World class performance sports cars.

Founded in the late 1940's by talented car designer Ferdinand Porsche, Porsche Cars have grown to become one the best loved and most successful sportscar manufacturers in the world. From its humble VW based beginnings the basic Porsche design has evolved through air-cooled "flat six" engined 911 models to the latest water cooled 996 (911) and highly acclaimed Boxter.

PORSCHE (Austria/Germany) 1948 to date

After his post-war release from internment in France, Ferdinand Porsche settled in Gmünd, Austria, where he created the first Porsche cars, with 1086cc. VW-based engines and sporting light alloy roadster bodywork.

However, he found working conditions at Gmünd too difficult, with shortages in materials, components and skilled labour. Porsche cars were then relatively cheap, and demand high, so, after building 50 of this original model 356, Porsche moved to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen in Germany.

The rear-engined model 356 appeared in many guises, with engines from 1096cc to 1966cc; coupés, cabriolets, speedsters and convertibles were offered. It was succeeded by the 1965-69 Porsche 912, with a light-alloy 1582cc engine, still a flat-four; a year earlier, the famous ohc flat-six 1991cc Porsche 911 had made its debut, available from 1969 onwards with larger power units, of which the ultimate development was a 2993cc unit.

From 1972-75, the Carrera was available, with a 2687cc flat-six developing 260 bhp; it was concurrent with the 1969-75 mid-engined Porsche 914, available with fours of 1795cc and 1971cc or the 1991cc six.

The 1979 Porsche range consisted of the front-engined 924, with an in-line water-cooled four-cylinder engine of 1984cc, the rear-engined 911SC, with the 2993cc flat-six in 180 bhp form, the 911 Turbo, with a 3299cc six equipped with Bosch K jetronic fuel-injection, and the front-engined 928, with a 4474cc V-8 power unit.

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