Which was the last air-cooled Porsche 911?

The 993, the fourth 911 generation. It was unveiled at the IAA in autumn 1993 and built until 1998. Porsche says it produced 68,881 of them up to the 1998 financial year, closing an air-cooled era that had begun with the 901 in 1963.

At the time few people knew it would be the last. The 993's 3.6-litre engine started at 272 PS and grew to 285 PS from 1995, with up to 450 PS in the 1998 911 Turbo S. In 1995 the 993 Turbo also became the first 911 with twin turbochargers, and Porsche describes its engine as the lowest-emission series-production engine of its day.

Which 993 was the very last is disputed. A Carrera 4S completed on 31 March 1998 is usually named as the last car off the line, but, as Hagerty reports, a special-order Turbo nicknamed "The Last Waltz" stayed at the factory for another six months, so it was the last to leave Zuffenhausen. The year, 1998, is not in doubt.

Why did Porsche switch the 911 to water cooling?

To pass emissions and noise rules while making more power. That needed four valves per cylinder, and Porsche could not make four-valve heads work reliably with air cooling.

August Achleitner, who led the 996's overall vehicle concept, explained it in Porsche's 25th-anniversary history of the car: "the air-cooled two-valve-per-cylinder designs were at the end of the road technologically in terms of emissions and power." He added: "air-cooled four-valve boxers didn't work due to various hotspots that we couldn't get a handle on."

Water cooling controls engine temperatures more precisely, which Porsche says improved efficiency and durability. Porsche also says the change helped the 911 meet increasingly strict noise regulations. The result was the 996's 3.4-litre four-valve engine with 300 PS, against 272 PS for the first 993 from a larger 3.6 litres.

Money mattered too. In the early 1990s Porsche was in crisis, and the 911 had to carry the company almost alone while the front-engined transaxle cars were phased out.

How much did the 996 share with the Boxster?

Everything from the front bumper to the B-pillars. The 996 and the 986-generation Boxster had identical front ends, and their interiors were the same up to the B-pillars.

Achleitner said Porsche "needed a car in a lower price segment, to help generate a higher volume of sales", which led to the idea of the two cars sharing parts. The Boxster arrived in 1996, a year before the 996, and the programme was planned around selling at least 30,000 units of the two cars with a good return on investment. Chief designer Harm Lagaaij knew the two cars could be confused, but said: "The pressure and the imperative of saving the company was the top priority."

The sharing went deeper than the styling. Achleitner explained that the 996's transmission tunnel was made big enough for an all-wheel-drive system from the start, and because of the parts-sharing plan the Boxster got the same tunnel, even though it was never offered with all-wheel drive. The plan worked: Porsche says more than 30,000 996s were sold every year.

The 996 was not just a Boxster with the engine moved back. Porsche says it was 18.5 cm longer, 3 cm wider and about 50 kg lighter than the 993, thanks to high-strength steel and new production methods. The range also grew fast: a Cabriolet with a fully electric roof in April 1998, the Carrera 4 about six months later, and the 420 PS 911 Turbo from January 2000.

Why are the 996 headlights called "fried eggs"?

Because of their shape. The teardrop units combined the headlights and the amber indicators in a single housing, and to many eyes the result looked like a fried egg.

Lagaaij was proud of the engineering: five functions in one module that was cheap and could be fitted in minutes on the assembly line. The press disliked them within months, and many owners objected to a 911 that looked like the cheaper Boxster. For the 2002 model update Porsche gave the regular 996 the headlights of the 911 Turbo, rounded off at the bottom, to set it apart from the Boxster more clearly. The same 2002 update raised the Carrera's displacement to 3,596 cc and its output to 320 PS. The 997 of 2004 then returned to oval clear-glass headlights, closer to the classic 911 look.

Air-cooled 993 vs water-cooled 996: what are the differences?

The table compares the base Carrera coupés of the last air-cooled and the first water-cooled 911.

The 996's success is in the last row: Porsche built more than two and a half times as many. For the full line-up of codes, see Porsche 911 generations explained.

Are air-cooled 911s worth more than water-cooled ones?

Collectors have generally favoured the air-cooled cars, though we do not quote prices here. The 993 is widely seen as the peak of the air-cooled era, and Porsche itself calls it the pinnacle of its air-cooled six-cylinder engines.

The early 996 Carrera went the other way and long remained one of the most affordable ways into a 911, held back partly by the headlights. The exceptions are the 996 GT3, launched in 1999, and the 996 Turbo of 2000, whose engines were derived from the Le Mans-winning GT1 racer rather than the Boxster-related unit.

How well do you know the transition? Try the My Hangar Porsche quiz, see the 993 and 996 on the Porsche timeline, or read how the Boxster and Cayenne saved Porsche.

FAQ

What was the last air-cooled Porsche 911?

The 993, built from 1993 to 1998. Porsche produced 68,881 of them, and the last cars left Zuffenhausen in 1998.

When did the Porsche 911 become water-cooled?

With the 996 generation, presented at the Frankfurt IAA in 1997 and sold from the 1998 model year. Every 911 since has been water-cooled.

Why did Porsche stop air-cooling the 911?

New exhaust rules required four-valve cylinder heads, and Porsche's air-cooled four-valve engines suffered from hotspots. Water cooling also helped with noise limits, efficiency and power.

Why does the 996 look like a Boxster?

To save money, Porsche developed the 996 and the 986 Boxster together, and the two cars were identical from the front to the B-pillars, headlights included.

Which 996 has different headlights?

The 911 Turbo had its own headlights, rounded at the bottom, from 2000. From the 2002 model update the regular 996 adopted them too.

Sources

• Trailblazer for the future of the 911: 25 years of the 996-generation Porsche 911, Porsche Newsroom
• 5th Generation Porsche 911 (996), 1997–2005, Porsche Newsroom
• 30 years of the 993-generation 911 Carrera: the last of its kind, Porsche Newsroom
• Why the Porsche 911 switched from an air-cooled to a water-cooled engine, Porsche
• The last-ever air-cooled 911 to leave the factory is going to auction, Hagerty
• Headlight design holds down prices for Porsche 996 sports cars, ClassicCars.com Journal
• Egg shortage? Here's a load of 996-generation Porsche 911s with those headlights, Top Gear
• Porsche 911 (996), Wikipedia

Was the first Porsche-designed car electric?

Yes. At 24, Ferdinand Porsche developed an electric car for the Viennese coachbuilder Jacob Lohner & Co. in about ten weeks, and the "System Lohner-Porsche" premiered at the Paris Exposition on 14 April 1900, in its Palace of Electricity.

Its electric motors sat inside the front wheel hubs, so there was no gearbox or drive shaft. Each hub motor gave 2.5 PS, and the lead-acid battery gave a range of about 50 km, according to Porsche and Volkswagen Group histories.

The system was modular. Porsche says around 300 vehicles were built on it, including 40 for the Vienna fire brigade. The same year he built the "La Toujours Contente" racing car, with a hub motor in each of its four wheels, which Porsche calls the world's first all-wheel-drive vehicle.

What was the Semper Vivus hybrid?

It was Porsche's answer to heavy batteries and almost non-existent charging. The 1900 Semper Vivus ("always alive") added petrol engines that drove generators feeding the hub motors.

Porsche and the Volkswagen Group both describe it as the world's first functional hybrid car. An improved series version, the Lohner-Porsche "Mixte", followed in 1901.

How did Porsche return to electric drive?

Through hybrids, more than a century later. The Cayenne S Hybrid of 2010 was Porsche's first series-production hybrid, and the Cayenne S E-Hybrid of 2014 brought a plug-in system to the premium SUV class.

The showcase was the 918 Spyder. Shown as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010, it was confirmed for production that July and premiered in production form at the IAA in September 2013.

What was the Porsche Mission E?

The Mission E was the concept that became the Taycan. Porsche unveiled it at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2015: a four-door, four-seat electric sports car with more than 600 PS (440 kW), a range of over 500 km and the first 800-volt drive system.

Porsche claimed the 800-volt technology would charge the battery to about 80 per cent in around 15 minutes. On 4 December 2015 the supervisory board approved it for development to series production at Zuffenhausen, and in June 2018 the production car was named Taycan, which Porsche says can be read as "lively young horse".

