Page 18 Christophorus 339 Christophorus 339 Page 19 FERRY PORSCHE 100 By Photos by Dieter Landenberger Porsche Archive His Life’s Work The death of Professor Dr. Ing. h.c. Ferdinand Anton Ernst (Ferry) Porsche in March of 1998 meant bidding farewell to one of the last greats of automotive history. Under his leadership in 1948, the first sports car with the name of Porsche appeared, and for decades he strongly determined the course of the company, including 1958 Ferry Porsche in the assembly hall of Plant 2 in Zuffenhausen, advocating its independence. We present a series of reminiscences to mark the standing before 356 A series vehicles 100th anniversary of his birth on September 19, 2009. Page 20 Christophorus 339 Christophorus 339 Page 21 1936 Ferry Porsche enjoys driving the Beetle: At the wheel of a Volkswagen prototype on the market square in Tübingen 1956 1956 Father and son (Ferdinand Alexander) Sports-car fan Ferry Porsche in the pit lane with in New York the 550 A coupes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1964 1950 1953 1997 The man with the hat: Ferdinand Senior and Ferry Junior have a father-son talk Porsche at Porsche Plant 2—with a 356 featuring Ferry Porsche also enjoys driving a Boxster, because Ferry Porsche at the Porsche villa a center-creased windshield “the latest car is always the most beautiful” 1956 Boss and designers: Porsche (right) with Heinz Rabe (left) and Erwin Komenda 1996 Ferry Porsche celebrates the one-millionth 911 with Wendelin Wiedeking (left) and Baden-Würt- temberg’s Minister President Erwin Teufel (right) 1955 Design engineer Porsche with the legendary Carrera engine 1948 1953 1968 The son (Ferry) with his father (right) and Erwin Komenda (left) Combined expertise: Ferry Porsche (right) The inventor and his sports car: next to the “number 1” in Gmünd, Carinthia with Huschke von Hanstein in Le Mans Ferry Porsche with the 911 Page 22 Christophorus 339 Christophorus 339 Page 23 FERRY PORSCHE when he signed a contract on September 17, 1948, with Volks- decade and a half, the 356 had become a revered modern clas- 100 wagen on VW component supply and VW distribution network sic. A well-directed stream of self-examination accelerated his usage. Ferry Porsche also had VW agree to pay a license fee for wish for evolution: “There is no such thing as the perfect car. “The Porsche embodies my every Beetle that it built, in recognition of the fact that the car But as engineers and designers, we have to do everything in our philosophy of individual freedom had been developed before the war by Porsche. This agreement power to approach this ideal.” Once the decision was made, it with VW brought security for the young Porsche company, es- was easy for him to stick to it: “We simply built the car that we of motion—which should pecially in financial terms. The foundation was now laid for felt was right.” serve humanity, not burden it.” Porsche KG to expand as a sports-car maker, and this was the re- sult of Ferry Porsche’s own philosophy. He was known to say the The decision for the 911 designed by his eldest son, Ferdinand following: “There are countless books with formulas on how to Alexander, was visionary, given that the car differed both in achieve success, and they contain all manner of good ideas. I’ve style and in technical fundamentals from everything that had never read any of them.” At the same time, his own approach come before. The fact that Ferry Porsche recognized the future was summed up in statements such as “Progress has to be rea- potential of the uncompromisingly innovative 911 design is one sonable,” and “You can’t force things in life. There is little that I of his greatest accomplishments. Behind it was a very personal detest more than force.” wish: “If you manage to create something that withstands time, One of the quotes Ferry Porsche is best remembered for is, “To something that remains untouched by the eccentricities of a par- have earned the affection of boys is to possess a great emotional An important factor in the success of the young Porsche compa- ticular age—something timeless, in other words—that is the treasure.” When he himself was a boy, he already possessed an ny was also its early readiness to export. Ferry Porsche was al- greatest achievement.” enormous store of genuine automotive genes. But being the son of ready shipping the first cars to America in 1950. The Porsche the world-famous design engineer Ferdinand Porsche also meant 356 won the hearts of sports-car drivers in the largest and most The success of the 911 series was based on the model policy of Ferdinand Anton Ernst having to emerge from the shadow of his brilliant father to find his important market in the world and, not least of all, caught the