MEGA FACTORIES: PORSCHE
Ferdinand Porsche was a self-taught automotive designer and engineer. In 1900, at the age of 25, he designed the first hybrid gasoline-electric car for an Austrian company. Then in the ‘30s he sold the German government on his dream of a small, simple car that would be affordable for the masses. That car became the Volkswagen Beetle.
Post-war shortages forced Porsche to use components from the Volkswagen Beetle – the rear-mounted, air-cooled four-cylinder engine, the gear box and the suspension – to realize his next car. The car that emerged in 1948 was the Porsche 356. More than 75,000 were made over the course of 15 years.
Since 1964, every 911 ever built has been made at Porsche’s factory in Stuttgart, Germany.
The factory produces around 40 Boxters, about 110 Porsche 911s and approximately 500 engines daily.
Porsche builds 16 versions of the Porsche 911, including the 911 GT3 which delivers 435 horsepower.
Each 911 has around 5,000 welds.
Over 4 decades, the design of the 911 has been updated just five times – resulting in six generations.
The most popular colours for a Porsche are black, white and red, but Porsche can custom paint a car any colour (for a fee).
The plant makes more than 20 different versions of its 6-cylinder engine ranging from 255 to 535 horsepower
Brought to you by: National Geographic