When did the Porsche Taycan come out, and what makes it different?

The Taycan premiered on 4 September 2019, simultaneously at Niagara Falls, near Berlin and near Fuzhou in China. It was Porsche's first all-electric production car and, by Porsche's account, the first production car with an 800-volt system instead of the usual 400 volts.

Higher voltage means more charging power through the same cable. Porsche quoted a peak of 270 kW and 5 to 80 per cent charge in 22.5 minutes under ideal conditions. The Taycan also has a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle, unusual for an electric car.

It is built at Zuffenhausen. The Taycan Cross Turismo arrived in March 2021, and an extensive update in 2024 brought more power, range and faster charging. Porsche delivered 16,339 Taycans in 2025, 22 per cent fewer than the year before.

When did the electric Macan and Cayenne arrive?

The electric Macan premiered in Singapore on 25 January 2024; the Cayenne Electric had its digital world premiere on 19 November 2025, and customer deliveries began at the end of June 2026.

Macan Electric

The second-generation Macan is all-electric and uses the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), developed with Audi, with 800-volt technology and a 100 kWh battery. It launched as the Macan 4 and Macan Turbo, the latter with up to 470 kW (639 PS), and is built in Leipzig. In 2025, 45,367 of Porsche's 84,328 Macan deliveries were electric. Porsche says production of the combustion-engined Macan, still sold outside the EU, runs until the end of July 2026.

Cayenne Electric

The Cayenne Electric was shown to the public at the Icons of Porsche festival in Dubai on 22 and 23 November 2025, and is built in Bratislava on the same line as the combustion and plug-in hybrid Cayenne, which stay on sale. It has a 113 kWh, 800-volt battery and charges at up to 400 kW, 10 to 80 per cent in under 16 minutes. The Cayenne Turbo Electric reaches up to 850 kW (1,156 PS) with launch control, making it the most powerful Porsche production car. It is also the first Porsche offered with inductive charging, at up to 11 kW.

The pace has slowed. In September 2025 Porsche said the planned SUV above the Cayenne would launch with combustion and plug-in hybrid engines only, and that some fully electric models would come later than planned. In 2025, 22.2 per cent of Porsche deliveries were fully electric.

From hub motors in 1900 to 800 volts today, follow the dates on the Porsche origins timeline, compare the SUV story in how the Boxster and Cayenne saved Porsche and test yourself in the Porsche quiz.

FAQ

What was the first electric Porsche?

The first Porsche-designed electric car was the Lohner-Porsche, premiered in Paris on 14 April 1900. The first all-electric production car sold under the Porsche brand is the Taycan, revealed on 4 September 2019.

Why does the Taycan use 800 volts?

Doubling the usual 400 volts lets the car take more charging power without raising the current, which keeps heat and cable weight down. At launch, Porsche quoted up to 270 kW and 5 to 80 per cent in 22.5 minutes under ideal conditions.

Is the 918 Spyder electric?

The 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid. It combines a 4.6-litre V8 with two electric motors for 887 PS, and its front wheels are driven by an electric motor alone.

Is the Porsche Macan only electric now?

The second-generation Macan, revealed in January 2024, is electric only. Porsche says the older combustion-engined Macan, sold outside the EU, stays in production until the end of July 2026.

When can you buy the Porsche Cayenne Electric?

Porsche revealed it on 19 November 2025 and began customer deliveries at the end of June 2026. The combustion and plug-in hybrid Cayennes remain on sale alongside it.

Sources

• Ahead of his time: electric wheel-hub motor from 1900, Porsche Newsroom
• The history of Porsche, Volkswagen Group
• Porsche 918 Spyder, Porsche Newsroom (Porsche Museum press kit)
• World premiere for Porsche Mission E, Porsche Newsroom
• World premiere of the Porsche Taycan, Porsche Newsroom
• The new all-electric Porsche Macan, Porsche Newsroom (press kit)
• First digitally, then in Dubai: double premiere for the Cayenne Electric, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche delivers 122,306 sports cars in the first half of 2026, Porsche Newsroom

How many times has Porsche won Le Mans overall?

Nineteen. Porsche's own count, repeated in its 2025 race preview and by the race organiser, the ACO, is 19 overall wins and more than 110 class wins, which makes it the most successful manufacturer in the race's history.

Those 19 wins came in clusters. Two with the 917 (1970–71), three with the 936 (1976, 1977, 1981), one with a customer 935 K3 (1979), six straight Group C wins with the 956 and 962 C (1982–87), the Dauer 962 LM in 1994, two Porsche-engined TWR spyders run by Joest (1996–97), the 911 GT1-98 in 1998 and three 919 Hybrids (2015–17).

Porsche counts the 1996 and 1997 wins of the Joest-run TWR Porsche WSC-95 as its own: the open prototype used a Porsche turbocharged flat-six, and the winners' lists credit both races to Porsche as a manufacturer.

Which Porsches won Le Mans, and who drove them?

Every overall winner is listed below. Drivers follow Porsche's published list of its winners; entrant names follow the entry lists as recorded in the Racing Sports Cars results archive and the official winners' list.

Louis Krages raced under the pseudonym "John Winter". Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell each won four times in a Porsche, the most of any driver with the marque.

When did Porsche first win Le Mans?

On 14 June 1970, 19 years after its first appearance. Porsche first raced at Le Mans in 1951 and won its class that year, but outright victory took nearly two decades.

The winning red-and-white No. 23 917 K, entered by Porsche KG Salzburg, covered 343 laps (about 4,608 km) in wet, treacherous conditions. A year later the white Martini 917 K of Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep covered 397 laps and 5,335 km at an average of 222.3 km/h, a distance record that stood until 2010. The full story of that car is in our Porsche 917 history.

Why did Porsche dominate Le Mans in the 1980s?

Because the Group C 956, and its longer-wheelbase successor the 962 C, were the class of the field and were sold to private teams. Porsches won every Le Mans from 1981 to 1987, seven in a row, and six of those wins came from the 956/962 family.

The 956 swept the podium on its 1982 debut. In 1984 the works team stayed away in a dispute over fuel rules, and Reinhold Joest's privately entered 956 B won anyway; the same chassis won again in 1985. The works 962 C then won in 1986 and 1987 with Bell, Stuck and Holbert. A road-legal conversion, the Dauer 962 LM, added a seventh 956/962-family win in 1994. Read more in our guide to the Porsche 956 and 962 in Group C.

Customer teams matter

Five of Porsche's 19 wins went to private entrants: Kremer in 1979 and Joest in 1984, 1985, 1996 and 1997. The 1979 Kremer 935 K3 was the first overall win for a Porsche customer team.

When did Porsche last win Le Mans, and how close has it come since?

The most recent win was on 18 June 2017. After an hour-long repair left them 18 laps down, Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley climbed from 56th to first in the 919 Hybrid, its third straight win. Porsche left the top class at the end of that season.

Porsche returned in 2023 with the 963 hybrid prototype, run by Porsche Penske Motorsport. Its best result came in 2025, when the No. 6 963 of Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell finished second, 14.084 seconds behind the AF Corse Ferrari 499P of Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson. Porsche ended its factory Hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship after 2025, and no 963 was entered at Le Mans in 2026, when Toyota won.

Recent overall winners

What about Porsche's Le Mans class wins?

Class wins are where Porsche's Le Mans story started. In 1951 Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche won the 1.1-litre class in a light-alloy 356 SL on the brand's first visit. In 1958 the 718 RSK of Jean Behra and Hans Herrmann became the first Porsche on the overall podium, in third.

Going into the 2025 race Porsche counted 111 class wins. GT racing keeps adding to the total: Manthey's 911 GT3 R won the new LMGT3 class in 2024 (No. 91, Yasser Shahin, Morris Schuring, Richard Lietz) and again in 2025 (No. 92, Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera, Richard Lietz).

You can test yourself on the cars in this table in the daily Porsche quiz, or follow the wins year by year on the Porsche timeline.

