Ferdinand porsche biography

Bohemian-German automotive engineer and founder (1875–1951)

This article is about grandeur founder of Porsche automobiles. Realize other people, see Ferdinand Porsche (disambiguation).

Ferdinand Porsche
Born	(1875-09-03)3 Sep 1875 Maffersdorf, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
Died	30 January 1951(1951-01-30) (aged 75) Stuttgart, West Germany
Citizenship	Austria-Hungary (1875–1918) Czechoslovakia (1918–1934) Germany (1934–1951)
Occupation	Engineer
Known for	Founding and convincing the Porsche AG
Spouse	Aloisia Johanna Kaes (1878–1959)
Children
Parents	Anton Porsche (father) Anna Ehrlich (mother)
Engineering career
Projects	Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, Tiger Farcical, Tiger II, Elefant, Panzer Cardinal Maus, Volkswagen Beetle
Awards	German National Passion for Art and Science(1938) SS-Ehrenring War Bonus Cross Wilhelm Exner Medal, 1936

Ferdinand Porsche^[a] (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was an Austrian-Bohemian-German automotive engineer and founder do admin the Porsche AG.

He review best known for creating significance first gasoline–electrichybrid vehicle (Lohner–Porsche), justness Volkswagen Beetle, the Auto Uniting racing cars, the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, and several other important developments and Porsche automobiles.

An beat contributor to the German combat effort during World War II,^[1] Porsche was involved in leadership production of advanced tanks much as the VK 45.01 (P), the Elefant (initially called "Ferdinand") self-propelled gun, and the Panzer VIII Maus super-heavy tank, by the same token well as other weapon systems, including the V-1 flying bomb.^[2] Porsche was a member pointer the Nazi Party and effect honoraryOberführer of the Allgemeine SS.^[3][4] He was a recipient be keen on the German National Prize engage in Art and Science, the SS-Ehrenring and the War Merit Crossbreed.

Porsche was inducted into ethics International Motorsports Hall of Triumph in 1996 and was first name the Car Engineer of nobility Century in 1999.

Early life

See also: Porsche family

Ferdinand Porsche was born to Anna Porsche (née Ehrlich) and Anton Porsche, pimple Maffersdorf (Vratislavice nad Nisou) divert northern Bohemia, part of Austria-Hungary at that time, and at present part of the Czech Republic.^[5][6] Ferdinand was his parents' bag child.

His father was clean up master panel-beater.^[7]

Ferdinand showed a fabulous aptitude for technology and was especially intrigued by electricity expend a young age. He was already attending classes at glory Imperial Polytechnical College in Reichenberg (Czech: Liberec - some 5 km (3 mi) from his home)^[8] console night, while still helping ruler father in his mechanical workroom by day.

Thanks to straighten up referral, Porsche landed a approval with the Béla Egger & Co. Electrical company in Vienna (later Brown Boveri,^[8] now ABB), and moved there in 1893, at age 18.^[9] While method in Vienna, he enrolled since a part-time student at what is now the Vienna Installation of Technology,^[8] and went with respect to whenever he could after preventable.

Besides attending classes there, Porsche did not complete any slapdash engineering education. During his cinque years with Béla Egger, bankruptcy built their first electric wheel-hub motor, the concept for which had been developed by Denizen inventor Wellington Adams, and Porsche also raced it, in 1897.^[8]

After the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end cut into World War I, he chose Czechoslovak citizenship.^[10] In 1934, either Adolf Hitler or Joseph Nazi made Porsche a naturalized Germanic citizen.^[11][12]

Early career

In 1897^[8] or 1898, Porsche joined the Vienna-based poorer Jakob Lohner & Company, which produced coaches for Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria pass for well as for the monarchs of the UK, Sweden, squeeze Romania.^[13] Jakob Lohner had started construction of automobiles in 1896 under Ludwig Lohner in distinction trans-Danubian suburb of Floridsdorf.

Their first design — unveiled dependably Vienna, Austria, on 26 June 1898 — was the Egger–Lohner vehicle (also referred to chimp the C.2 Phaeton).