constant evolution, which eventually developed the 911 into an own place in the automotive world. Not an easy undertaking, attention of many Hollywood stars. With models like the 356 ideal sports car. But Ferry Porsche also showed openness to new (Ferry) Porsche yet a fruitful path as it turned out. When the design office was Speedster, Ferry Porsche instinctively responded to the wishes ideas. As chairman of the Supervisory Board, he continued to founded in 1931, he participated from the very beginning in of American consumers, who accounted for half of total annual influence the company’s course. He was pleased to have his en- all the projects and the ever more extensive contracts at Porsche production by 1955. He held a strong conviction that people gineers excite and persuade him with their ideas. On developing GmbH. Surrounded by top-notch engineers, Ferry Porsche learned and cars are meant for each other. “Cars offered enormous free- types 914, 924, and 928, Porsche left familiar waters—not Born: September 19, 1909, Wiener Neustadt (Austria) quickly, and in a short time advanced from an apprentice to the dom. And that freedom, I think, has changed people.” This always to the delight of the company’s die-hard customers. But Died: March 27, 1998, Zell am See (Austria) junior boss. Ferdinand Porsche demanded a lot of his son, but view of life also had its playful sides: “You can tell people’s these models also contributed to the company’s success; after Marital status: Married Dorothea Reitz (1911–1985) in 1935; also gave him opportunities, such as running the driving tests for characters by the way they drive.” all, every second Porsche produced in the 1980s was a front- four sons: Ferdinand Alexander (born 1935), Gerhard (born 1938), the Volkswagen Beetle in 1935, and directing the test department engine sports car. Ferry Porsche’s love of freedom knew hardly Hans-Peter (born 1940), and Wolfgang (born 1943) in 1938. When his father was detained by the French in 1945, In addition to exporting, Ferry Porsche also was passionate any limits, except for this one: “You may always modify a Ferry took over responsibility for the company, guiding it through about racing, which served as a catalyst for the success of the Porsche, but its character and inimitable quality must be An engineer and entrepreneur, Ferry Porsche was the son of the au- the turmoil of the early postwar years. A metaphorical “knight- Porsche brand. Instead of doing advertising or marketing, he maintained.” tomotive designer Ferdinand Porsche. He turned his father’s design hood” by his father followed in 1947, when on returning home wanted his sports cars to speak for themselves by racing to victo- office into the Porsche sports-car maker, and gave the 356 its orig- the professor examined the Cisitalia racing car developed com- ry before the eyes of spectators. Racing also meant constant tech- In his later years, Ferry Porsche saw his company enter a cri- inal form. He was the managing director of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche pletely under the direction of his son and announced that he nical advances, because the experience gathered there flowed di- sis that threatened its very existence. But when Porsche, too, KG until the Porsche family withdrew from company operations would not have placed a single screw differently. rectly into perfecting standard road models—which sharpened became a takeover candidate, he was adamant in emphasizing in 1972. Ferry Porsche then directed the Supervisory Board of the competitive spirit of this passionate engineer. “There has the importance of independence. Against losing hope he had Porsche AG and became its honorary chairman. Shortly thereafter, Ferry Porsche made a historical decision that never been a quiescent point in the evolution of the automobile. this to say: “It all comes down to never giving up, and to re- demonstrated boldness in both technology and business. On We face many problems today, and once we’ve solved those, sponding to crises with the right answers.” When the company June 8, 1948, the first sports car carrying the Porsche name, the we’ll face many new ones. We will keep on striving for perfec- succeeded in turning around economically under the direction 356 “number 1,” received its road authorization. The risk tak- tion. Motorsports has always been able to make important con- of CEO Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, he saw his life’s work regain thing behind which shows that we were here and that we accom- en by the company was astonishing. All of Europe was trying tributions to solving these problems, and will continue to do so the path to success. With his death on March 27, 1998, an era plished something of meaning.