FAQ

How many times has Porsche won the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

Porsche has won Le Mans outright 19 times, the record for a manufacturer. The wins span 1970 to 2017; Audi is second with 13 and Ferrari third with 12.

What was Porsche's first Le Mans win?

The first overall win came on 14 June 1970, when Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood drove the No. 23 Porsche 917 K entered by Porsche KG Salzburg to victory.

Which Porsche has won Le Mans the most times?

Counted as a family, the 956 and 962 won seven times: 1982 to 1987 and, as the Dauer 962 LM, in 1994. The 936 and the 919 Hybrid won three times each.

When did Porsche last win Le Mans?

In 2017, with Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley in the 919 Hybrid. The 963 finished second in 2025 but has not won the race.

Do the 1996 and 1997 TWR Porsche wins count?

Yes. The Joest-run TWR Porsche WSC-95 used a Porsche engine, and both Porsche and the official winners' lists include those two wins in the total of 19.

Sources

• Four Porsche 963 and three Porsche 911 GT3 R tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche in Le Mans, Porsche Newsroom
• 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche Penske Motorsport so close to win number 20, 24h-lemans.com
• Historic victory for Manthey EMA and Porsche in LMGT3, 24h-lemans.com
• WEC Le Mans race report 2025, Porsche Motorsport
• Le Mans 24 Hours 1970 results, Racing Sports Cars
• Porsche 963 completely absent as WEC publishes entry list for 2026, Autosport
• List of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners, Wikipedia

How bad was Porsche's crisis in the early 1990s?

Bad enough to threaten its independence. Porsche delivered 23,060 cars in the 1991/92 financial year, less than half what it had sold five years earlier, and by the end of 1992 its losses had reached about DM 240 million.

Porsche itself dates the start of the trouble to the sharp fall of the US dollar from 1986, which hurt it in its largest market. The 1987 stock market crash cut US demand further. Auto Bild puts 1993 sales below 15,000 cars, and IndustryWeek gives a low of about 14,000; the exact figure depends on financial versus calendar year.

The range did not help. Beside the 911, Porsche was selling the 928, launched in 1977, and the 968, the last evolution of the 1976 924 (see the transaxle era).

What did Wendelin Wiedeking change?

He rebuilt how Porsche made cars. Wiedeking returned to Porsche in 1991 as head of production and materials management and became chairman of the executive board in 1993, a role he held until July 2009.

He brought in Japanese consultants who had helped Toyota, led by Chihiro Nakao, to introduce lean production at Zuffenhausen. Parts stocks were cut, suppliers were pushed to deliver on time, and the workforce was trained in the new methods. Porsche's Spanish subsidiary, looking back, credits him with sharply cutting the cost per car while raising quality and output.

The second lever was product. Porsche needed cheaper cars in larger numbers, built from shared parts.

How did the Boxster concept come about?

As a quick, deliberate bet on America. The Boxster concept was unveiled at the Detroit show in January 1993, rather than at Geneva that spring, because Porsche did not want to lose time and wanted to target the US, where it was weak and roadsters like the Mazda Miata were selling.

Designer Grant Larson's mid-engined roadster drew on the 550 Spyder and 718 RS 60 of the 1950s. Its name joins "boxer" and "roadster". The reaction was so strong that Porsche told the team to build the production car as close to the concept as possible.

How did the Boxster share parts with the 996 911?

The two cars were designed as one programme. Porsche built the mid-engined Boxster (986) and the rear-engined 996 911 identically from the front to the B-pillar, including the interior up to that point.

Shared headlights, bonnet, front wings, doors and much of the front structure cut development and tooling costs, and both used a new family of water-cooled flat-six engines. Porsche planned to sell at least 30,000 units of the two models combined; in practice, the 996 alone soon exceeded 30,000 a year, and total Porsche sales settled between 50,000 and 60,000.

Demand for the Boxster outstripped Zuffenhausen, so from 1997 Valmet Automotive also assembled it under contract in Uusikaupunki, Finland. In Spain, Porsche's subsidiary delivered 223 Boxsters and 147 911s in 1997 alone, after selling only 139 cars in all of 1993.

Why did Porsche build the Cayenne?

To add a third model line with volume and margin. Porsche picked an off-roader over a people carrier on the advice of its US sales organisation, North America being its largest market.

Volkswagen was the partner. The joint "Colorado" project was announced in June 1998; the Cayenne and the VW Touareg share a platform, which Porsche developed at its Hemmingen site while VW contributed high-volume production know-how. The Touareg was built in Bratislava, which also supplied painted Cayenne bodies.

In 1999 Porsche decided to do final assembly in Germany, at a new plant in Leipzig. The first Cayenne left the line there on 20 August 2002, and the car premiered at the Paris Motor Show in September 2002 as the Cayenne S (4.5-litre V8, 340 PS) and Cayenne Turbo (450 PS).

The Cayenne also changed Porsche's industrial map. The first two generations were assembled in Leipzig and later also in Osnabrück; with the third generation of 2017, all Cayenne production moved to Bratislava, freeing Leipzig for the Panamera and the Macan. The second-generation Cayenne S Hybrid of 2010 was Porsche's first series-production hybrid.

What do the numbers show after the Boxster and Cayenne?

They show a different company. Porsche had expected about 25,000 Cayennes a year; the first generation sold 276,652 over eight model years, just under 35,000 a year.

Local markets told the same story. In Spain and Portugal, Porsche Ibérica forecast 400 Cayennes for 2003 and delivered 899, 57 per cent of the brand's registrations there; in 2004 it delivered 1,414. The millionth Cayenne was built in Bratislava in summer 2020.

Porsche's 2025 delivery figures show how far the SUV strategy went:

Together, Macan and Cayenne made up 59 per cent of the total. The 911, meanwhile, set a delivery record of its own. Wiedeking himself left in 2009 after Porsche's failed bid for Volkswagen, but the model strategy he launched outlasted him.

Explore the turning points on the Porsche origins timeline, read how the Cayenne later went electric in the history of the electric Porsche, and try the Porsche quiz.

FAQ

Did the Boxster really save Porsche?

It was the first big step. Launched in 1996 after a 1991/92 low of 23,060 deliveries, it shared parts with the 996 911 and brought Porsche back to volume; the Cayenne from 2002 then made the recovery permanent.

Who was CEO when Porsche nearly went bust?

Wendelin Wiedeking ran production from 1991 and became chairman of the executive board in 1993. He introduced lean production with Japanese consultants and led Porsche until July 2009.

What does the Boxster share with the 911?

The 986 Boxster and 996 911 were identical from the front to the B-pillar, including headlights, front body and interior up to that point, and both used water-cooled flat-six engines.

Is the Porsche Cayenne a Volkswagen Touareg?

They share a platform developed by Porsche in the joint "Colorado" project with Volkswagen, announced in 1998. The engines, tuning and bodywork differ, and the Cayenne was assembled by Porsche in Leipzig.

When did the Porsche Leipzig plant open?

The first car, a Cayenne, rolled off the Leipzig line on 20 August 2002. Porsche had chosen the site in 1999.

Sources

• 1993: The moment of change, Porsche Newsroom
• The 'third Porsche': 20 years of Cayenne, Porsche Newsroom
• Trailblazer for the future of the 911: 25 years of the 996, Porsche Newsroom
• The Boxster sports car concept, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche Leipzig celebrates 20 years of production, Porsche Newsroom
• 40 aniversario de Porsche Ibérica: 1994–2004, Porsche Newsroom España
• Back in high gear, IndustryWeek
• Porsche delivers 279,449 sports cars to customers in 2025, Porsche Newsroom

Who founded Porsche, and why was the first car built in Gmünd?

Ferdinand Porsche founded the company in Stuttgart in 1931, but the war pushed it to Austria, where the first Porsche was built. He set it up as an engineering office, not a car maker. "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH" was entered in the Stuttgart commercial register on 25 April 1931, with offices at Kronenstraße 24.

For its first 17 years the firm designed engines and vehicles for other companies. In 1938 it moved into its own building in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, the site Porsche still calls Werk 1. His son Ferry Porsche worked in the office from the start and would later turn it into a car brand.

