Speed Read Porsche 911: The History, Technology and Design Behind Germany's Legendary Sports Car
160
Speed Read Porsche 911: The History, Technology and Design Behind Germany's Legendary Sports Car
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Overview
Author Wayne Dempsey examines the creation and design of Porsche’s rear-engined wonder, providing an inside look into every aspect of the 911. In sections divided by topic, you'll explore the evolution of the 911 from its initial design to its current form, the story of Porsche 911's racing success, tales of some of the greatest 911s ever produced, and the passionate community that has evolved around the 911 from its earliest days.
Each section ends with a glossary of related terms, and informational sidebars provide fun facts, historical tidbits, and mini-bios of key people. Sleek illustrations brilliantly capture the 911 in its many elegant forms.
With Motorbooks’ Speed Read series, become an instant expert in a range of fast-moving subjects, from Formula 1 racing to the Tour de France. Accessible language, compartmentalized sections, fact-filled sidebars, glossaries of key terms, and event timelines deliver quick access to insider knowledge. Their brightly colored covers, modern design, pop art–inspired illustrations, and handy size make them perfect on-the-go reads.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780760363232 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Motorbooks |
| Publication date: | 09/18/2018 |
| Series: | Speed Read |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 160 |
| File size: | 21 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR
Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche Porsche 356
Butzi Porsche Early 911 Long Hoods (1964 — 1973)
Targa Separating Family from Company G-Series (1974 — 1989)
Cabriolet
964/993 (1989
— 1998)
Peter Schutz The Near Death of the 911
Glossary
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR FERDINAND AND FERRY PORSCHE
FUN FACT
Ferdinand Porsche is credited with creating the world's first hybrid electric car — in 1899! The Lohner-Porsche "Semper Vivus" was essentially an electric car with an internal combustion engine combined with a generator. The car had all-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes — the first of its kind.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
Porsche ofcials inked an important contract in the spring of 1949. As part of an efort by Volkswagen to improve the design of the Beetle, Porsche earned a royalty on every car produced, and gained access to Volkswagen's network of dealers and service centers. Volkswagen also agreed to supply the raw materials for 356 manufacturing. This became a huge windfall for Porsche as more than 20 mil- lion Type I Beetles were built.
KEY PERSON
Aton Piëch was the sonin-law of Ferdinand Porsche. The Piëch and Porsche families feuded for decades.
It all started with Ferdinand, the founder of Porsche and patriarch of the famous family. Ferdinand Porsche founded the Porsche design and consulting firm in 1931. In 1934, under the direction of the German government, he designed the original Volkswagen Beetle. Known as the "people's car" (translated into the term "Volkswagen"), its design was similar to his previous work on the 1931 Zündapp Type 12 car and the Tatra V570, both of which featured a rear-engine design with air-cooled engines.
After World War II, Ferdinand Porsche had difficulty restarting his company in the wake of post-war embargoes and reparations. To assist, Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand's son, took the helm of the company with his sister Louise. In 1948, Porsche built its first car, the original 356, which was a two-seater, open-top roadster with a mid-engine layout. At the same time, they developed the 356/2 — a unibody, rear-engine design that closely echoed the design of the Volkswagen Beetle. Porsche marketed the new 356 sports car to Volkswagen dealers and it proved popular with wealthy customers. About fifty early, handcrafted aluminum cars were built inside a rickety old sawmill in the town of Gmünd. More than 78,000 units were sold over seventeen years of production, establishing the foundation for Porsche's future success.
Ferry Porsche would also kickstart the company's racing efforts. On July 11, 1948, a Porsche 356 made history with a class victory in the Austrian Rund um den Hofgarten, a rally through the residential streets of the ski town of Innsbruck.
In 1972, amid internal family feuding, Ferry Porsche transformed the company from a limited partnership into a public company (see "Separating Family from Company," page 20).
