Magazine Article

Porsche - Creator of Icons

Ryan Lee Price

2006

Overview

Porsche returned to Stuttgart, then an automotive epicenter that included firms such as Hirth, Mahle, and Bosch in addition to his old employer Daimler-Benz. In January 1931, he launched his consulting firm, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH Konstructionsbüro Für Motoren, Fahrzeug, Luftfahrzeug, and Wasserfahrzeugbau (Motor, Vehicle, Airplane, and Boat building-a sign of desperation and hope that his business could handle any task). The staff was only comprised of trusted men with whom Porsche had previously worked: Karl Rabe, chief engineer, was joined by Erwin Komenda (body design), Karl Frölich (transmissions), Josef Kales (motors), Josef Zahradnik (steering and suspensions), Francis Reimspiess, Han Mickl (aerodynamics), Adolf Rosenberger (business manager), and two relatives, Anton Piech (a lawyer, [Ferdinand Porsche]'s son-in-law and later father of Ferdinand Piech, former chairman of Volkswagen), and Porsche's own son, [Ferry Porsche]. In June 1934, Porsche finally got his big chance, as Germany's newly elected chancellor, Adolf Hitler, decided that every German needed a radio to hear his speeches and a car for mobility. He turned to Porsche, who had at the ready, detailed designs for exactly the thing Hitler wanted, a small car for the masses in order to populate his newly constructed Autobahn, the concrete ribbons of national pride. Two months later, Porsche completed three prototypes in his home garage. During the testing of the VW3, the Reich selected an estate northeast of Hanover to become the site of the Volkswagen factory. \"Die Autostadt\" was born; today it is Wolfsburg, still the worldwide headquarters of Volkswagen. The government gave the car a propaganda-oriented name, the \"KdF\" - short for Kraft durch Freude (\"strength through joy\"), the recreation arm of the workers' Labor Front. Refinements to the car were undertaken. Once Ferry was able to raise the one million francs, Porsche's health turned poor. While Porsche was detained in France, Ferry did the best he could to manage the accounts at the Porsche firm. He drew what was designated as the Type 356, a sports car based on the Volkswagen underpinnings, but the very first car to have the Porsche name directly on it. Professor Porsche reviewed the designs his son and his team had produced, commenting frequently to the workers that he would have designed the Porsche prototype the same way Ferry did. During the winter of 1947, a Zürich car distributor ordered five Porsches and the Type 356 was put into production in the old saw mill in Gmünd. A legend was born.

• Publisher: German Life
• Subject: Automobiles / Inventions / Inventors / Porsche, Ferdinand / Science history