As Allied bombing of Stuttgart intensified, the design office moved in 1944 to a former sawmill in Gmünd, in the Austrian province of Carinthia, where around 300 people worked.

After the war Ferdinand Porsche was detained by the French from December 1945. With their father absent, Ferry Porsche and his sister Louise Piëch kept the business going. A Grand Prix car commission from the Italian firm Cisitalia, the Type 360, brought in money, and Ferry pursued his own idea for a light sports car. The project was given design number 356.

What was the 356 "No. 1" Roadster?

It was the first car to carry the Porsche name, and it remained a one-off. The Carinthian state government granted it a road permit on 8 June 1948, the date Porsche treats as the birth of the brand.

No. 1 had an aluminium body on a tubular steel frame. Its engine was a Volkswagen-based flat-four mounted ahead of the rear axle, making it a mid-engined car.

The production 356 changed the layout. Moving the engine behind the rear axle freed space for two small rear seats and luggage, and that rear-engined template carried straight on into the 911.

How many 356s were built in Gmünd?

Porsche says 52: 44 coupés and 8 cabriolets of the 356/2, built from winter 1948/49 until Austrian production ended in 1950. Some registries count slightly differently, depending on whether they include later racing coupés built on Gmünd chassis.

The 356/2 used a steel box-section chassis with the engine behind the rear axle and around 40 PS. The first coupé was finished in August 1948, and the car made its international debut at the Geneva Motor Show in spring 1949.

Every Gmünd body was hand-beaten from aluminium sheet, partly by outside coachbuilders, so no two are quite identical. That rarity, plus the Austrian address, is why "Gmünd coupé" carries so much weight with collectors today.

When did 356 production move to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen?

In 1950. The first 356 built in Zuffenhausen was completed on 6 April 1950, and by the end of that year Porsche had built 317 cars.

Porsche's own Werk 1 was still held by the US military, so the company rented space at Reutter's Werk II across the street for engines and assembly. Reutter built the bodies, now in steel rather than aluminium. Porsche put up a new Werk 2 in 1952, returned to Werk 1 at the end of 1955, and bought Reutter's body plant on 1 December 1963.

Ferdinand Porsche did not see the growth. He died in Stuttgart on 30 January 1951, and Ferry led the company from then on. That same year a lightweight 356 SL won the 1.1-litre class at Le Mans, the start of Porsche's unbroken presence at the race (see Porsche's Le Mans wins).

America mattered quickly. New York importer Max Hoffman began selling the 356 after talks at the 1950 Paris Motor Show; Porsche says US deliveries reached 1,514 in 1955, more than half of its total sales.

What changed between the 356, 356 A, 356 B and 356 C?

Each step kept the shape and the air-cooled flat-four but refined almost everything else. The quickest way to tell them apart is by windscreen, bumpers and brakes.

The top figures in each row are the four-cam Carrera models. The last 356 C was delivered in May 1966, according to Porsche Classic, although series production had ended in 1965 as the 911 took over (see 911 generations explained).

What were the 356 Speedster and the 356 Carrera?

They were the two cars that gave the 356 its legend: one cheap and open, one fast and complex.

Speedster

The Speedster arrived in late 1954 at Hoffman's urging: a stripped-back open 356 with a low, raked windscreen and a simple folding top, aimed squarely at American buyers. Porsche says 1,033 were sold in 1955 alone. Total production figures quoted by registries and auction houses vary, at roughly 4,800 to 4,900 cars, so treat any single number with care. The Convertible D replaced it in 1958/59.

Carrera

The Carrera put a racing engine in a road car. Ernst Fuhrmann's flat-four, with two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank (Type 547), had first appeared in the 550 Spyder race car shown at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. In the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera, launched with the 356 A in 1955, it made 100 PS. The name honoured Porsche's class successes in the Carrera Panamericana road race in Mexico, and it has marked the fastest Porsches ever since (see Porsche names explained).

The four-cam engine grew to 2.0 litres in the 356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2, with up to 140 PS in GS-GT form, and finished with 130 PS in the 356 C 2000 GS Carrera.

How many Porsche 356s were made?

Porsche puts the total at about 78,000 cars between 1948 and 1965. Some other references give slightly lower figures, around 76,000, depending on how prototypes, racing cars and the final cars delivered in 1966 are counted. Ferry Porsche had expected to sell about 500.

You can follow every step from Gmünd to Zuffenhausen on the Porsche origins timeline, then check how much stuck in today's Porsche quiz.

FAQ

What was the first Porsche car?

The 356 "No. 1" Roadster, chassis 356-001, was the first car to carry the Porsche name. It received its road permit from the Carinthian state government on 8 June 1948 and remained a one-off.

Why were the Gmünd 356s made of aluminium?

The Gmünd cars were hand-built in tiny numbers in post-war Austria, and their bodies were hand-formed from aluminium sheet. When series production moved to Zuffenhausen in 1950, Reutter switched to steel bodies.

How many Porsche 356s were built in Gmünd?

Porsche says 52 rear-engined 356/2 cars: 44 coupés and 8 cabriolets, built from winter 1948/49 to 1950. The No. 1 Roadster is counted separately.

Was the Porsche 356 rear-engined or mid-engined?

The production 356 was rear-engined, with its flat-four behind the rear axle. Only the one-off No. 1 Roadster had its engine ahead of the rear axle.

How many Porsche 356s were made in total?

Porsche gives about 78,000 cars built from 1948 to 1965. Some sources quote around 76,000, depending on what they count.

Sources

• Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster, Porsche Newsroom (Porsche Museum press kit)
• Made in Austria: the 356 in Gmünd, Porsche Newsroom
• 75 years of production in Zuffenhausen, Porsche Newsroom
• 90 years of Porsche Engineering, Porsche Newsroom
• Heritage timeline, Porsche AG Investor Relations
• Porsche in America: a history review, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche 356 A, B and C model pages, Porsche Classic
• The history of Porsche, Volkswagen Group

How many Porsche 911 generations are there?

There are eight, and Porsche itself counts them that way, from the "Ur-Elfer" of 1963 to the current 992. The years overlap because Porsche usually dates a generation from its public presentation, while the old car often stays in production for a few more months.

Production figures are Porsche's own. For the G-model, two Porsche press texts give 196,397 and 198,496, so the table shows the range. Porsche does not publish a comparable figure for the first generation.

What do the 911's internal codes mean?

They are Porsche type numbers, the factory's own project numbers, and enthusiasts use them to tell the generations apart. The badge on the car has said "911" since late 1964; the code underneath has changed.

• 901 was the type number of the original car and the name it was first shown under, until Peugeot objected (the full story is in why the 911 is called 911).
• "F-model" and "G-model" come from Porsche's model-year letters. Porsche notes that the G-Series designation technically applies only to the 1974 model year, but the name stuck for the whole second generation. "F-model" is collector shorthand for the original car; Porsche itself calls it the original 911 or "Ur-Elfer".
• 930 is the internal code of the G-model 911 Turbo, not a generation of its own.
• 964 to 992 are the type numbers of each later generation. Facelifts are written with a suffix: 997.1 and 997.2, 991.1 and 991.2, 992.1 and 992.2.

What defined the air-cooled 911s (1963–1998)?

Four generations, one recipe: a flat-six in the tail, cooled by a large fan. Displacement grew from 2.0 to 3.6 litres over 35 years.

Original 911 (1963–1973)

The 901 premiered at the Frankfurt IAA in September 1963 and series production began on 14 September 1964. Its 2.0-litre flat-six made 130 PS, enough for 210 km/h according to Porsche. The range grew quickly: the four-cylinder 912 in 1965, the 160 PS 911 S a year later, the Targa "safety cabriolet" shown in autumn 1965, then 2.2 litres in 1969 and 2.4 litres in 1971. It ended with the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of 1972, the first 911 to carry the Carrera name.

G-model and 930 Turbo (1973–1989)

Production of the second generation began in August 1973 for model year 1974. Its most visible change was the bumpers with black bellows, built to meet US rules by absorbing impacts at up to 8 km/h. Every 911 now had at least 2.7 litres; this grew to 3.0 litres in the 911 SC and 3.2 litres with 231 PS in the 1984 Carrera.