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR PORSCHE 356
FUN FACT
The 356 name reflects that it was engineering project #356 for the design company Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
The first fifty Porsche 356s were built inside of an old sawmill located in the German town of Gmünd. Weighing about 1,400 pounds apiece, the aluminum-bodied Gmünd coupes are known as the lightest of all 356 models.
KEY PERSON
Max Hofman, the US importer for Porsche, convinced Ferry Porsche to design a light- weight, inexpensive model for the American market. Dubbed the 356 Speedster, it was a stripped-down version of the more luxurious cabriolet. An instant success, it was particularly popular with racers who appreciated the lightweight design.
The Porsche 356 was based upon founder Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche's 1948 design of a hand-built, mid-engine cabriolet, and it established the company's reputation for engineering prowess and racing success. The 356 became a German icon and put Porsche's name on the map.
Ferry Porsche was the principle designer of the Volkswagen Beetle, and the similarities between the 356 and the Volkswagen "bug" are numerous. The two cars share their small size, air-cooled rear engine design, two-door configuration, and numerous parts. The Porsche 356 engine is a higher-performance version of the air-cooled Volkswagen Type 1 engine, complete with similar push rods, upright fan cooling, center-mounted camshaft, and big, air-cooled cylinders.
The shape of the 356 has evolved slightly over the years, but its signature design element — the sloping rear deck over the engine bay — endured and foreshadowed the look and feel of the Porsche 911 in future years. The 356 was lightweight, nimble, well designed, and well constructed. Although very expensive at the time, the 356 earned a large following; Porsche ultimately sold approximately 76,000 units from 1948 to 1965. As with the early Porsche 911, the 356 has a unique cachet with owners who appreciate the German engineering, handling, and overall uniqueness of the car.
The Porsche 901 (soon to be renamed the 911) made its debut at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show and was a natural evolution of the 356 design; Porsche needed to alter the chassis and expand the engine compartment to make room for the more powerful six-cylinder "Mezger" engine developed for the 911.
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR BUTZI PORSCHE
FUN FACT
The fifty-seven-story-tall Porsche Design Tower that opened in Sunny Isles, Florida, in 2017 features a robotic parking garage elevator that transports residents' cars right to their apartments.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
The first Porsche Design product was the Chronograph 1, the world's first all-black wristwatch. It was designed to resemble the dashboard gauges of the 1974 Porsche 911.
KEY PERSON
Wendelin Wiedeking is the Porsche CEO who oversaw the company's return from a protracted decline. Butzi Porsche was chairman of the supervisory board at the time Wiedeking was hired.
I'm guessing when they flunked Ferdinand Alexander Porsche out of design school, they had no idea he would go on to design the world's most recognizable sports car. After leaving school, Ferdinand, best known as F. A. or Butzi, joined the family business and went on to design the Porsche 904 and Porsche 911.
Butzi got his start at the Porsche workshop, spending Sundays watching his father and grandfather solve engineering issues. After a hiatus from Germany during World War II, Butzi returned to attend the Ulm School of Design, but didn't make it past the first semester. He joined the family's company in 1957, just as redesign work was starting on the flagship 356; this design would ultimately become the 911. Butzi is credited with designing and sculpting a Plasticine model that was well received by his father and others in the design department. But politics intervened. Erwin Komenda, the head of Porsche's body design department, preferred the designs of Graf Goertz (designer of the BMW 507), and didn't cooperate with the implementation of young Butzi's design. The model was built across the street by coachbuilder Reutter instead.
Ousted by Ferry Porsche in a 1972 family shake-up, Butzi started his own firm, Porsche Design Studio, in Zell, Austria. The new company designed industrial and consumer products including sunglasses, luggage, watches, and electronics. Porsche Design proved to be immensely successful, and it merged with Porsche AG in 2003, but remained an independent division and performed design work for other clients.
Butzi returned to Porsche AG as chairman of the supervisory board in 1990, a time when the company was suffering from slow sales and stale models. He spearheaded the hiring of talented new management that oversaw the introduction of the Boxster and the modernization of the company's assembly lines.
