The Porsche Design Story

Optimize function. Reduce the form right down to the essentials. Overcome the familiar to continually discover new and exceptional solutions. A vision that founder Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche already realized with the creation of the legendary Porsche 911. And a maxim that Porsche Design has consistently followed since 1972.

Passion at a young age

The unique characteristics of the band can be traced back to the founder of the company, his personality and his story: the eldest of Dorothea and Ferry Porsche’s four sons, he was born on December 11, 1935, and spent a lot of time as a child in his grandfather’s design offices and development facilities in Stuttgart. In 1943 the family moved to Austria and Prof. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche attended schol in Zell am See.

As a designer in the company

After the family returned to Stuttgart, Ferry Porsche founded the sports car manufacturer Porsche from his father’s design office. Ferdinand Alexander joined the family business as a designer in 1958. His first major challenge was to design what would later become the Porsche 911. During this time he honed his sense for technology, materials, and especially purism in design.

A new start

At the beginning of the 1970s, the company underwent a transformation. Porsche became a public company and the family members withdrew from the operating side of the business. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche retained his seat on the supervisory board but was forced by new rules to give up his job as chief designer. In 1972, driven more by a creative urge than a profitable business idea, he founded Porsche Design in Stuttgart.

Watches instead of automobiles

An initial boost came from the Porsche company itself which was looking for a suitable gift for long-standing employees. They ordered a watch with a guaranteed purchase volume of 20 per year. Ferdinand Alexander and his small team focused on things he himself found interesting: in addition to watches, the company has also made glasses, pipes and writing utensils. Everything it has designed stands out from the ordinary.

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