This post is based on the little book by Ulrich von Mende, The
Porsche 911 by Ferdinand Porsche. Verlag form, Design Classics, 1999.
An opening quote: “Many objects are beautiful; many are useful; But only very
few ever enter into history: Design
Classics.”
The following is a frequently cited maxim of Butzi Porsche's grandfather [Ferdinand]: “Aus vollen Hosen ist gut stinken” (loosely translated: “It’s easy to swank
when you’re flush.”)
Butzi Porsche: “Good design does not follow fashion – more the
reverse. The best example is the Beetle
designed by my grandfather Ferdinand. The
Volkswagen was accepted because it was good. And because it dominated the
market for such a long time, it became fashion.
The same is true of the 911. It has always got by without any frills in
terms of design.”
Or to cite an even
shorter F.A. Butzi “soundbite” – “Design should be honest.”
On June 8, 1948, the first Porsche was registered at the Landesbauddirection in Kärnten. At this time family and automotive activities still took place in Gemünd, Austria. On seeing the Porsche
#1, the local inhabitants coined the disparaging term for streamlined bodyshells,
calling it a “bar of soap.”
Porsche #1 |
…this first Porsche came in a stripped-down, rudimentary
streamlined design. Roofless. And with an unframed windshield boasting a
chrome-plated dividing bar the only force opposing the relative wind, such
details as did exist stood out all the more. One poor design feature -- three chrome strips on the
nose, which attempted to give a face to the car. Good: the engine bay
ventilation in this mid-engine model, a form of design which Porsche used in many
racing cars, yet which did not surface again until used in the VW Porsche 914
built from 1969-1975. Running parallel
to the edge of the engine lid towards the rear of the car were the narrowest of
louvers – elegant, formally perfect, and a logical design in technological
terms. The bumpers were characteristic of the later 356 series, like a bulbous
projection completing the bodywork, were already to be seen in the #1.
In the same year, Porsche also built roadsters
without bumpers. The formal shaping of the chassis in the transition to the floor
plan was just as much a mark of the series as was a detail that has been retained
to the present day: the vents on the rear engine lid. A filigree frame, rounded
at the corners, boasted the very finest chrome surrounds to cover the air
intake vents. In either single or twin versions, this trim featured on the back
of all Porsches in the 356 series. Its formal clarity also served as a model
for the large grill element on the rear of the 911… A further design element had
already been premiered in the 356 a: the air vents under chrome bars on the front
turn signals. While oil cooler air intake required such vents only on one side,
they were added to both wings for reasons of symmetry.
With the 1957 hardtop model, the closed Porsche appeared in
a notchback guise, the “B” version of this version with a welded roof and far
bigger windowing area providing Butz Porsche with his first inspiration when
seeking the design for the successor model.
a 356-B T-6 "Twin-grill" Notchback |
After headlights and bumpers had
been raised in the 1959 356 B version, the body’s aerodynamics deteriorated, an
obvious consequence with the streamlined shape now ducking down towards the
road, sending the relative wind under the bodywork. And even smaller changes proved
to be a source of problems. At the time,
Porsche used to test the aerodynamics of different body shells in the very simplest
of forms, without a wind tunnel. Cars were sent racing across the autobahn
bridges and photographed from above. If the woolen threads stuck to the
bodywork produced straight lines in the photos, the aerodynamics were seen as
working, serving to improve the CD factor, yet for a Porsche this was still not
all that outstanding.
an early VW aerodynamically tested with wool tufts |
A flat Porsche creates a small overall aerodynamic drag,
explaining why the first Porsche #1 was able to reach speeds of 140 km/hr with
a 1131 ccm engine and 35 hp.
A further susceptibility shown by Porsche was, as in the
case of many streamlined designs, its side-wind sensitivity. Using tricks such
as front bumper overriders weighted with iron – weight distribution
subsequently being evened up by bringing the battery forward – driving
stability was improved….Up until the time when production was discontinued in
1965 (the 911 having been reviewed in 1963), 76,300 of the 356 series had been
built at prices ranging from DM 10,200 (1950) to DM 25,650 (1965). By way of
comparison the Beetle cost 4,800 in 1950 and DM 4,485 in 1965.
Butzi Porsche was aiming to produce a car that was not too
big, a neutral automobile with quiet yet exciting bodywork lines – basically a
contradiction in terms. A larger wheelbase would provide more pace for a six
cylinder engine and golf clubs, yet one thing Butzi Porsche definitely did not
want was a fastback. He regarded the
fastback version with extended bodyshell as too stodgy-looking. The new model
was to resemble the 356 yet would have a distinctive style of its own. With the
hint of a notchback, his design had drawn closer to the 356 hardtop in formal
terms and featured the thin roof pillars favored by contemporary trends. In the
notchback, the air-cooled flat six engine had enough room to breathe under the
body. The chassis sported details at both the front and rear that were later
adopted by the series: front turn signals, mitiated from circular to strip form
yet with integrated air vents – a motif also intended to feature on the
taillights, though series models were built without rear louvers.
Father Ferry must be commended for his stubbornness in terms of influencing the 911 design. He
insisted on the fastback. Ferry insisted
on his way thus paving the way for the now classical lines of the windows
cutouts when viewed form the side.. No combination of straights and ellipses
blends in so harmoniously with the volume of a fastback as the expanse of glass
serving to prevent what Butzi had feared: the stodgy-looking fastback The 1:1
form study fashioned from over a hundredweight of clay, which, with thrift in
mind, offered two design versions when slit down the middle, still had the
suggestion of a notchback to it.
Juli 1963: First Photo of the 901 prototype: the car was camouflaged with tail |
The Porsche 356 is a extravagance sports car which has been first manufactured by Austrian enterprise Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH (1948-1949), and then simply by German organization Dr . E. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH (1950-1965). It was Porsche's first creation automobile. Previous cars created by the Austrian company incorporate Cisitalia Grand Prix competition car, the Volkswagen Beetle, and Vehicle Union Grand Prix autos.
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