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR EARLY 911 LONG HOODS (1964–1973)
FUN FACT
The ignition switch is on the left side of the steering wheel in Porsche vehicles, a throwback to racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the race's early years, drivers had to run to their cars, start them, and pull away. Porsche learned that placing the ignition switch on the left-hand side let drivers start and shift at the same time, saving precious seconds at the start.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
The first cars weren't called the 911, they were called the 901. However, Porsche learned that in many key markets, Peugeot held the trademark on car names with a zero as the middle digit. Porsche changed the name of the car to 911 before the cars were sold to the public.
KEY PERSON
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was credited with the original Porsche 911 design.
The first-generation 911 models hold a special place in many owners' hearts. These early models are typically referred to as "long hoods," mainly because the hood was shortened in 1974 due to new bumper regulations. When the first 911 was released to the public in 1964, early 2.0-liter engines were considered very robust. But with 130 horsepower, they were not considered terribly quick. In 1967, Porsche released the first performance version, the 1967 911 S, which sported Fuchs alloy wheels for the first time and delivered about 25 percent more horsepower than the base model 911.
For 1968, three different performance levels were available: the 911 T with a detuned version of the engine), the 911 L (similar to the previous year's base engine), and the 911 S (top of the line in horsepower). These three strata of 911 performance were available until 1973 (with the 911 L being renamed the 911 E in 1969). All three were nearly identical except for trim, engine options, and fuel injection systems, and halfway through 1973, Porsche switched the fuel injection on the 911 T to CIS (Continuous Injection System), creating a half-year oddball model.
These early 911s were once considered underpowered, rust-prone, and generally primitive compared to later models such as the 911SC and Carrera. However, their collectability has in recent years increased, catapulting the long hood's desirability to the top of the 911 food chain. These early cars are now the most valuable and most sought-after, with upscale auction houses often selling well-preserved examples for six-figure sums.
One legend in the 911 world involves the 911 ST. Although the factory never of_cially labeled any 911 as a 911 ST, the designation generally refers to specially ordered cars that were ordered with a 911 S drivetrain, and 911 T (lightweight) trim. These 911 ST cars were often spec'd out by privateer racing teams.
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR TARGA
FUN FACT
The standard, metal-framed Targa top folds down to about half its original size to fit inside the trunk up front. A hard-shell Targa top was an option for 1974 and 1975 only, making it a rare and highly sought-after option. Although the hard top will not fold or fit in the front trunk, it is better at insulating the cabin from wind noise.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
The winner of the Targa Florio race received the "Targa d'oro," which is Italian for "golden plate" or "plaque." Porsche participated in this race from 1956 to 1973 and won it eleven times.
KEY PERSON
Vincenzo Florio was the founder of the Targa Florio race in Sicily.
When launched in 1965, the Porsche 911 was only available as a coupe. With the previous 356 model, Porsche had sold many open-top cars (called cabriolets), and the public clamored for a 911 equivalent. However, the mid-1960s were a time of uncertainty for the automotive industry. Ralph Nader's book Unsafe at Any Speed had called attention to shortcomings in car safety, and convertibles, which lacked rollover protection, were targeted as potentially unsafe.
With convertible design legislation pending, Porsche set out to develop an alternative. Thus, in 1967, the 911 Targa was born. Porsche named this innovative body style after the famous race on the island of Sicily, the Targa Florio. A large roll bar was located just rearward of the doors, replacing the typical B-pillars of a coupe. The rear window of early models was made of canvas and clear plastic, and these cars were called "soft window Targas." A year later in 1968, Porsche ditched the canvas and replaced it with a solid glass rear window.
The fixed-window Targa design was produced until 1994, when the new 993 was introduced. In 1996, the Porsche 911 Targa (993) featured a unique redesign that replaced the distinctive roll bar with a large, panoramic glass roof that slid backward to effectively create a large sunroof. This design continued with the 996 and 997, with Porsche adding the ability to open the glass like a hatchback. Finally, in 2014, Porsche returned to its roots, creating a retro-look Targa that featured the classic Targa bar design. This model incorporated a complex mechanism that stowed the roof under the fixed rear glass window and engine lid.