The 911 Turbo (type 930) was shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 1974 with a 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six of 260 PS. From 1977 it had 3.3 litres, an intercooler and 300 PS. The G-model's 16-year run is the longest of any 911 generation.

964 (1988–1994)

Porsche says almost 85% of the 964's parts were new. It launched in 1988 as the Carrera 4, with all-wheel drive developed from the 959, and added ABS, power steering and coil springs instead of torsion bars. The 3.6-litre engine had twin spark plugs per cylinder and a catalytic converter for 250 PS, and a rear spoiler rose automatically above 80 km/h.

993 (1993–1998)

Shown at the IAA in autumn 1993, the 993 had flatter headlights, a new multi-link rear axle and a six-speed gearbox; its 3.6-litre engine started at 272 PS. In 1995 the Turbo moved to twin turbochargers and all-wheel drive. Nobody knew it yet, but the 993 was the last air-cooled 911. See air-cooled vs water-cooled 911 for why.

What changed when the 911 became water-cooled?

Almost everything except the layout. The 996, presented at the Frankfurt IAA in 1997, used water cooling because the four-valve cylinder heads needed to meet emissions rules could not be air-cooled reliably.

996 (1997–2005)

The base 3.4-litre engine made 300 PS. The body was 18.5 cm longer and about 50 kg lighter than the 993, and it shared its front end and many parts with the Boxster. The 996 also introduced the 911 GT3 in 1999.

997 (2004–2012)

Presented in July 2004, the 997 brought back oval clear-glass headlights. The Carrera had a 3.6-litre engine with 325 PS, the Carrera S a 3.8 with 355 PS and PASM adaptive dampers as standard. The 2008 update (997.2) added direct fuel injection and the PDK dual-clutch gearbox.

991 (2011–2019)

Unveiled at the 2011 IAA, the 991 had a wheelbase 10 cm longer and an aluminium-and-steel body. It offered the world's first seven-speed manual gearbox. With the 2015 update the Carrera models switched to twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre engines.

992 (since 2018)

Porsche unveiled the 992 in Los Angeles in November 2018, starting with the 450 PS Carrera S and 4S. Rear-drive models now share the wider body of the all-wheel-drive cars, the PDK has eight speeds, and Wet mode helps on wet roads. The base Carrera that followed has a 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine with 385 PS. The 2024 update (992.2) brought the Carrera GTS T-Hybrid, the first hybrid 911, with 541 PS combined.

Which 911 generation is the most produced?

The 991. Porsche says 233,540 were built, ahead of the 997 (213,004) and the 996 (175,262). The one-millionth 911 of all, an Irish Green Carrera S, left the Zuffenhausen line on 11 May 2017, during the 991 era.

The air-cooled generations were built in much smaller numbers: 63,762 cars for the 964 and 68,881 for the 993. If you think you can tell them apart by sight, the My Hangar Porsche quiz will test you on exactly that, and the Porsche timeline puts each launch in context.

FAQ

What is the newest Porsche 911 generation?

The 992, presented in November 2018. Its 2024 update, known as the 992.2, introduced the first hybrid 911, the Carrera GTS T-Hybrid.

Which was the last air-cooled Porsche 911?

The 993, built from 1993 until 1998. Porsche built 68,881 of them before the water-cooled 996 took over.

Is the 930 a separate 911 generation?

No. 930 is the internal code of the 911 Turbo sold within the G-model range from 1974 to 1989. It shares the second generation's body, with wider rear wings and a large rear spoiler.

Why is the first 911 called the F-model?

It is a collector term based on Porsche's model-year letters. Porsche calls the first generation the original 911 or "Ur-Elfer", and its internal type number was 901.

Which 911 generation sold the most?

The 991 (2011–2019), with 233,540 cars built according to Porsche.

Sources

• 1st Generation Porsche 911 (Ur-Elfer), 1963–1973, Porsche Newsroom
• 50 years of the Porsche 911 G-Series, Porsche Newsroom
• 3rd Generation Porsche 911 (964), 1988–1994, Porsche Newsroom
• 4th Generation Porsche 911 (993), 1993–1998, Porsche Newsroom
• 5th Generation Porsche 911 (996), 1997–2005, Porsche Newsroom
• 7th Generation Porsche 911 (991), 2011–2019, Porsche Newsroom
• The new Porsche 911: world premiere of the hybrid, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche 911 (classic), Wikipedia

Why did Porsche build 25 cars of the 917?

Because the rules demanded it. For 1969 the sporting authorities cut the minimum production for 5-litre sports cars from 50 to 25 units, and Porsche decided to build a car for that class alongside its 3-litre 908 prototypes.

Design work started in June 1968, before the project had official approval, and the first engine ran on the test bench in early December 1968. The 917 was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1969. On 21 April 1969 the 25 cars needed for homologation were lined up in the car park of Porsche's Plant 1 in Zuffenhausen for inspection, less than a year after work began.

Each customer car cost 140,000 marks, with the removable long tail included. The chassis was an aluminium tubular space frame weighing about 45 kg, and the complete car weighed around 800 kg.

How powerful was the Porsche 917 engine?

The 917 used Porsche's first twelve-cylinder engine, an air-cooled 180-degree flat-12 designed by Hans Mezger's team. Output depends on year and on who is quoting.

The 1969 figure is the main point of disagreement. Motor Sport reported Porsche's claim of 520 bhp at the time; Porsche's own later histories and the ACO quote 580 PS. The 1970 Le Mans winner deliberately ran the smaller 4.5-litre engine rather than the 4.9 for reliability, according to Richard Attwood's own accounts.

How did the 917 win Le Mans in 1970 and 1971?

At first, it did not. On its Le Mans debut in 1969 Rolf Stommelen put a 917 on pole and the cars led for long periods, but no 917 finished. Early cars were unstable at speed, and the reworked short-tail 917 K body made the car far more stable for 1970.

In 1970 Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood won in the red-and-white No. 23 917 K entered by Porsche KG Salzburg, covering 343 laps in rain-soaked conditions. A Martini-entered 917 LH finished second. That season the 917 and the 908/03 won nine of the ten World Championship rounds, and Porsche took the makes title.

In 1971 the white Martini 917 K of Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep won after 397 laps, 5,335 km at an average of 222.3 km/h. That distance stood as the Le Mans record until 2010. The winning car used an experimental magnesium frame, lighter than the usual aluminium. It was the 917's last Le Mans as a works-backed contender: from 1972 the world championship limited engines to 3 litres, which ruled out the 5-litre cars. See where both wins sit among Porsche's 19 in our complete list of Porsche Le Mans wins.

917 K versus 917 LH

The K (Kurzheck, short tail) was more stable and won both races. The LH (Langheck, long tail) was more slippery and faster on the Mulsanne Straight.

Which liveries made the 917 famous?

Three teams and their colours defined the car's image. They were not the same team, which is why the 917 appears in so many paint schemes.

• Gulf: light blue and orange cars run by John Wyer's JW Automotive Engineering (JWA), the team most associated with the 917 in 1970–71. A Gulf 917 K, No. 20, is the car Steve McQueen drives in the 1971 film Le Mans.
• Salzburg: red and white, entered by Porsche KG Salzburg, the family's Austrian company. Its No. 23 car won Le Mans in 1970.
• Martini: the Martini team entered the purple-and-green "psychedelic" 917 LH (No. 3) that finished second in 1970, nicknamed the "Hippie", and the white No. 22 car that won in 1971.

One more is worth knowing: the one-off 917/20 "Pink Pig" of 1971, a wide-bodied car painted pink and marked like butcher's cuts by designer Anatole Lapine. It raced only once, at Le Mans 1971, and retired after an accident.

What did the 917 do in Can-Am?

It won the Can-Am title in 1972 and 1973. Shut out of the world championship after 1971, the 917 moved to the near-unlimited Can-Am series as an open spyder, and the flat-12 became the first Porsche engine raced with turbocharging.

