Discover the tales behind the names assigned to each of the current Porsche models, which include references to everything from tiny crocodiles to historic South American races, as well as more commonplace explanations.
Why are there so many Porsche models with numerical names? What do recognizable names from today, like Cayman and Taycan, mean? Furthermore, why is Porsche even called Porsche? Our in-depth guide discusses the origin of the name “Porsche” for these automobiles. It starts right at the company’s very beginning. What gives Porsche its name? Simply said, it bears Ferdinand Porsche’s name, the name of its originator. The company was founded in 1931 to offer engineering consulting services, and its first significant job was to build a Volkswagen at the request of the German government. The Beetle was so created. Porsche didn’t finish the Type 64, which is considered to be their first automobile, until 1939. By that time, the company had a fascinating numbering system that was well-established.
Every project and order received a sequential number thanks to this internal process. When the total reached 356 in 1948, a crucial milestone had been attained: this was the first time an automobile had ever had its own official brand name assigned to it. It also didn’t end there. Even the most well-known Porsche of them all still features the numbering system on its vehicles today.
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1948–2007: Porsche Historical Background
Porsche continues to be a steadfastly and financially independent manufacturer of high-performance sportscars in an era where the majority of its rivals have been absorbed into larger manufacturers. Because it is what business founders Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferdinand (“Ferry”) set out to build when they first opened shop with 200 employees in 1948, the Porsche name has come to be synonymous with sports vehicles and racecars.
The Volkswagen Beetle was created in 1931 by the senior Porsche, a mechanical engineer with expertise at Daimler-Benz who founded his own independent design and engineering company. He brought a half-century of expertise with innovation, from the practically unbeatable Auto Union Grand Prix automobiles of the 1930s to a four-wheel drive gasoline/electric hybrid car from the turn of the century.
The younger Porsche contributed significantly to the design of the 356—the first Porsche sportscar—and helped the fledgling business flourish. Even though it only had 40 horsepower from a rear-mounted, mildly modified Beetle engine, the first Porsche immediately gained notoriety for its nimble handling and characteristics that were nearly unheard of for sportscars at the time: comfort and reliability.
In the middle of the 1950s, Porsche debuted its own engines alongside more potent versions of the 356. A modern automotive legend, the Porsche 911, followed the 356. The rear-engine 911 evolved over three decades after being introduced in 1964, three years before Porsche unveiled a brand-new 911 Carrera. The 911 S (1967), the 911 Turbo (1974; 1976 in the United States), the first 911 Cabriolet (1983), and the first 911 Carrera 4 with all-wheel drive are all part of the lineage (1990).
Starting with the four-cylinder 924 (1976) and the unrelated 928 (1978) equipped with the company’s first V-8 engine, Porsche developed a number of front-engine vehicles in the 1970s (1978). From the 924, the more potent and sophisticated 944 and 944 Turbo, and then, in the early 1990s, the 968, emerged. Porsche abandoned the 968 and 928 in 1995 in order to concentrate on the development of the mid-engine Boxster and rear-engine 911.
Porsche is also a racing brand, and Porsche vehicles entered competitions practically right away. A rough estimate of 24,000 auto races have been won by Porsche vehicles to date, including more than 50 class victories at Le Mans.
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The German government awarded the company its first significant contract, asking it to create a Volkswagen for the general public. The Beetle was so created. Porsche didn’t finish its first automobile, the 64, until 1939 because other objectives, such as the Kubelwagen, took precedence (a military version of the Beetle).
The name “Porsche” is actually derived from “Boris,” which in turn comes from the Turkic name “Bogoris,” which means “wolf” or “snow leopard.” This is something the video doesn’t mention.
Porsche was appointed chief designer at Austro-Daimler in 1906 before climbing the corporate ladder to become managing director ten years later. Porsche left Austro-Daimler to create his own company in 1927. In 1923, he departed the business after disagreements over the creation of new models. He was hired as the technical director of Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft a few months later. If the corporate name seems familiar, it’s because it combined forces with Benz & Cie to establish Daimler-Benz in 1926. These days, it is better known as Mercedes-parent Benz’s firm, Daimler AG.
Porsche quit the firm in 1929 to work for Steyr Automobile after high-ranking Daimler-Benz officials disapproved of his plan to create a compact, lightweight automobile. Ferdinand Porsche’s position at Steyr was no longer required immediately after the Great Depression (which originated in the U.S.) hit hard, so he went to Stuttgart to launch his own business. What follows is history.
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Even among Americans who own Porsches or 911s and still use the pronoun “Porsh,” ignorance of this matter is understandable. It’s an entirely comprehensible error. Only the 10th most spoken language in the world is German. Russian, Portuguese, and Hindi are spoken by a lot more individuals.
Ferdinand Porsche, the company’s founder and later a Nazi party member who worked for Adolf Hitler, is the name of the automobile engineer who gave Porsche its name. Despite the company’s controversy-filled past, it was nonetheless able to create a dependable, classic sports car and a powerful brand that is now a part of the Volkswagen group. Although the name has been lost in translation, the 911 may be the most recognizable sports automobile of all time.
Even Porsche has produced an explanatory video utilizing a video translator and the definition, “Name of the world famous sports car business,” since it recognizes that the majority of people in the world do not speak German. Porsche doesn’t have any trouble communicating its own brand character. It has panache because of how secretively it is pronounced, as though only those in the know are aware of the German e.