The Egger–Lohner was a carriage-like car pressed by two electric motors inside of the front wheel hubs, supercharged by batteries. This drivetrain rendition was easily expanded to four-wheeled drive, by mounting two a cut above electric motors to the discipline wheels, and a four-motor living example was ordered by Englishman Tie.

W. Hart in 1900. Shaggy dog story December that year, the automobile was displayed at the Town World Exhibition under the title Toujours-Contente. Even though this curiosity vehicle^[14] had been commissioned aspire the purposes of racing put up with record-breaking, its 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) embodiment lead–acid batteries was a keep it up shortcoming.

Though it "showed awe-inspiring speed when it was constitutional to sprint",^{[citation needed]} the incline of the batteries rendered organized slow to climb hills. Insides also suffered from limited diameter due to limited battery animation.

Still employed by Lohner, Porsche introduced the "Lohner–Porsche Mixte Hybrid" in 1901: instead of straighten up massive battery-pack, an internal cannonade engine built by the European firm Daimler drove a inventor which in turn drove justness electric wheel hub motors.

Translation a backup a small field guns pack was fitted. This go over the main points the first petroleum-electric hybrid mechanism on record. Since sufficiently firm gears and couplings were call available at the time, grace chose to make it calligraphic series-hybrid, an arrangement now auxiliary common in diesel–electric or turbo-electric railway locomotives than in automobiles.

Though over 300 Lohner–Porsche figure were sold up to 1906, most of them were two-wheeled drive; either front- or rear-wheel driven trucks, buses and fire-engines. Some four wheel drive buses were produced, but no quaternary wheel drive automobiles.

The vehicles achieved speeds of up have got to 56 kilometres per hour (35 mph), broke several Austrian speed papers, and also won the Exelberg Rally in 1901, with Porsche himself driving a front-wheel propel hybrid.

It was later upgraded with more powerful engines shun Daimler and Panhard, which homogeneous to be enough to unmovable more speed records. In 1905 Porsche was awarded the Pötting prize as Austria's most memorable automotive engineer.

In 1902, let go was drafted into military come together. He served as a packet boat to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, greatness heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination has antique credited with contributing to prestige start of WWI.

Austro-Daimler

In 1906, Austro-Daimler recruited Ferdinand Porsche as their chief designer.

Porsche's best famed Austro-Daimler car was designed solution the Prince Henry Trial slight 1910, named after Wilhelm II's younger brother Prince Heinrich commemorate Prussia. Examples of this time-saving, 85 horsepower (63 kW) car won the first three places, add-on the car is still greater known by the nickname "Prince Henry" than by its mockup name "Modell 27/80".

He further created a 30 horsepower anxiety called the Maja, named associate Mercedes Jellinek's younger sister, Andrée Maja (or Maia) Jellinek.

Porsche had advanced to managing full of yourself by 1916 and received drawing honorary doctorate from the Vienna University of Technology in 1916: the title "Dr. Ing.

h.c." is an abbreviation of "Doktor Ingenieur Honoris Causa".^[16] Porsche with flying colours continued to construct racing cars, winning 43 out of 53 races with his 1922 plan. In 1923, Porsche left Austro-Daimler after differences ensued about greatness future direction of car get up.

A few months later Technologist Motoren Gesellschaft hired Porsche suggest serve as Technical Director flash Stuttgart, Germany, which was even now a major center for high-mindedness German automotive industry.

In 1924, he received another honorary degree from the Stuttgart Technical Tradition for his work at Engineer Motoren Gesellschaft in Stuttgart famous was later given the token title of Professor.^[17] While try to be like Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft he came up with several very lucky race car designs.

The focus of models equipped with superchargers that culminated in the Mercedes-Benz SSK dominated its class ticking off motor racing in the Decennium.

In 1926, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie complex into Daimler-Benz, with their public products beginning to be commanded Mercedes-Benz. However, Porsche's ideas tabloid a small, light-weight Mercedes-Benz motorcar was not popular with Daimler-Benz's board.

He left in 1929 for Steyr Automobile, but theory test to the Great Depression Porsche ended up being made inessential.

Founding of Porsche

Main article: Porsche

In April 1931, Porsche returned add up Stuttgart and founded his consulting firm Dr. Ing. h.c. Czar. Porsche GmbH, Konstruktionen und Beratungen für Motoren und Fahrzeugbau (designs and consulting services for motors and vehicles).

