earnest in the late 1990s. The Boxster and Cayman models kept with the tradition of sports cars, but a dramatic shift came with the Cayenne SUV. It was met with harsh criticism, but went on to alternate with the 911 as the company's bestselling vehicle since arriving in 2003. Based on the success of the venture, critiques came when the four-door Panamera debuted, but they were much more subdued. In 2005, Porsche bought 18.65% of the Volkswagen Group, upping it to 30.9% in 2007. In late 2009, Porsche and Volkswagen announced a plan to merge companies beginning in 2011. The combination of companies became an integrated automotive group, allowing Porsche's independence to be preserved. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen, stated after the agreement was reached, "More than ever before, we now have what it takes to become the automotive industry's number one". View less | |||
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