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Porsche

Porsche originated as Ferdinand Porsche's engineering office, opened in Stuttgart in 1931, and the first sports car bearing the Porsche name, the 356 'No. 1' Roadster, followed in 1948. Porsche AG has been publicly listed since 2022, with Volkswagen AG indirectly holding 75 percent minus one share of its ordinary shares.1,2

Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster (Sport 356/1)
Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster (Sport 356/1)
Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
169Cars documented
10Individual chassissee each car
1931Founded

Model lines

Rare versions grouped by model line. Open a line to see every version and rare factory colour by generation and model year.

911 77 rare versions · 1967–2025

All 911 versions →

356 13 rare versions · 1948–2000

All 356 versions →

924 10 rare versions · 1978–1988

All 924 versions →

Boxster 6 rare versions · 2016

All Boxster versions →

928 4 rare versions · 1981–1989

All 928 versions →

944 4 rare versions · 1986–1988

All 944 versions →

718 3 rare versions · 1957–1961

All 718 versions →

959 3 rare versions · 1985–1987

All 959 versions →

Cayman 3 rare versions ·

All Cayman versions →

Other cars

Open a car to see its production figures, specifications and individual chassis.

Specialists building on Porsche

Independent manufacturers and tuners whose rare cars are based on Porsches. Each keeps its own page with its history.

Germany 9ff

Read the history and more details about 9ff →

Germany Dauer

Read the history and more details about Dauer →

Germany Gemballa

Read the history and more details about Gemballa →

Germany Kremer

Read the history and more details about Kremer →

Germany RUF

Read the history and more details about RUF →

Australia Schuppan

Read the history and more details about Schuppan →

Key facts

Founded
1931 (Ferdinand Porsche's engineering office, Stuttgart); first Porsche-named sports car (356 'No. 1' Roadster) 19481 Independently researched
Founder
Ferdinand Porsche1,2 Independently researched
Headquarters
Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany1,2 Independently researched
Parent company
Volkswagen AG (indirectly holds 75.0% minus one of Porsche AG's ordinary shares; Porsche Automobil Holding SE holds 25.0% plus one)3 Independently researched

History

Ferdinand Porsche's engineering office opened at Kronenstrasse 24 in Stuttgart in 1931, during the global economic crisis, and moved in 1938 to a dedicated building in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. After a wartime move to Gmünd, Austria, the first sports car bearing the Porsche name, the 356 'No. 1' Roadster with chassis number 356-001, was developed in 1948. Series production of the 356 began in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen in March 1950, and Ferdinand Porsche died on 30 January 1951. The 901, first shown in 1963, was renamed 911 in 1964 and entered series production. In 1970 a 917 KH gave Porsche its first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and on 29 September 2022 Porsche AG completed its initial public offering.

1,2

Milestones

  1. 1931
    Ferdinand Porsche's engineering office opened in Stuttgart.1
  2. 1948
    The 356 'No. 1' Roadster, chassis 356-001, became the first sports car under the Porsche name.1
  3. 1951
    A 356 SL won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.1
  4. 1964
    The 901, first shown in 1963, was renamed 911 and entered series production.1
  5. 1970
    A Porsche 917 KH achieved the brand's first overall victory at Le Mans.1
  6. 1985
    The 959 super sports car was presented as a showcase of the brand's technology.2

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Heritage Level A Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (Investor Relations)
    • Ferdinand Porsche's engineering office opened at Kronenstr. 24, Stuttgart
    • 356 'No.1' Roadster with chassis number 356-001
    • 1951: the 356 SL won its class at Le Mans (locator)
    • renamed the 911 and "entered series production"
    • an overall win at Le Mans for the car brand for the first time
    • a dedicated building located in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
    • renamed the 911 and "entered series production" (1964)
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    Porsche 75 years: people, models, milestones Level A Porsche Newsroom
    • 1985: the 959 super sports car (locator)
    • 1951: company founder Ferdinand Porsche dies on 30 January (locator)
    • series production of the 356 begins in March 1950 in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen (locator)
    • 1948: 356 "No. 1" Roadster developed after move to Gmünd (locator)
    • 1950: series production of the 356 begins in March (locator)
    • Porsche AG heralds a new era with its successful IPO on September 29
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  3. 3
    Porsche in the capital market (Annual and Sustainability Report) Level A Porsche Newsroom
    • Volkswagen AG, which indirectly holds 75.0 % minus one of the ordinary shares
    • Porsche Automobil Holding SE, which indirectly holds 25.0 % plus one
    Accessed 2026-11-11

Beyond Porsche · Keep exploring

Germany More from Germany

Rare cars by other makes from Germany – not by Porsche.

73 other makes from GermanyAC SchnitzerAdlerAgria-WerkeAlbertAlpinaAMGAMOAmphicarApolloArtegaAudiAuto UnionAutomobili PininfarinaBayerische AutowerkeBenzBenz & Cie.BitterBMWBohseBoldmenBorgwardBovensiepenBrabusBrennaborBrütschCarlssonChampionDaimler-Motoren-GesellschaftDKWFMR (Messerschmitt)FuldamobilGepardGlasGoggomobilGoliathGumpertGutbrodHanomagHeinkelHorchAll makes →