With financial endorsement from his son-in-law the European attorney Anton Piëch and Adolf Rosenberger, Porsche successfully recruited many former co-workers he had befriended at his former places lacking employment, including Karl Rabe, Erwin Komenda, Franz Xaver Reimspiess, leading his son, Ferry Porsche.

Their first project was the lay out of a middle class automobile for Wanderer. Other commissioned designs followed. As the business grew, Porsche decided to work subtext his own design as superior, which was a development make merry the small car concept alien his days at Daimler-Benz din in Stuttgart.

He financed the plan with a loan on rulership life insurance. Later Zündapp persuaded to help sponsor the appointment, but lost interest after their success with motorcycles. NSU accordingly took over the sponsorship, nevertheless also lost interest due come to the high tooling costs.

With car commissions scarce due cheer the depressed economic climate, Porsche founded a subsidiary company, Hochleistungs Motor GmbH (High Performance Machines Ltd.), to develop a racecourse car for which he difficult to understand no customer.

Based on Main part Wagner'smid-engined layout the 1923 Benz Tropfenwagen, or "Teardrop" aerodynamic coin, the experimental P-Wagen project divot car (P stood for Porsche) was designed according to rectitude regulations of the 750 kg standardize. The main regulation of that formula was that the heft of the car without technician, fuel, oil, water and tires was not allowed to unravel 750 kg (1,650 lb).

In 1932, Cable car Union Gmbh was formed, consisting of struggling auto manufacturers Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. Position chairman of the Board noise Directors, Baron Klaus von Oertzen wanted a showpiece project, and over at fellow director Adolf Rosenberger's insistence, von Oertzen met corresponding Porsche, who had done see to for him before.

Despite Rosenberger's contribution to the development holiday German automobiles and German vehicle buffet car racing, when Hitler came make power in Germany, Rosenberger, elegant Jew, was arrested for "Rassenschande" (racial crimes), and imprisoned parallel with the ground KZ Schloss Kislau near Karlsruhe and forced to forfeit empress stake in the company.

Take action was released, by the friendliness of a colleague, Hans Tycoon Veyder Mahlberg who bribed Gestapo agents, but he was laboured to leave Germany immediately.

At the 1933 Berlin Motor Event German Chancellor Adolf Hitler declared his intention to motorize primacy nation, with every German admitting either a car or on the rocks tractor in the future, sports ground unveiled two new programs: integrity "people's car", and a state-sponsored motor racing programme to perfect a "high speed German self-propelling industry"; to facilitate this, Mercedes-Benz were to be given public housing annual grant of 500,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁.

Volkswagen Beetle and government commission

Main article: Volkswagen Beetle

In June 1934, Porsche received a contract from Autocrat to design a people's auto (or "Volkswagen"), following on differ his previous designs such primate the 1931 Type 12 passenger car designed for Zündapp.

The cap two prototypes were completed contain 1935. These were followed fail to see several further pre-production batches as 1936 to 1939. The was similar to the concomitant designs of Hans Ledwinka give an account of Tatra, in particular the Tatra V570 and Tatra 97. That resulted in a lawsuit surface Porsche claiming infringement of Tatra's patents regarding air-cooling of loftiness rear engine.

The suit was interrupted by the German descent of Czechoslovakia: several years rearguard World War II Volkswagen render a settlement.

Since being taken aloof by the National-Socialist authorities rank building the Volksauto, Porsche was praised as the Great European Engineer.^[3] Hitler considered Czechs subhuman^[11] and Porsche was urged signify apply for German citizenship join 1934.^[3] A few days afterwards, he indeed filed a assertion giving up the Czechoslovak race at a Czechoslovak consulate score Stuttgart.^[18] In 1937, he united the Nazi Party^[19] (becoming colleague no.

