Porsche's Technological Innovations Part 7: Concept 911 Becomes the Brand Symbol

Remembering that the first Porsche was a direct descendant of the Volkswagen Beetle and that the technical philosophy espoused by father, son and grandson Porsche, three Ferdinands who later became Ferdinand, Ferry and Butzi - Alexander's nickname - it is hardly surprising that Porsche, as a Brand, is the embodiment of an evolution that is unparalleled in automotive history. We have seen how the small German sports car was an immediate success on the market. Or rather, on the markets, because in addition to all the European ones, the small 356, in its various versions, even the sportier ones - Carrera being one of their names - had been enthusiastically received in the United States.

Among the early prototypes of the 901, engineers had created camouflaged versions for night-time testing including the “Fledermaus” (bat) for the two fin-like wings on the rear bonnet.

After the decade leading up to the 1960s, after a few abandoned attempts to succeed in making an equally sporty but genuinely four-seater Porsche, Ferry's son Butzi opted for a car that was a more comfortable two-plus-two and decidedly more powerful than its predecessor. For this second aspect, the solution was immediately clear: keep the rear engine cantilevered over the wheels, still air-cooled, with a displacement increased to 2000 cc and capable of 130 horsepower soon increased to 160. On the styling of the bodywork the path was complex and there is no sign of a specific stylist. It was, on closer inspection, a sort of large-scale reinterpretation of the 356 with inspirations that came from the sports cars made by Zagato in collaboration with Abarth on the rear, cars on which Franco Scaglione had also worked.

Next to the Porsche 901 prototype together with the development team pose Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Erwin Komenda and Ferdinand Piëch.

Little does it matter: when the car was unveiled, first as the 901 and soon to become the 911 as Peugeot was found to have filed all three-digit numbers with a zero in between, it had the styling that we still know today. That simple, functional style that over the years has increased its notoriety to become the very symbol of Porsche. There is no need to give it much thought: that style is known to everyone as the very symbol of the Stuttgart sports saloon to the point that when talking about Porsche, it is that very shape that comes to mind even if other models today have far greater output.

The 901 was presented for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963 in a yellow colour and was well received by the public and trade press.

It is a case as interesting as it is unique: no manufacturer has developed its business, moreover as a major player in the racing world, using the same car that has been constantly updated and adapted to the needs of technology and the market for more than sixty years. And don't quote Mini or Fiat 500. Those are examples of the contemporary recovery of the symbolic value of the original model. For Porsche, on the other hand, the journey of the dozens and dozens of versions of the 911 has been the continuous evolution of a technical-stylistic concept that has become immortal. Certainly there are those who have counted models and versions of the 911 in its thousands of declinations, models or unique pieces at times, with so many different engine and technical solutions certainly not even imagined in that distant 1963. A winning and unrepeatable marketing move that shows how technologies can be applied to the same base when talent accompanies ambition.

A silhouette that has become a legend. The 911, the name chosen to end the dispute with Peugeot, which had filed all the numbers with a zero in the middle, still makes people dream.