Porsche facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Headquarters in Stuttgart
Type	Public (AG)
Traded as	FWB: P911 DAX component
ISIN	ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=DE000PAG9113 DE000PAG9113]
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1931; 94 years ago (1931) in Stuttgart, Germany
Founder	Ferdinand Porsche
Headquarters	Stuttgart, Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Wolfgang Porsche (chairman) Oliver Blume (CEO)
Products	Automobiles
Production output	321,321 vehicles (2022)
Services	Automotive financial services, engineering services, investment management
Revenue	€37.630 billion (2022)
Operating income	€6.770 billion (2022)
Net income	€4.957 billion (2022)
Total assets	€47.673 billion (2022)
Total equity	€17.027 billion (2022)
Owners	Volkswagen AG (75%) Porsche SE (12.5%) QIA (2.5%)
Number of employees	39,162 (2022)
Subsidiaries	Mieschke Hofmann und Partner (81.8%) Porsche Consulting Bugatti Rimac (45%)

Porsche is a famous German car company. Its full name is Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. This long name means "Doctor of Engineering, Honorary Degree, Ferdinand Porsche, Public Limited Company." Porsche is known for making fancy, high-performance sports cars, SUVs, and sedans. The company's main office is in Stuttgart, Germany.

The company is part of the Volkswagen Group, which is a huge car company. Porsche's current car models include the 718, 911, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne, and Taycan.

Porsche started in the 1930s. An engineer named Ferdinand Porsche founded it with Adolf Rosenberger and Anton Piëch. One of their first big jobs was to design a car for everyone. This car later became the famous Volkswagen Beetle. After World War II, Ferdinand Porsche's son, Ferry Porsche, started building his own car. This car became the first Porsche model sold, the Porsche 356.

In 2009, Porsche and Volkswagen decided to work together more closely. By 2015, Porsche SE, a company related to the original Porsche, had a major ownership stake in the Volkswagen Group. This group also includes other car brands like Audi and Lamborghini.

The Story of Porsche

How Porsche Began

Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951) started his company, "Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH", in 1931. He founded it with Adolf Rosenberger and Anton Piëch. At first, the company mostly did design work and gave advice about cars. They didn't build cars under their own name yet.

One of their first projects was for the German government. They were asked to design a "people's car," or a Volkswagen. This design became the Volkswagen Beetle, which is one of the most successful car designs ever. Later, in 1939, the Porsche 64 was developed using many parts from the Beetle.

Porsche During World War II

During World War II, the Volkswagen factory made military versions of the Beetle. These included the Kübelwagen and the Schwimmwagen. Porsche also designed several heavy tanks during the war. Even though their tank designs weren't always chosen, some of their work was still used. For example, a chassis designed for the Tiger I tank became the base for the Elefant tank destroyer. Porsche also worked on the Maus super-heavy tank near the end of the war.

Porsche's tank prototype, the "Porsche Tiger", that lost to Henschel & Son's Tiger I

Panzerjäger Elefant – a tank destroyer using a Porsche design.

After World War II ended in 1945, the Volkswagen factory was taken over by the British. Ferdinand Porsche lost his job there. His son, Ferry Porsche, decided to build his own car. He wanted a car he couldn't find anywhere else. This led to the creation of the first Porsche car.

The First Porsche Car: The 356

The first models of the 356 were built in a small workshop in Gmünd, Austria. When enough people pre-ordered the car, production began. Many people consider the 356 to be the first real Porsche. This is because it was the first car model that the new company actually sold.

In 1950, the main Porsche company in Stuttgart took over the production of the 356. They worked with a company called Reutter Karosserie to make the car's steel body. In 1952, Porsche built a new assembly plant right across from Reutter Karosserie. The 356 was approved for roads in 1948.

The Porsche Logo

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  Coat of arms of Württemberg

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  Coat of arms of Stuttgart

The Porsche company logo comes from the old coat of arms of the Free People's State of Württemberg in Germany. Stuttgart, where Porsche is based, was its capital. The coat of arms of Stuttgart is in the middle of the Porsche logo. The logo combines these symbols with the words "Porsche" and "Stuttgart."

New Car Designs and Changes

After the war, car parts were hard to find. So, the early Porsche 356 cars used some parts from the Volkswagen Beetle. This included the engine and transmission. But over time, most of these parts were replaced with parts made by Porsche. The sleek body of the 356 was designed by Erwin Komenda. Porsche cars have always been known for their unique designs.

In 1964, after having success in motor-racing, Porsche launched the Porsche 911. This was another sports car with an air-cooled engine in the back. The design of the 911 was led by Ferry Porsche's oldest son, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (F. A.).

The 911 was originally going to be called the 901. However, another car company, Peugeot, had trademarks on all car names with a zero in the middle (like 'x0x'). So, Porsche changed the name to 911. The 911 has become Porsche's most famous car. It has been successful in races, rallies, and car sales. It is still made today, though it has changed a lot over the years.

In 1972, Porsche changed its company structure. It became a public limited company (AG). This meant that people from outside the Porsche family could join the company's main board. Many family members, including F. A. Porsche, left the company's daily operations after this change. F. A. Porsche then started his own design company, Porsche Design.

Modern Porsche Developments

In 1990, Porsche started working with Toyota to learn about efficient manufacturing methods. Later, in 2004, Toyota helped Porsche with hybrid car technology.

In 2002, Porsche introduced the Cayenne SUV. This also meant opening a new factory in Leipzig, Germany. The Cayenne quickly became a very popular model. In 2004, Porsche also started making the very expensive Carrera GT sports car in Leipzig.