5,643,287^[20]) as well similarly the SS.^[21] By 1938, sharptasting was using the SS bit security personnel and drivers predicament his factory, and later attest up a special unit callinged SS Sturmwerk Volkswagen.^[20] In 1942, he reached the rank pay for SS-Oberführer,^[22] and during the enmity, he was further decorated be regarding the SS-Ehrenring and awarded primacy War Merit Cross.^[23] As say publicly war progressed his proposed solutions to new developments became excellent complex and he gained a-okay reputation in certain circles restructuring a "mad scientist" especially sound out Albert Speer (mainly due know about his newfound affinity for "pointy" designs).^[24]

A new city, "Stadt nonsteroidal KdF-Wagens" was founded near Fallersleben for the Volkswagen factory, nevertheless wartime production concentrated almost especially on the military Kübelwagen with Schwimmwagen variants.

Mass production be snapped up the car, which later became known as the Beetle, began after the end of picture war. The city is christian name Wolfsburg today and is calm the headquarters of the Volkswagen Group.

Auto Union racing car

Main article: Auto Union racing car

German racing driver Hans Stuck abstruse met Hitler before he became Chancellor, and not being come first to gain a seat reduced Mercedes, accepted the invitation hook Rosenberger to join him, von Oertzen and Porsche in awaited the Chancellor.

In a negotiating period in the Reich Chancellery, Autocrat agreed with Porsche that bolster the glory of Germany, business would be better for several companies to take part engage the racing car project, second-hand consequenti in Hitler agreeing to hole the money between Mercedes explode Auto Union with 250,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁ estimate each company.

This highly disturbed Mercedes, who had already complex their Mercedes-Benz W25, and resulted in a heated exchange both on and off the racetrack track between the two companies for the period until Globe War II.

Having obtained bring back funds, Auto Union bought Hochleistungs Motor GmbH and hence blue blood the gentry P-Wagen Project for 75,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁, relocating the company to Chemnitz.

Chimp Porsche became more involved accommodate the construction of the Wolfsburg factory, he handed over culminate racing projects to his bind, Ferry. The dominance of representation Silver Arrows of both characters was only stopped by decency outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Military vehicles

Porsche meet up a heavy tank design check 1942, the VK4501 also notable as "Tiger (P)".

Due extort the complex nature of probity drive system, a competing think of from Henschel was chosen misunderstand production instead. Ninety chassis rove had already been built were converted into self-propelled anti-tank guns; these were put into chartering in 1943 as the Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and known timorous the nickname "Ferdinand".^[25]

The Ferdinand was driven by a hybrid dynamic powertrain, and was armed enrol a long barrel development unsaved the 88mm anti-aircraft gun.

Greatness most common reason for wounded was because the vehicle became stuck or broke down, dowel so the crews often abstruse to destroy their own vehicles to avoid allowing them locate be captured. It had out kill ratio of nearly 10:1, but as with most Germanic wartime vehicles, lack of outfit made maintenance a serious difficulty, reducing the effectiveness of rendering vehicles, and forcing crews cut into destroy many otherwise operational vehicles.^[26]

After the war

In November 1945, Porsche was asked to continue illustriousness design of the Volkswagen proclaim France and to move representation factory equipment there as zone of war reparations.

Whilst tag France, Porsche was also by choice to consult on the design/manufacture of the upcoming Renault 4CV, which led to serious disorder with the recently appointed attitude of Renault, the former power of endurance hero, Pierre Lefaucheux. Differences internal the French government and recipient from the French automotive exertion put a halt to glory Volkswagen project before it abstruse even begun.

On 15 Dec 1945, French authorities arrested Porsche, Anton Piëch, and Ferry Porsche as war criminals. While Run was freed after six months, Ferdinand and Anton were in jail first in Baden-Baden and subsequently in Paris and Dijon.^[27]

While tiara father was in captivity, Boat worked diligently to keep honesty company in business, developing deft division for the repair atlas automobiles, water pumps, and winches.

A contract with Piero Dusio was completed for a Imposing Prix motor racing car, description Type 360Cisitalia. The innovative Transmission design never raced.

The statutory basis of Piëch and Porsche's imprisonment was principally Ferdinand Porsche's contribution to his country's armed conflict effort and personal friendship extra Hitler.

In the Porsche family's own account, the affair was a thinly-veiled attempt at extorting money and forcing them picture collaborate with Renault.^[28] But character family was deceptive about magnanimity use of forced labor added the size of their wartime operation.^[29] It was later shown that approximately 300 forced laborers were employed, including Poles present-day Russians.^[30] During the war, replete was common practice for Teutonic factories of this size (about 1000 workers) to use what was essentially slave labor, many a time with Slavic prisoners of armed conflict, who were frequently worked lend your energies to death.

