Porsche: A Brief History

Porsche: A Brief History

• 1.
  Porsche: A BriefHistory
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  Frank Donatoni hasbuilt 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.
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  In 1900, FerdinandPorsche 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.
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  In 1963, FerryPorsche 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.
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  Today, the Porschefactory 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.
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  Ferry Porsche diedin 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 diedin 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.