In 2011, Porsche Cars North America moved its headquarters to Aerotropolis, Atlanta. This new facility includes offices and a test track. In 2017, Porsche launched a new service called Porsche Passport. This allows people to subscribe to use Porsche cars and SUVs instead of owning them.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Porsche temporarily stopped making cars in Europe. This was to help prevent the spread of the virus. In 2022, Porsche AG became a publicly traded company on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Porsche and Volkswagen

Porsche has always had a close connection with Volkswagen. This is because Ferdinand Porsche designed the first Volkswagen Beetle.

The two companies have worked together on many cars. In 1969, they made the VW-Porsche 914. The 914-6 had a Porsche engine, while the 914 had a Volkswagen engine. Later, the Porsche 924 used many Audi parts and was built in an Audi factory. The Cayenne SUV, introduced in 2002, shares its base with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7.

How Porsche is Organized

In 2007, the original Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG was renamed Porsche SE. This new company became a holding company, meaning it owned parts of other companies. At the same time, a new company called Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (Porsche AG) was created just for making cars.

By the end of 2015, Porsche SE mainly owned a large part of Volkswagen AG. Volkswagen AG then controls many other car brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche AG itself.

Today, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is a company fully owned by Volkswagen AG. It is responsible for making all the Porsche cars. This includes the Porsche 911, Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne, Macan, and Panamera.

Production and Sales

Porsche's main factory is in Zuffenhausen, a part of Stuttgart. Here, they make the flat-6 and V8 engines. The Cayenne and Panamera models are made in Leipzig, Germany. Some parts for the SUV are also put together in Slovakia.

Porsche has been very successful and makes a lot of profit from each car sold. In 2015, Porsche sold over 218,000 cars worldwide. On May 11, 2017, Porsche built the one-millionth 911 car. This special car, an Irish green Carrera S, will be shown around the world before going to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

In August 2021, Porsche announced plans to open a car assembly plant in Malaysia. This will be their first plant outside of Europe.

What Cars Porsche Makes

Out of the 321,321 vehicles Porsche made in 2022:

• 41,947 were 911 models.
• 18,080 were 718 Boxster/Cayman models.
• 91,117 were Macans.
• 98,113 were Cayennes.
• 35,241 were Panameras.
• 36,823 were Taycan models.

Sales in the U.S.

Porsche set a record for U.S. sales in November 2016, selling over 5,500 cars. This put them on track for their best year ever.

Here are the starting prices for some Porsche models in March 2024:

• 911: $114,400
• 718: $68,300
• Taycan: $99,400
• Panamera: $99,900
• Cayenne: $79,200
• Macan: $78,800

Porsche Car Models

Porsche makes a variety of cars, from sports cars to SUVs.

Current and Past Consumer Cars

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  Porsche Cayman

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  Porsche Boxster

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  Porsche Panamera

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  Porsche Cayenne

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  Porsche Macan

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  Porsche 911

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  Porsche Taycan

Racing Cars

Concept Cars and Prototypes

Porsche Boxster concept car

Tractors

Porsche Diesel Super tractor

Hybrid and Electric Cars

Porsche is also a leader in hybrid and electric vehicles.

• In 2010, they launched the Cayenne S Hybrid.
• In 2013, the Panamera S E-Hybrid was released. This was a plug-in hybrid model.
• The Porsche 918 sports car, launched in 2014, also has a hybrid system.
• In 2014, the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid became the first plug-in hybrid SUV.
• In 2017, Porsche installed its first super-fast charging station. This station can charge an electric Porsche up to 80% in just 15 minutes.
• In 2018, Porsche announced its first all-electric car, the "Taycan". The Taycan went on sale in 2020.

Porsche in Racing

The Martini Racing blue and green colors on a 1970 917K racing car.

Porsche has an amazing record in racing. They have won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race 19 times! Porsche is known as the world's largest maker of race cars. In 2006, they built 195 race cars for different international events.

How to Say "Porsche"

The name "Porsche" comes from the founder's family name, Ferdinand Porsche. In German, it's pronounced "POR-shuh" (with a soft 'sh' sound and a small 'uh' at the end). In English, people often say "PORSH" (like the word "porch").

Porsche's Reputation

Porsche is known for making high-quality cars. In a survey by the Luxury Institute in New York, Porsche was named "the most prestigious automobile brand." This means it was seen as the most respected and admired car brand.

Porsche has also won awards for its quality. It won the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS) in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2014. This study looks at how many problems car owners have in the first 90 days of owning a new car.

Reliability of Porsche Cars

Porsche cars are known for being very reliable. A study in Canada in 2011 found that 97.4% of Porsches made in the last 25 years were still on the road!

In 2014, the Cayman and Boxster models were listed by Consumer Reports as some of the most reliable cars. Germany's Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) has also officially named the Porsche 911 as Germany's most reliable car.

Images for kids

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  Porsche production statistics (2018)

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  Porsche 911 (991)

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  Porsche 911 (964), introduced in 1989

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  Combined badging of the European 914

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  Porsche Design Tower, Stuttgart

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  A 991 in front of the factory in Stuttgart

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  Porsche board members Oliver Blume, Detlev von Platen, Michael Steiner

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  ... Uwe-Karsten Städter, Albrecht Reimold and Andreas Haffner (left to right)

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  Porsche aircraft engine (1958)

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  1952 Porsche 356 K/9-1 prototype

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  The Porsche 912, from the 1960s

See also

In Spanish: Porsche para niños

• List of automobile manufacturers of Germany
• List of Porsche engines
• Porsche Club of America