• 1972: the turbocharged 917/10 won the championship with George Follmer of the Penske team, after Mark Donohue was injured in testing.
• 1973: the longer 917/30, with a 5.4-litre twin-turbo engine, carried Mark Donohue and Penske to the title, winning six races. For 1974 the organisers brought in a fuel-consumption limit, and 1973 was Porsche's last season as a Can-Am force.

On 9 August 1975 Donohue drove a 917/30 around the Talladega oval at an average of 221.120 mph (355.86 km/h), a closed-course speed record. For the record run, Porsche says, the engine had been turned up to 1,230 PS.

Porsche's turbocharged racers that followed, up to the 956, built on this experience; see our article on the Porsche 956 and 962 in Group C. The 917 also appears in the daily Porsche quiz and on the Porsche timeline.

FAQ

How many Porsche 917s were built?

Porsche built 25 cars for homologation by April 1969, the minimum the rules required. More chassis followed in later variants, so the total is higher; counts differ by source and by what is counted as a new chassis.

How many times did the Porsche 917 win Le Mans?

Twice: in 1970 with Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood, and in 1971 with Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep. Both wins came with the short-tail 917 K.

How fast was the Porsche 917?

The 1971 winner averaged 222.3 km/h over 24 hours. The Can-Am 917/30 averaged 355.86 km/h around Talladega in 1975, a closed-course record at the time.

Why is the Gulf Porsche 917 so famous?

JW Automotive's Gulf-liveried 917 Ks were among the most successful 917s of 1970–71, and a Gulf 917 starred in Steve McQueen's 1971 film Le Mans. The Gulf cars did not, however, win Le Mans.

What does 917 K mean?

K stands for Kurzheck, German for short tail. The long-tail Le Mans version is the 917 LH, for Langheck.

Sources

• The first 917: witnesses from Weissach, Porsche Newsroom
• Why is the Porsche 917 such a motorsport icon?, 24h-lemans.com
• 75 years of Porsche sports car motorsport, Porsche Newsroom
• Weissach and the 917, Christophorus (Porsche)
• Porsche 917/30 Spyder datasheet, Porsche Museum
• Racing car: Porsche 917, Motor Sport Magazine archive
• Le Mans 24 Hours 1971 results, Racing Sports Cars
• Porsche 917, Wikipedia

What does "transaxle" mean on a Porsche?

It means the gearbox is mounted at the rear axle while the engine sits at the front. The name combines "transmission" and "axle".

On the Porsche transaxle cars, a driveshaft runs inside a rigid central tube that links the engine to the rear-mounted transmission and differential. Porsche notes that the tube also helps passive safety by carrying crash forces along the car.

Why did Porsche build front-engined transaxle cars?

For balance. Splitting the heavy engine and gearbox between the two ends of the car brings the axle loads close to even, which Porsche describes as ideally 50:50.

An even split reduces the tendency to oversteer or understeer and makes the car easier to control at the limit. Porsche's own engineers point to the roadholding and high-speed stability it gave the 924 and 944.

There was also a strategic reason. After 13 years of the 911, Porsche judged that the rear-engined car had reached the end of its development potential, and the front-engined, water-cooled 928 was planned as its eventual successor.

How was the Porsche 924 born?

As a Volkswagen project. In March 1972 VW placed development order EA 425 with Porsche for a successor to the VW-Porsche 914. VW cancelled it in late 1974 for product-line reasons, and Porsche bought the design rights.

Porsche presented the 924 to the press in November 1975 at La Grande-Motte in southern France, and series production began in 1976, not in Zuffenhausen but at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm. Plenty of Volkswagen Group parts, including a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 125 PS in European form, kept the German base price to DM 23,240.

It sold. Porsche says that by 1977 every second Porsche built was a 924, and the 100,000th 924 was built in 1982. A 924 Turbo followed in 1978 with 170 PS, and the homologation special 924 Carrera GT (406 built) in 1979. In 1985 the 924 S swapped the VW-sourced engine for the 944's 2.5-litre four, at 150 PS, raised to 160 PS in 1987. The last 924, a 924 S, left the line in August 1988.

What made the Porsche 928 special?

It was Porsche's first V8 road car and its most ambitious grand tourer. The 928 premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1977 with a water-cooled aluminium V8, an aluminium chassis and the passive-steering "Weissach axle" at the rear.

In 1978 the 928 won the Car of the Year award. Porsche and Classic & Sports Car both note it remains the only sports car ever to take the title.

The 928 never replaced the 911, but it ran for 18 years and kept getting faster.

Production ended in 1995 after 61,056 cars, according to Porsche's transaxle press kit.

How was the 944 different from the 924?

The 944 used a Porsche-built engine and a wider body. Shown at the Frankfurt IAA in September 1981, it had a 2.5-litre four-cylinder with 163 PS under flared wheel arches over the 924 shape.

Porsche describes the engine as derived from the 928's V8, and it is often called "half a 928 V8", although few parts are actually interchangeable. Two balance shafts smoothed out the vibration typical of a big four.

No Porsche had sold so quickly. Porsche counts 30,000 orders in the first production year, and in 1983 the 944 made up around half of the company's output. Turbo (220 PS from 1985), S, S2 and Cabriolet versions followed, and 163,302 944s were built by 1991, at the time the best-selling sports car in Porsche's history.

The later 944s were serious performance cars. Porsche lists 190 PS for the 944 S of 1986, 211 PS for the S2 of 1988 and 250 PS for the 944 Turbo from 1989. A limited 944 Turbo S of 1988 ran to 1,000 cars, and 6,980 944 Cabriolets were built between 1989 and 1991.

What was the Porsche 968?

The 968 was the final evolution of the 924/944 line. It premiered at the IAA in 1991 with a 3.0-litre four-cylinder, 240 PS and 305 Nm, and introduced VarioCam variable valve timing.

Porsche called it the highest-torque naturally aspirated four-cylinder of its time. It was built in Zuffenhausen, cost DM 89,900 in Germany, and arrived in the middle of Porsche's early-1990s crisis (see how the Boxster and Cayenne saved Porsche). Production ended in mid-1995 with 11,245 cars according to Porsche's 968 press kit; a 2026 Porsche retrospective gives 11,248.

How many Porsche transaxle cars were built?

Using the totals in Porsche's transaxle press kits, about 386,000 cars over two decades.

When the 928 and 968 bowed out in 1995, the 911 was left to carry the brand on its own until the Boxster arrived in 1996; the 911 itself only turned to water cooling in 1997 (see air-cooled vs water-cooled 911). Place the transaxle cars in context on the Porsche origins timeline, then test yourself in the Porsche quiz.

FAQ

Which Porsches are transaxle cars?

The 924, 928, 944 and 968, built between 1976 and 1995. All have a front-mounted, water-cooled engine and the gearbox at the rear axle.

Was the Porsche 924 really a Volkswagen?

It began as Volkswagen development order EA 425 in 1972. VW cancelled the project in late 1974, Porsche bought the design and sold it as a Porsche, built at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm with many VW Group parts.

Did the Porsche 928 win Car of the Year?

Yes. The 928 won the Car of the Year award in 1978 and remains the only sports car to have won it.

Is the 944 engine half of the 928 V8?

Porsche describes it as derived from the 928's V8, and it is commonly called half a 928 engine. In practice few parts are shared, and the 944 four adds two balance shafts.

How many Porsche 968s were built?

Porsche's 968 press kit gives 11,245 cars built in Zuffenhausen from 1991 to mid-1995. A later Porsche retrospective gives 11,248.

Sources

• Time lapse: Porsche's transaxle models, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche 924, Porsche Newsroom (transaxle press kit)
• Porsche 928, Porsche Newsroom (transaxle press kit)
• Porsche 944, Porsche Newsroom (transaxle press kit)
• Porsche 968, Porsche Newsroom (transaxle press kit)
• Why is the transaxle concept still so fascinating today?, Porsche Newsroom
• Celebrating the Porsche 928, Classic & Sports Car
• Porsche 924, Wikipedia

What was Group C, and why did Porsche build the 956?

Group C was the new top category of sports car racing from 1982. Instead of capping engine size, it limited fuel: a 100-litre tank, a limited number of refuelling stops and, for a 1,000 km race, a maximum of 600 litres for the whole distance. At Le Mans the allocation was 2,600 litres. Minimum weight was 800 kg.

