Porsche History

Porsche Origins

Porsche's origins trace back to 1948 when company founder Ferdinand Porsche founded the brand with a small team of 200. Later that year, the first 52-car run of the Porsche 356 was introduced, and in 1952, the Porsche 550 Spyder proved to be the most popular model in the marque's short history.

Throughout its history, Porsche has developed performance vehicles with luxurious materials and precise engineering. That legacy continues with the current lineup of Porsche vehicles available today.

Porsche Design & Manufacturing

Every new Porsche has been designed based on the legendary 911, and begins as a hand-sketched drawing at the Development Center in Weissach, Germany. All new series production models for the Porsche brand are created in Weissach, from the first sketch all the way up to test runs on the in-house track.

Once they're designed new Porsche models are actually built in a few different cities around the globe. The bulk of new Porsche models are still built in the original factory in Zuffenhausen where they've been made since 1944. In 2000, a second production plant opened in Leipzig, where the first Porsche SUV, the Cayenne, was introduced. Since 2017, the Porsche Cayenne has been made in a plant outside Bratislava, which is where the one-millionth Cayenne was built and shipped.

A tech lab and coming research satellite and Shanghai, plus a local assembly line in Malaysia, prove Porsche's status as a truly global company.

Porsche Nomenclature & Logo

While the Porsche naming system started with an internal numbering code, by the 1990s that convention was relaxed as the company ran out of numbers—though the tradition of three-digit type codes is still maintained in the present. Current model naming conventions are as follows:

• Boxster: A portmanteau from the boxer engine used and the fact that these cars are roadsters

• Carrera: Spanish for racing, the Carrera name was originally the name of the Type 547 four-camshaft engine—but later, Porsche began using Carrera to designate the most powerful engines in its lineup

• E-Hybrid: These models carry an electric motor on board alongside their combustion engines in order to provide more power while emitting less CO2.

• Executive: Panamera Executive cars have stretched bodies, which benefits rear-seat passengers

• GTS: Standing for Gran Turismo Sport, this moniker designates especially sporty and exclusive models of a Porsche series

• RS: RennSport models are road-legal versions of Porsche race cars

• RSR: The RennSport Rennwagen is a purely competition race car

• S: Standing for Super or Sport, these models have a more powerful engine and sporty equipment

• Spyder: This term is reserved for open-topped mid-engined sports cars

• Targa: An open-roofed version of the 911 characterized by its distinctive roll-over protection bar and fixed removable roof section

• Turbo: Designates an engine with an exhaust gas turbocharger for a powerful boost in performance

• 4: Designates a model with all-wheel drive

The Porsche logo is another bit of lore that might have you curious. The Porsche logo may be a badge of luxury today, but originally it was based on the Coat of Arms of the Free People State—an artifact of Porsche's wartime founding.

Become a Part of Porsche History at Porsche Long Beach

Now it's time for you to become a part of this storied marque: finance or lease a new Porsche vehicle from Porsche Long Beach near Belmont Shore and Signal Hill today. Our experts are here to answer all your questions about our Porsche inventory and anything other questions you have, so visit us today.