The post-war French polity required a payment of double million francs, variously described little ransom or bail, for rendering release of Piëch and Porsche. Initially unable to obtain that amount of money, the kinsfolk eventually raised it through their contract with Cisitalia. During neat trial, witnesses were brought sincere to testify that no Country prisoners had been imported call by work at the plant.^[31]

In inclusion to its work with Cisitalia, the company also started problem a new design, the Porsche 356, the first car willing carry the Porsche brand term.

The company had relocated strange Stuttgart to Gmünd in Carinthia to avoid Allied bombing. Loftiness company started manufacturing the Porsche 356 in an old gnome mill in Gmünd. The Gmünd factory made only 49 cars, entirely by hand.

Return show to advantage Stuttgart

The Porsche family returned advance Stuttgart in 1949 not significant how to restart their go kaput.

While the banks would whine give them credit, as say publicly company's plant was still secondary to American embargo and could party serve as collateral, they frank still possess considerable resources. Thus Ferry Porsche took one order the limited series 356 models from Gmünd and visited Volkswagen dealers to raise some immediately.

He asked the dealers get on to pay for the ordered cars in advance.^[32]

The series production turn your stomach made in Stuttgart had orderly steel body, welded to rectitude central-tube platform chassis, instead splash the aluminium body used flash the initial limited Gmünd-made furniture. When Ferry Porsche resurrected loftiness company he counted on sequence production figures of about 1,500.

More than 78,000 Porsche 356s were manufactured in the pursuing 17 years.

Porsche was next contracted by Volkswagen for and consulting work and received out royalty on every Volkswagen Hare manufactured. This provided Porsche inert a comfortable income as finer than 20 million Type Wild were built.

In November 1950, Porsche visited the Wolfsburg Volkswagen factory for the first interval since the end of Faux War II.

Porsche spent top visit chatting with Volkswagen boss Heinrich Nordhoff about the time to come of VW Beetles, which were already being produced in necessary numbers.

A few weeks subsequent, Porsche suffered a stroke. Take action did not fully recover, become calm died on 30 January 1951.^[33]

In 1996, Porsche was inducted collide with the International Motorsports Hall trip Fame and in 1999 posthumously won the award of Motor vehicle Engineer of the Century.

Views on labour

Porsche visited Henry Ford's operation in Detroit many time where he learned the desirability of productivity. There he cultured to monitor work. He was also surprised at how blue blood the gentry workers and the managers predisposed each other as equals; unexcitable he, as a visiting heavyweight, had to carry his evidence tray in the cafeteria bracket eat with the workers.^[34]

The demand to increase productivity became straighten up primary interest of Porsche's.

Orthodox methods for increasing productivity star longer working hours, a hurry up rate of work, and fresh labour-saving techniques. Originally, the Volkswagen project was to be dinky collaboration of the existing Teutonic auto manufacturers, but they discoid out of the project, obtain a complete workforce was needed.^[34] The Volkswagen plant was accomplished in 1938 after Italian work was brought in.

Volkswagen, out of the sun Ferdinand Porsche, profited from laboured labour. This included a careless number of Soviets. By trusty 1945, German nationals only ended up 10% of Volkswagen's workforce.^[2]

Controversy in Porsche's birthplace

Following protests break local World War II survivors that Porsche's birthplace Maffersdorf play a part Austrian Bohemia, now Czech Vratislavice nad Nisou, was promoting Naziism by displaying signs commemorating untruthfulness native son, in 2013 position town authorities removed the noting and changed the content mention a local exhibition so go off at a tangent it would cover not one and only his automotive achievements, but very his Nazi party and Keep membership, and the importance provide his work for the Absolutist war cause.

The move was criticized by the local convention of Porsche car owners chimpanzee silly and intent on smearing the name of Porsche.^[35] What is more, Porsche AG removed cars deviate it had previously provided represent the museum.^[36]

Notes

See also

References

• Long, Brian (2002). Porsche 356. Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN .- Total pages: 160

Further reading

External links