Few names in the auto industry are as synonymous with performance and greatness as Porsche. Over the last century, Porsche has produced some of the greatest German cars of all time, including the iconic 911 that defines what sports cars should be like, the record-breaking 918 Spyder, or the latest entrant to the EV space - the Taycan. People love Porsches for their advanced technologies, excellent driving dynamics, and the fact that most of them can survive for decades while looking and performing as good as new.
Porsche's long, beautiful story is full of bits and pieces that not many people know about. Let's explore some interesting facts about this beloved German brand and its amazing cars.
10 Porsche Developed The Volkswagen Beetle
In 1934, Adolf Hitler ordered Ferdinand Porsche, who was the chairman of Volkswagen at the time, to build a car that all citizens could afford. Hitler believed that all German citizens should be able to afford a basic car capable of transporting two parents and their three children at a speed of 62 mph.
Porsche immediately came up with the Beetle and even built the prototype in his own home. The Beetle eventually became one of the best-selling cars of all time, with more than 23 million units sold.
9 The Porsche 911 Was Initially Called The Porsche 901
The Porsche 911 is one of the greatest sports cars ever built and Porsche's most successful car. Since 1963, Porsche has produced more than 1 million 911s across seven generations. However, the 911 name almost never came to be.
The 911 initially had a different name - the 901. Peugeot objected to the name, claiming they had the exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle. Avoiding unnecessary confrontation, Porsche responded by simply changing the 0 to 1.
8 Ferdinand Porsche Designed The World's First Fully Electric Vehicle
Most gearheads think that the fantastic Taycan is Porsche's first-ever fully electric car. They don't know that back in 1899, Ferdinand Porsche built what automotive historians consider the first fully electric automobile - the Lohner-Porsche. This was more than a century before Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Model S.
Porsche entered the Lohner-Porsche into the 1900 Paris World Exhibition, where it was recognized as the most innovative invention at the show. The Lohner-Porsche had hub-mounted electric motors - similar to those used in some of the fastest modern electric cars - that were powered by lead-acid batteries. Unfortunately, the Lohner-Porsche was never mass-produced.
7 Porsche Makes Other Products
The only thing that pops into most people's heads when someone mentions the word "Porsche" is cars. However, Porsche makes other products apart from cars, including farming tractors, forklifts, and aircraft engines.
Another awesome but unlikely Porsche product is an $8,500 state-of-the-art grill. Dubbed the X-Series 2, this grill was brought to life by the Porsche Design Studios. This grille comes with some of the latest technology - for example, it uses infrared technology instead of charcoal or gas. It also has an LED display, a remote thermometer, a rechargeable battery pack, and plenty of cooking space.
6 The 1982 Porsche 956 Is The Most Expensive Porsche Of All Time
One of the best qualities of Porsche cars is their amazing build quality. Porsches can survive for decades in pristine condition, which explains why classic Porsches command such high prices at auctions. Of all the Porsches ever sold at an auction, the Porsche 956 is the most expensive, having sold for a whopping $10,120,000 in 2015.
This particular car was exceptional, as it was the winner of the 1993 Le Mans race. It was also the third of only ten 956s ever built, making it even more desirable.
5 The Porsche And Ferrari Logos Are Similar
Looking at Porsche and Ferrari logos, one can clearly spot one similarity - the prancing horses on both logos look the same. However, there's a good reason for this, and it is tied to the German city of Stuttgart's coat of arms.
Since it was founded in Stuttgart, Porsche thought it would be a good idea to honor its hometown by including the horse from the coat of arms in its logo. On the other hand, Enzo Ferrari got the idea to use the horse from Countess Paolina Barracca - whose son was a WW1 pilot, flying a plane with Stuttgart's horse painted on the side.
4 Porsche Has Won Over 24,000 Races
Porsche has proven time and time again that it can produce some extremely quick cars that can annihilate any competition both on the road and the track. Porsche's success in developing race cars has been unmatched over the years, having won more than 24,000 races.
For instance, Porsche cars have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 19 times - more than any other automaker. Porsche has been successful in many other motorsport branches, including the World Rally Championships, Formula One, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and more.
3 Porsche Is The King Of Customization
When a person wants to customize a new car, they usually have to search for aftermarket parts, hoping that they'll be compatible and effective. This is not the case for a Porsche - when a customer wants to modify their new car, Porsche can do it for them.
Porsche has an exclusive customization shop in Stuttgart that will customize any Porsche vehicle for a customer. Porsche will do anything the customer wants, provided they have the money for it, but there are some exceptions - the customizations must be legal and safe.
2 The Porsche Cayenne Set A World Record For Towing An Airplane In 2017
When Porsche introduced the Cayenne in 2003, it instantly became their best-selling vehicle and is still considered to be one of the best SUVs available today. People love the Cayenne for its space, speed, and the fact that it is one of the most powerful vehicles in existence - so powerful that it can tow a 285-ton airplane.
In 2017, a standard Cayenne set a new world record when it used its 385 horsepower to tow an Air France Airbus A380 for a 42-meter distance. This is an impressive feat, considering that the Airbus A380 is the largest passenger airplane in the world.
1 Porsche Is The 57th Most Valuable Brand In The World
According to Forbes, Porsche is the 57th most valuable brand in the world, currently valued at $12.1 billion. Porsche has a long list of top-rated cars on sale today across multiple categories, which explains why it makes so much money.
Porsche also has the highest profit per unit sold of any automaker in the world. On average, Porsche makes $23,200 from each car sold, which is a higher profit margin than Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin, and other luxury car brands.