Targa fans are passionate about their cars and love the open-air motoring without the drawbacks of extremely windy conditions.
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR SEPARATING FAMILY FROM COMPANY
FUN FACT
Although F. A. "Butzi" Porsche was not allowed to hold a management position at the company, he returned in 1990 to lead the supervisory board, and directed the company's turn-around.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
While the failure of Porsche's audacious take-over strategy resulted in chaos and uncertainty within the company, the reality ten years later is that the merger with Volkswagen was beneficial to both companies. Volkswagen gained access to Porsche's higher profit margins, and Porsche gained access to Volkswagen's engineering prowess.
KEY PERSON
Christian Wulf, premiere of the German state of Lower Saxony, held a 20 percent stake in Volkswagen in 2008 when Porsche's takeover bid collapsed. Wulf joined forces with Piëch and German chancellor Angela Merkel and was instrumental in diverting the emir of Qatar's billions away from Porsche AG.
Up until the early 1970s, Porsche was a family-run business. But in 1972, amid family conflict, Dr. Ferry Porsche made changes to convert the company into a partly shareholder-owned corporation, Porsche AG. This massive change meant company management would be chosen solely based on performance, not family heritage, and there were some downsides. At least some of the Porsche family members were quite good at what they did, and the changes at Porsche caused them to leave. For example, F. A. "Butzi" Porsche left and founded his own company, Porsche Design Studio.
Ferdinand Piëch, who had been instrumental in developing Porsche's engineering department, also left to join Audi-NSU, where he would excel and end up leading the entire VW-Audi conglomerate. Replacing Piëch was Ernst Fuhrmann, who firmly believed Porsche's racing cars should be derived from current production cars, which was good news for the 911.
The events of 1972 set the stage for an epic showdown in 2008 between Ferdinand Piëch and Wendelin Wiedeking, the CEO of Porsche. In a bold, aggressive move, starting in mid-2005, Porsche AG began acquiring options to purchase shares of Volkswagen. Wiedeking used Porsche's credit to borrow heavily to purchase the shares and options. In 2008, following an economic downturn, Porsche faced a liquidity crisis when banks refused to lend it any more money. Wiedeking turned to the emir of Qatar for assistance, but the deal was scuttled by Piëch, who convinced the emir to invest directly in Volkswagen instead. The ironic result of this battle was a cash-starved, debt-laden Porsche AG, which was forced to agree in 2009 to a corporate takeover by Volkswagen in one of the decade's most bizarre financial stories.
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR G-SERIES (1974–1989)
FUN FACT
When Porsche discontinued the Porsche 914, it felt the need to fill the low-priced niche in the lineup. So for 1976 only, it revived the Porsche 912, which was essentially a 911 with a four-cylinder engine borrowed from the 914/4 line.
HISTORICAL TIDBIT
In 1967, Porsche needed a special, lightweight alloy wheel for the 911 R and the 911 S production model. The Otto Fuchs Metall company worked closely with Porsche to develop a multiple-step forging process that created a very strong, relatively lightweight wheel. The result was the iconic Porsche 911 windmill-style design.
KEY PERSON
Peter Schutz, as the new Porsche CEO in 1981, reversed the board's decision to cancel the 911 and revived the model. The board had believed the 911 was an anachronism and had outlived its usefulness.
The mid-1970s were difficult years for the Porsche 911 in America. Impact bumpers added heft and weight, and emissions equipment curtailed engine life. The 1974–1977 engines had a magnesium block that was prone to overheating and oil leaks, and required expensive repairs. In 1975–1976, Porsche set the stage in Europe for a huge upgrade with both the Euro Carrera 3.0 and the 911 Turbo. With a few minor changes, the Euro Carrera was rebranded for the US market in 1978 as the 911SC.
