Porsche 912

The story of the Porsche family is one of passion. It all started with Ferdinand Porsche, a brilliant engineer who invented the company’s first electric vehicle for the 1900 Paris Exposition. He later passed down the torch to his only son, Ferry Porsche. When taking time out from his work as a gifted engineer, Ferry took great pleasure in test-driving the cars until his father stopped him, stating “I have enough drivers, but only one son.” The Porsche brand is synonymous throughout the world with speed and allure, symbolising, for many, the ultimate sports car.

As a young boy, Ferry Porsche’s son Ferdinand “Butzi” Alexander made cars out of modelling clay and, naturally enough, he later left his own mark on the Porsche story by way of the 911. Using his own pencil sketches to help bring the 911 to life, Butzi designed a model that would go on to widen the attraction of the Porsche brand.

Offering significantly better handling and smoother grip on the road than the 356, the 911 quickly became a favourite among celebrity enthusiasts of the German manufacturer, such as Steve McQueen and Herbert von Karajan. The Porsche 911 and 912 foreshadowed competition victories for later models like the Porsche 917, the first Porsche to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, thus fulfilling one of Ferry Porsches greatest wishes.