Ferdinand Porsche. "Beetle" and not only

Ferdinand Porsche is often called one of the most talented designers in the history of the automotive industry. He is the creator of "Beetle" - the most mass model in the history of the automotive industry. But the "Beetle" his achievements are not limited to, we will tell you about the biography of this remarkable man and his models



Interestingly, the outstanding German designer Ferdinand Porsche was born on September 3, 1875 is not in Germany. Maffersdorf town at the time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A young boy from childhood showed significant interest in the technical sciences. Suffice it to mention that in the 15 years he has created its own generator, through which you can feed the whole house electricity. And for Maffersdorfa it was an extraordinary luxury - in those days electricity was only in the house of the mayor of the city



His working career began pupil Ferdinand Porsche tinsmith in the company of his father. But it was clear that the boy is capable of much. It is not surprising that Ferdinand went to Vienna and began to attend lectures at the local Technical University. Along the way, he works for a small company on the construction of electric motors. Of course, not yet designer - a young man initially tasked to do the cleaning in the room. But waving a broom he had to do for long.

Already in 1898, Ferdinand takes a job at Lohner, and he started his work on large projects. For example, in 1900 at the Paris Motor Show was shown a car that was ahead of its time. We are talking about a car called the Lohner-Porsche, which was ... electric vehicle.



Moreover, electric motors were placed in the front wheel hub. And that in 1900! Therefore it is not surprising that child 25 year old boy was recognized as the best car show. In the same 1900 Porsche upgrades his creation, equip it also petrol engine. In fact, Porsche has designed the world's first hybrid! After that the meteoric rise of Ferdinand career. In 1906, he became technical director of Austro-Daimler. At the age of 31, he is responsible for the entire range of the huge automotive company.

While Ferdinand was truly happy. He had a favorite work, gathered a cohesive team of like-minded people, in the presence of all the necessary tools to create new machines. And with the personal life of Ferdinand's nice - in 1903 he married a pretty girl Aloysia Kayes, who met for more than two years. Soon the young family the child is born - a girl named Louise. And six years later gave birth to Aloysius and boy, who was named after his father Ferdinand. And in order to avoid confusion, the child in the family called none other than Ferry - later he successfully continue his father's work.



After Ferdinand became the leader of Austro-Daimler, it became apparent that most engineers interested in racing cars. He is building a huge number of sports cars, which each time go faster and faster, bringing new victories. If in 1909 in the competition for prizes Prince Henry's car Ferdinand finished second, already in 1910, a team of Austro-Daimler celebrated absolute victory - all of the first three places. Moreover, in this race proved to be a designer and even as a skilled pilot, as the first car he was driving by yourself! There is one more rather curious fact - a mechanic at Porsche in the race are young boy Joseph, who would soon become famous as the leader of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito.



At the end of the First World War, Ferdinand moved from Austria to Stuttgart, becoming technical director has the entire group Daimler. Here he creates cars that brought the famous brand Mercedes. That he created the famous Mercedes Compressor 20-ies!



But Daimler did not limit career Ferdinand. After several years of Porsche dismissed out and opens his own campaign. So in 1931, and the company is born with a long but meaningful name: "Design and consultation on the development of engines and automotive industry." Lack of orders from the talented designer was not observed, because by that time he was already a well-known automobile designer in Europe.



Popularity has reached such a level that Ferdinand Porsche even offered to take the post of Minister of the USSR .... This is not a joke, in 1932 Porsche with his son at the invitation of Stalin arrives in Soviet Russia. In the literal comfortable car they go round all the large-scale Soviet construction 30s. Apparently Stalin was going to hit Porsche scope and possible prospects, because Ferdinand was originally granted carte blanche for all future work. But Porsche still decided not to tie his life with the Russian



In the first half of the 30s Ferdinand is taken for the creation of his most famous creation - the first national car. First order for the construction of cheap cars it gives motorcycle company Zundapp, but this project due to lack of funds was later covered. After appearing on the political front, the National Socialist project car for the common people again has been further developed. In 1934, Ferdinand puts his own idea of ​​creating VolksWagen, supported by the new authorities in Germany. "The German workers will not get to work on foot. Thanks to National Socialism they will have their own car "- exclaimed Hitler during his performances.



Already in 1935, Ferdinand shows the first samples of the new car, and in 1936 built the factory for the creation of this model. Interestingly, for its creation was started collecting money from ordinary people. Invented by the Nazis program assumes that the weekly work will be translated into a special account 5 marks. As a result, after 3 years 8 months he has accumulated to 990 marks, which would buy a car called the KdF («Strength through Joy»).



More than 300,000 Germans seriously believe that over 990 brands of new German authorities will give them a new car. But their aspirations for a brighter future car was not able to come true. The war began, and those few hundred KDF, collected at the time, were transferred to the top rung of the Third Reich.



Some say that Porsche really helped Nazi Germany in the war, inventing tanks "Tiger" and "King Tiger" .In 1944, the Soviet press even published a note by writing, August 12, Second Lieutenant A. Os'kin undermined the brand new "Royal Tiger" driven by Ferdinand Porsche himself. Argued that the designer was so confident in his tank neprobivaemosti that he sat at the controls of combat vehicle (Soviet journalists are not embarrassed that Porsche in 1944 was already 69 years old, and he physically could not be decided on such a thing). However, a more detailed study of the question suggests that the very talented designer was impossible to create military equipment! Yes, Porsche Design Bureau participated in the tender for the creation of this machine, but created by Ferdinand tank proved to be worse than the tank from the company Henschel. A "Royal Tiger" designer only developed one of the options of the tower.



Germany's defeat in the war greatly hurt the family Porsche. And not just because the Allies defeated the headquarters of designers, because of what was destroyed in the fire of the whole archive with the drawings. In 1945, French authorities arrested a father and son Porsche - accusing them of active collaboration with the Nazi regime, the employment of prisoners of war and the issuance of the Gestapo Resistance fighters who tried to sabotage the production of military equipment.

Below is a unique picture. Here Ferdinand Porsche, together with his nephew Ferdinand Pihom and grandson Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (left) study model of the new Porsche 356. In the future, these two boys have played an important role in the development of the global automotive industry.



November 19, 1950 Ferdinand Porsche suffered a stroke, and January 30, 1951 his heart stopped. But before his death at the Porsche was a few happy moments. He saw how you started the mass production of its "Zhukov". And most importantly, she and her son had to create a car called 356. He was the first production car new company Porsche!

The photo Porsche Jr. and new car badged 356



But it is the legendary Volkswagen "Beetle", the most popular car in the history of the automobile

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