The 911SC is a great 911 model. By the time of its debut, 911 design was well re_ned and the cars were reliable, sporty, and just plain fun. With its CIS-injection and warm-up circuits, it was the _rst Porsche 911 you could simply hop in and turn the key to start it up — no pumping of the gas pedal or pulling hand throttles required. The 911SC bodies were galvanized so they didn't rust as much as earlier 911s. The well-developed 3.0-liter engine in the 911SC could run for hundreds of thousands of miles between rebuilds — if a few minor reliability updates were made (namely, improved chain tensioners, and an air box pop-off valve). About 58,000 911SCs were produced, with about 25,000 sent to North America, so 911SC models remain relatively plentiful and reasonably priced compared to earlier 911s. I recommend a well-sorted 911SC to a prospective 911 buyer all day long. The 1984 Carrera that followed is a further re_nement of the 911SC. The 3.2-liter motor produced about 27 more horsepower, and the 1987 and later models feature the bee_er G50 transmission. These are great cars, and nearly identical to earlier 911SCs. Now that both series are fairly old, the best car to buy is going to depend on an individual car's overall condition.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Speed Read Porsche 911"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
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Table of Contents
SECTION 1,
INTRODUCTION, 6,
SECTION 1,
THE PEOPLE'S SPORTS CAR, 8,
Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche, 10,
Porsche 356, 12,
Butzi Porsche, 14,
Early 911 Long Hoods (1964–1973), 16,
Targa, 18,
Separating Family from Company, 20,
G-Series (1974–1989), 22,
964/993 (1989–1998), 26,
Peter Schutz, 28,
The Near Death of the 911, 30,
Glossary, 32,
SECTION 2,
WASSERBOXER,
A NEW KIND OF 911, 34,
Emissions Regulations, 36,
Harm Lagaay, 38,
The Boxster Saves the 911 and Porsche 40,
Wendelin Wiedeking, 42,
996/997, 44,
991, 46,
Carrera, 48,
Glossary, 50,
SECTION 3,
PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE,
ANATOMY OF A 911, 52,
German Engineering, 54,
Rear Engine, 56,
Air Cooling, 58,
Hans Mezger, 60,
Suspension, 62,
Aerodynamics and,
the Silhouette of the 911, 64,
All-Wheel Drive, 68,
Water Cooling, 70,
Anachronism or,
Technological Marvel?, 72,
Glossary, 74,
SECTION 4,
DOING IT IN THE ROAD,
ROAD RACING THE 911, 76,
Road Racing, 78,
911 R, 80,
911 RSR/934, 82,
935, 84,
Peter Gregg, IMSA Champion, 86,
911 GT1, 88,
911 GT3 RS/SUPERCUP, 90,
Hurley Haywood, Daytona Champion, 92,
Glossary, 94,
SECTION 5,
DOING IT IN THE DIRT,
RALLY RACING THE 911, 96,
Rally Racing, 98,
Monte Carlo/Vic Elford, 100,
911 Safari Rally, 102,
Paris-Dakar Rally, 104,
Pikes Peak and Jeff Zwart, 106,
Group B, 108,
Glossary, 110,
SECTION 6,
SPECIAL EDITIONS & TUNER CARS,
THE ULTIMATE 911S, 112,
1973 911 Carrera RS, 114,
Flat Nose Turbo, 116,
The Singer, 118,
Engineering Marvel: Porsche 959, 120,
A Classic Reincarnated: 911 Speedster, 122,
The World's Fastest Car: RUF & the Yellow Bird, 124,
RAUH-Welt Begriff, 126,
Ultimate Performance: GT2 & GT3, 128,
Daytona Tribute: Brumos 997 & GT3, 130,
Norbert Singer, 132,
Glossary, 134,
SECTION 7,
PORSCHE 911 COMMUNITY,
AND CULTURE, 136,
Stuttgart, 138,
R Gruppe, 140,
Porsche Club of America/Club Racing, 142,
Dutch National Police Prowler, 144,
Rennsport Reunion, 146,
Track Days, 148,
Nürburgring, 152,
Glossary, 154,
INDEX, 156,