The company’s explainer in the film adopts a warmer tone rather than being haughtily furious about its ambiguous moniker to English-speaking ears “Have you ever wondered how to say Porsche properly? Or do you know someone who incorrectly pronounces it? Tell them about this video, please.” Even comedy can be made from Porsche phonetics. A few years ago, Conan O’Brien parodied the subject in a show.
Marketers of Givenchy, Hermes, and Fage yoghurt should take note that Porsche isn’t the only foreign company that gets misrepresented as an American import.
What is Porsche’s abbreviation?
Porsche automobiles have been given a variety of nicknames throughout history. There are plenty others, including The Widowmaker, Pink Pig, Hippie Porsche, Whale Tail, Baby, and Turbo Panzer. For pretty obvious reasons when you are familiar with the vehicle, Moby Dick is maybe one of the most well-known names for a Porsche racer.
The wild seventies, a time largely dominated by Porsche racers around the globe, saw the introduction of the 1978 Porsche 935/78. It was a factory-developed racer that could outclass even the greatest customer-driven Porsche 935s while continuing to be loosely based on a street-911. The 935/78 automobile had a somewhat bigger engine and introduced water-cooled cylinder heads on an air-cooled block. The new, incredibly long and swooping body and the 3.2 liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine upped power to an astounding 845 horsepower.
Although the car blasted down the lengthy Mulsanne straight at 228 mph (367 kph), which was designed for success at Le Mans, it was unable to take the victory. The car, which was only entered in four races and had the recognizable Martini livery on it in white, has been known as “Moby Dick” ever since. Jochen Mass, a Porsche driver, reconnected with the vehicle at Goodwood a few years ago.
What does the name Porsche mean?
What does “Porsche” actually mean? It’s actually Ferdinand Porsche’s last name, who founded the business. Porsche originally began as an engineering consulting company focused on the automobile sector.
Is Porsche a German word?
Why isn’t it pronounced as a one-syllable word like most, if not all, Americans do (PORSH, a milder version of “porch”)? There are actually two explanations, but the way German words are uttered is the main one. In brief, unlike English, German does not have “silent letters.” Words with a “e” at the end that are not pronounced clearly in English, such as “sharing” and “there,” frequently have a German pronunciation.
Second, unlike the word “Audi,” “Porsche” is unquestionably a German word—indeed, a proper name. In 1931, Ferdinand Porsche founded the company under that name as a design and development consultant. Nearly 20 years later, his son began producing sports vehicles under the Porsche brand.
So there you go, everyone. One syllable: PORE-shuh. We must now discuss how to pronounce “Jaguar.”
How should one pronounce Porsche?
How Do You Pronounce Porsche? Porsche is German; if you’re wondering if it’s Italian, the answer is no. The correct way to pronounce the Italian company name, Porsh, is as a two-syllable word, like this: “Por-shuh.” Alternatively, you may say it like this if you’re into pronunciation guides: “porS” and “porS”
Why is the Porsche Cayenne called that?
This recognizable SUV powerhouse has exceptional performance and excellent handling, making it the kind of car that merits a name with a little zip. Along with the 911 and the Boxster, the Cayenne was at the time Porsche’s third model when it made its début in 2002. The name itself is derived from the hot cayenne pepper, making it a daring and appropriate option for an intrepid traveler with a fiery disposition.
The Porsche emblem features what animal?
Taking cues from Stuttgart Based on two coats of arms, the Porsche emblem crest was created. Based on the coat of arms of Stuttgart, where Porsche was founded, the rearing black horse. The Porsche horse was a logical inclusion given that Stuttgart was established around 950 AD as a horse breeding location.
What is so unique about Porsche?
Behind the rear axle is where the engine is located. The Porsche 911 provides a driving experience that is unmatched by any other vehicle because to the placement of its own engine behind the rear axle. A experienced 911 pilot can drop power earlier in a turn than they would be able to fly any other configuration thanks to the weight distribution that results.
What does Porsche’s GT acronym stand for?
Frank-Steffen Walliser and Mark Webber discuss legendary Porsche vehicles, production models with race roots, and the future of the GT “myth” in the most recent episode of the Porsche Podcast.
Only really rare Porsche vehicles—whether they are the 904 Carrera GTS, 914/6 GT, 911 GT2, 911 GT1, 911 GT3, Carrera GT, or Cayman GT4—get to have the designation “GT” in their names. The two letters normally imply “gran turismo,” which loosely translates as “excellent ride,” but at Porsche, they also stand for “racing with road approval.” The creator of the 911 and 718 model series, which includes the GT cars, Frank-Steffen Walliser, and former racer and Porsche brand ambassador Mark Webber explore the GT mythology in the most recent episode of the podcast.
The new 911 GT3, which among other things achieves remarkable lap times on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, lives up to Porsche’s high GT claim, is a hot topic of discussion for the two. Webber has spent years making fast laps. He remarks, “Sub seven minutes is really astonishing how quick the lap time is. “Racing drivers like a company that embraces challenges. Put the automobile on the most challenging track in the most challenging weather, then start the stopwatch. The stopwatch is unreliable.”