The History of Porsche
Porsche AG is a German car manufacturer that specialises in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche and his son, Ferry, in 1948 with 200 workers in their first shop.
Ferdinand Porsche had by this point already designed the Volkswagen Beetle and used it as a framework for the Porsche 64 in 1939. Porsche Sr. brought a significant amount of innovation to the company, turning a four-wheel drive gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle into the unbeatable Auto Union Grand Prix car of the 1930s.
Porsche Jr. had an instrumental role in designing Porsche's first sports car, the 356. Using a Beetle engine, the first Porsche became famous for its agile handling, as well as its comfort and reliability. However, this would not be the last legacy car to come from Porsche. The introduction of their own engines in the 1950s was the step to launching the Porsche 911 - a model that evolved over three decades to form an impressive line-up; the 911 S (1967), the 911 Turbo (1974), the 911 Cabriolet (1983) and the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 (1990).
Porsche introduced a series of front-engine models in the 1970s, starting with the four-cylinder 924 (1976). From the Porsche 924 came the more powerful and sophisticated 944 and 944 Turbo, and finally the 968 in the early 1990s. Porsche retired both the 968 and 928 in 1995 to focus on the development of the rear-engine 911 and mid-engine Boxster.
The brand name Porsche is also synonymous with racing, due to the cars’ speed and agility on the course. To date, Porsches have won approximately 24,000 races around the world, with more than 50 class wins at Le Mans.
In 2019, Porsche debuted the Taycan, their first fully electric vehicle, demonstrating the company’s acknowledgement of their responsibility to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions. The Porsche Taycan's interior is entirely digitalised, with up to four displays, including a curved 16.8-inch configurable driver's display - a real modern statement from Porsche.
With pick up locations across the UK including major city airports, hiring a Porsche from Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Birmingham has never been easier.