Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the man who brought the 911 into the world, died at the age of 76 on Thursday in Salzburg, Austria, with no cause of death being announced.
The 911 is one of the most famous, if not THE most famous sports car in automotive history. The car’s legacy lives on to this very day with its latest modern incarnation, the 991.
Porsche grew up in the auto industry during tough times. His grandfather designed the original Volkswagen Beetle in the 1930s as well as tanks that were used by the Germans in World War II.
Ferdinand lead Porsche’s design team from 1962 to 1972 and is credited with developing the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS racing car. The man witnessed seven generations of the 911 come to the world.
“He founded a culture of design in our company that distinguishes our sports cars even today.” were Porsche CEO Matthias Müller’s comments after hearing the sad news.
Our deepest condolences go to Ferdinand’s family and all Porsche fans around the globe.
