Ferdinand Alexander Porsche

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was a German designer who was best known for creating the first Porsche 911, one of the most iconic and influential sports cars in history. He was the son of Ferry Porsche, the founder of the Porsche car company, and the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the engineer who designed the Volkswagen Beetle and other vehicles for Nazi Germany. He grew up surrounded by cars and engineering, and began working at the family-owned company in 1957. He became the head of the design department in 1962 and was responsible for shaping the appearance of many Porsche models, such as the 904 and the 917. He also designed other products, such as watches, sunglasses, pens, and household items under the brand name Porsche Design. He left the car company in 1972 after it became a public corporation and founded his own design studio in Zell am See, Austria. He remained involved in the supervisory board of Porsche until 2005, when he became its honorary president. He died in 2012 at the age of 76 from pneumonia. He was survived by his second wife Heidemarie and his eleven children from both marriages. He was buried in the family grave at Schüttgut in Zell am See.