The new rules made Porsche's existing racers obsolete, so it needed a new car. Norbert Singer's team designed the 956 at Weissach, and testing began at Paul Ricard (Le Castellet) in early 1982. Its engine was the twin-turbo 2.65-litre flat-six family that had won Le Mans in the 936/81, rated by Porsche at 620 PS.

Ground effect and the monocoque

The 956 used shaped venturi tunnels under the car to generate downforce, a technique borrowed from Formula One. Its tub was a riveted and bonded aluminium monocoque, a first for a Porsche racing car; earlier cars such as the 936 used tubular space frames. The combination gave cornering speeds no Porsche sports car had reached before.

How many times did the 956 and 962 win Le Mans?

Seven times: every year from 1982 to 1987, plus 1994. The 956 won on its Le Mans debut in 1982, with Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell leading home a one-two-three for the works team.

In 1983 956s filled the first eight places. In 1984 the works team stayed away in a dispute over fuel regulations, and Reinhold Joest's privately entered 956 B won anyway. Joest won again in 1985 with the same chassis, 956-117, beating the returning works cars. "John Winter" was the racing pseudonym of Louis Krages. For the full list of Porsche's 19 overall wins, see every Porsche Le Mans victory.

How fast was Stefan Bellof's 956 lap of the Nordschleife?

6:11.13, set on 28 May 1983 in practice for the Nürburgring 1,000 km, in a Rothmans 956. That is an average of just over 200 km/h around the old circuit, which was slightly shorter than normal that year because of construction work. Bellof was about five seconds faster than his teammate Jochen Mass.

The time stood for 35 years and 31 days, until Timo Bernhard lapped in 5:19.55 in the derestricted 919 Hybrid Evo on 29 June 2018. Bellof won the 1984 World Endurance Championship drivers' title with Porsche. He died after a crash at Spa-Francorchamps on 1 September 1985, driving for the Brun Motorsport customer team.

Why did Porsche create the 962?

For the American IMSA GTP series. IMSA would not accept the 956 because the driver's feet sat ahead of the front axle line. Porsche moved the front axle about 12 cm forward, putting the pedals behind it, and the result was the 962.

The IMSA 962 used a single-turbo, air-cooled flat-six, closer to the 935's engine, and made its debut at the 1984 Daytona 24 Hours, where Mario and Michael Andretti took pole but retired. The world championship version, the 962 C, used the twin-turbo engine and was raced by the works team from 1985. The 956 was retired from world championship racing after 1986.

Who raced the 956 and 962 besides the works team?

Porsche sold the cars to private teams, which is why the 956 and 962 won so often. Customer entrants included Joest, Kremer, Obermaier, John Fitzpatrick Racing, Richard Lloyd Racing and Brun Motorsport.

• Joest won Le Mans in 1984 and 1985 with chassis 956-117.
• Brun Motorsport took the 1986 world championship teams' title, beating the works Porsche and Jaguar teams.
• Kremer and Brun went further and built their own versions of the chassis, such as Kremer's 962 CK6.

By Porsche's count, the 956 and 962 together won five consecutive world championship manufacturers' titles, seven overall Le Mans wins, six Daytona 24 Hours, four Sebring 12 Hours, 39 world championship races and 55 IMSA races.

How did a 962 win Le Mans in 1994?

As a road car. For 1994 the ACO opened Le Mans to GT cars based on road-legal models. Jochen Dauer had converted a 962 into a street-legal car, the Dauer 962 Le Mans, which qualified it as a GT. Two racing versions were run with Joest's technical support, entered by the Le Mans Porsche Team.

Yannick Dalmas, Hurley Haywood and Mauro Baldi took the lead with about two hours to go, when the leading Toyota 94C-V hit transmission trouble, and won after 345 laps. It was Porsche's 13th overall win and the last for the 962 design, twelve years after the 956's first.

Test yourself on these cars in the daily Porsche quiz, and follow the Group C years on the Porsche timeline. For the car that started Porsche's Le Mans winning run in 1970, read the Porsche 917 history.

FAQ

What is the difference between the Porsche 956 and 962?

The 962 has its front axle moved about 12 cm forward so the driver's feet sit behind it, which IMSA required. The 956 raced from 1982; the 962 appeared in IMSA in 1984 and as the 962 C in the world championship from 1985.

How many times did the Porsche 956 win Le Mans?

Four times, from 1982 to 1985. The 962 C added wins in 1986 and 1987, and the Dauer 962 LM won in 1994, making seven for the family.

What was Stefan Bellof's Nordschleife lap record?

6:11.13 in a Porsche 956 on 28 May 1983, in practice for the Nürburgring 1,000 km. It stood until Timo Bernhard's 5:19.55 in the 919 Hybrid Evo in 2018.

Why did Porsche skip Le Mans in 1984?

The works team stayed away over a dispute about Group C fuel regulations. Joest Racing's private 956 B, driven by Henri Pescarolo and Klaus Ludwig, won the race.

Sources

• How the Porsche 956 became an endurance racing legend, Porsche
• The early days of Group C, Porsche Newsroom
• 919 Hybrid Evo breaks Nordschleife record, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche 956: the anatomy of an endurance racing icon, evo
• The victorious Porsches at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the 956, 24h-lemans.com
• The victorious Porsches at the Le Mans 24 Hours: the 962 LM, 24h-lemans.com
• Le Mans 24 Hours 1983 results, Racing Sports Cars
• Porsche 962, Wikipedia

Why did Porsche build the 959?

To compete under the new Group B rules for rallying and GT racing, which required 200 road cars for homologation. Porsche showed a study called "Gruppe B" at the Frankfurt IAA in autumn 1983, combining a twin-turbo flat-six, electronically controlled four-wheel drive and a light body with plastic panels.

The project grew into a rolling laboratory for everything Porsche wanted to prove. The production 959 premiered at the 1985 IAA, but development problems pushed first customer deliveries to 1987, four years after the study. By then the reason for the car had gone: Group B rallying was abandoned after 1986, and the 959 never contested the World Rally Championship.

How did the 959 win the Paris–Dakar?

At the second attempt. Porsche used the rally raid as its proving ground for four-wheel drive: in 1984 René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne had already won the Paris–Dakar in the 953, a heavily modified 911 Carrera 4x4 that served as a test bed for the 959's drive system.

In 1985 Porsche entered three 959-bodied rally cars, and none finished; one retired with an oil-line failure and two crashed. The cars then won the Rallye des Pharaons in Egypt that October.

In 1986 the 959 came good. Metge and Lemoyne won the Paris–Dakar again, Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur finished second in another 959, and a third car, running as a fast service vehicle, finished sixth.

The 961 at Le Mans

A circuit version, the 961, raced at Le Mans in 1986 with René Metge and Claude Ballot-Léna and finished seventh overall, the first all-wheel-drive car to finish the race. It was the only entry in its IMSA GTX class. In 1987 it crashed and burned. For context, Porsche's Le Mans winners of that era were Group C cars; see the Porsche 956 and 962.

How did the 959's all-wheel drive and twin turbos work?

The engine was a 2,849 cc flat-six derived from Porsche's racing units, with an air-cooled block and water-cooled cylinder heads. Its two turbochargers worked sequentially, not in parallel: a smaller turbo did the work at low revs, and the second joined higher up, at about 4,200 to 4,300 rpm depending on the source. The result was strong pull with less lag than one big turbo.

The four-wheel drive was called PSK (Porsche-Steuer-Kupplung, "Porsche control clutch"). Instead of a centre differential, a computer-controlled multi-plate clutch varied the torque sent to the front axle. On slippery surfaces it could split drive roughly evenly; under hard acceleration it could send up to 80 per cent to the rear. Lessons from this system flowed into the 911 Carrera 4 of 1988 (the 964 generation); see our guide to 911 generations.

British magazines quote 444 bhp, which is the same output measured in imperial horsepower rather than metric PS. The body was a light steel structure with aluminium doors and front lid and panels in composite materials, including aramid.

How many Porsche 959s were built?

Porsche quotes 292 production cars, built in 1987 and 1988 in two versions: the Komfort, with adaptive damping and a speed-dependent ride-height system, and the Sport. Broader counts that include prototypes and pre-production cars reach about 337, and Porsche assembled a further eight Komfort cars from spare parts in the early 1990s.

Demand far exceeded supply: Porsche notes that cars changed hands on the open market for more than double the list price.

Why was the 959 not sold in the US?

Porsche never certified the 959 for US sale. It was engineered and tested to European standards, and federalising a car built in such small numbers would have been lengthy and costly. Without US certification, a 959 could not be legally imported for road use.

That changed with the US Show or Display rule, which took effect on 13 August 1999. It lets a collector import a car not built to US standards if regulators accept that it is historically or technologically significant and fewer than 500 were made. Approved cars may be driven at most 2,500 miles (about 4,000 km) a year and must still meet the emissions rules for their model year.

The rule is often linked to Bill Gates, whose 959 is widely reported to have been held by US Customs for years. California specialist Bruce Canepa is also credited with a long campaign to make the 959 eligible, and his shop later offered upgrades so the cars could meet US emissions rules. Neither story changes the legal point: the 959 entered the US through an exemption, not through certification.

Test yourself on the 959 and its successors in the daily Porsche quiz, or see where it sits on the Porsche timeline.

FAQ

How many Porsche 959s were made?

Porsche quotes 292 production cars built in 1987 and 1988. Including prototypes, pre-production cars and eight cars assembled from parts in the early 1990s, other counts reach about 345.

How fast is a Porsche 959?

Porsche gives a top speed of 315 km/h (about 196 mph) for the 450 PS car, which made it one of the fastest production cars of its time.

Did the Porsche 959 win the Paris–Dakar?

Yes. In 1986 René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne won in a 959, with Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur second in another. In 1985 all three 959 entries had retired.

Was the Porsche 959 a Group B car?

It was designed for Group B and first shown as the "Gruppe B" study in 1983, but it never raced in the World Rally Championship because Group B rallying ended after 1986.

Is the Porsche 959 legal in the US?

Not as a certified car. Since the Show or Display rule took effect in 1999, approved 959s can be imported, limited to 2,500 miles a year and subject to emissions rules.

Sources

• Forty years since the world premiere of the 959, Porsche Newsroom
• 75 years of Porsche sports car motorsport, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche 959: review, history and specs, evo
• Bruce Canepa and the story of the 959 in America, FlatSixes
• Car of the Day: 1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar, Supercars.net
• Show or Display, Wikipedia
• Porsche 959, Wikipedia

Where does the name Carrera come from?

From the Carrera Panamericana, a Mexican road race held between 1950 and 1954. "Carrera" is Spanish for "race". Porsche took a class win there with the 550 Spyder in 1953, and in 1954 Hans Herrmann finished third overall in a 550, beaten only by two much bigger Ferraris.

Porsche first used the name for Ernst Fuhrmann's four-camshaft racing engine (type 547), and then for the fastest road cars that used it, starting with the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera of 1955. It went on the 904 Carrera GTS and the 906 Carrera 6, and the first 911 to carry it was the Carrera RS 2.7, presented at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1972, with "Carrera" written along its flanks.

Today the meaning has flipped. Carrera once marked the most powerful Porsche; on the current 911 it is the name of the core range.

What does Targa mean on a Porsche?

It comes from the Targa Florio, the Sicilian road race. Porsche had just won it for the fourth time in five years when the 911 Targa was named. In Italian, "targa" also means a plate, such as a licence plate.

The Targa was Porsche's answer to planned US safety rules that threatened the future of open cars. It kept a fixed stainless-steel roll bar, a removable roof panel and, at first, a folding plastic rear window. Porsche presented it at the Frankfurt IAA in September 1965 as a "safety cabriolet", and deliveries began in early 1967. According to Porsche, "Le Mans" and "Monza" were considered but already taken, and the name Targa was suggested by domestic sales manager Harald Wagner.

What do Turbo, S, 4 and 4S mean?

These four describe the car, not a race.

• Turbo: the 911 Turbo (type 930), shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 1974 with a turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six of 260 PS, is described by Porsche as the first series-production sports car with an exhaust turbocharger. Since then Turbo has marked the top of the 911 range. On the electric Taycan, Turbo survives as a name for the most powerful versions even without a turbocharger.
• S: Porsche says S originally stood for "Super" or "Sport" and today means Sport: a stronger engine and more equipment. The first 911 S arrived in 1966 with 160 PS.
• 4: all-wheel drive. The first 911 badged this way was the 964 Carrera 4 of 1988, whose system was developed from the 959.
• 4S: all-wheel drive plus the wide Turbo body, first on the 993 Carrera 4S of 1995.

What do GTS, RS, GT2 and GT3 stand for?

All four come from motorsport homologation, when road cars were built so that racing versions could compete.

GTS: Gran Turismo Sport

GTS first appeared on the 904 Carrera GTS, a road-legal racer with a glass-fibre body that won the 1964 Targa Florio. Porsche revived the letters for the 928 GTS in 1991 and for the 911 with the 997 Carrera GTS of 2010, a 408 PS model placed between the Carrera S and the GT3. Today GTS sits above the S models.

RS: Rennsport

RS stands for Rennsport, German for "racing sport": a road-legal car derived from a race version. Porsche used it on 1950s racing spyders such as the 718 RSK, and the first 911 with it was the 1972 Carrera RS 2.7. Built to homologate the 911 for racing, it sold out its planned 500 cars within weeks, and more than 1,500 were eventually built.

GT2 and GT3: racing classes

Both names come from GT racing categories. The 911 GT2 of 1995 was a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive version of the 993 Turbo built for GT2-class racing. The first 911 GT3, a 996, was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999. Porsche chose not to call it RS and named it after the GT class its racing versions would compete in. Today's GT3 RS combines both naming traditions.

What do Spyder, Speedster, Sport Classic and T mean?

These are body styles and special editions, each with a long pedigree.

• Spyder: borrowed from coachbuilding, where it described a light two-seat open carriage. Porsche reserves it for open mid-engined cars, starting with the 550 Spyder of 1953.
• Speedster: a lower, more raked windscreen and less equipment for a sleeker look. The first was the 356 Speedster of 1954, built at the urging of US importer Max Hoffman.
• Sport Classic: a limited 911 with retro styling. The first, on the 997, was shown at the 2009 Frankfurt IAA with a ducktail spoiler and 408 PS, limited to 250 cars. The 992 Sport Classic of 2022 was limited to 1,250.
• T: Touring. The original 911 T of the late 1960s was the cheaper, less powerful entry model. Porsche revived it in 2017 for the 991 Carrera T, a lighter, more focused version of the base car.

Porsche names at a glance

The numbers have their own story: read why the 911 is called 911 and see where each model fits in Porsche 911 generations explained. Then check whether you can spot a Carrera RS from a Sport Classic in the My Hangar Porsche quiz, or browse the launches on the Porsche timeline.

FAQ

What does Carrera mean on a Porsche?

Carrera is Spanish for "race" and honours Porsche's results in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico in the early 1950s. It first named a four-cam engine and the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera of 1955; today it is the name of the core 911 range.

What does GTS stand for on a Porsche?

Gran Turismo Sport. The letters first appeared on the 904 Carrera GTS racer of 1963–64 and now mark the models positioned above the S versions.

What does RS mean on a Porsche?

RS stands for Rennsport, German for "racing sport": a road-legal model derived from racing. The first 911 RS was the Carrera RS 2.7 of 1972.

Why is it called a Targa?

After the Targa Florio road race in Sicily, which Porsche had won repeatedly by 1965. The word also means "plate" in Italian.

What is the difference between Spyder and Speedster?

At Porsche, Spyder is used for open mid-engined cars such as the 550 Spyder, while Speedster means an open car with a low, raked windscreen, starting with the 356 Speedster of 1954.

Sources

• What do Porsche model names mean?, Porsche
• Modellnamen und Typennummern (model names and type numbers), Porsche Newsroom
• 50 years of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, Porsche Newsroom
• The first 911 S Targa and the origin of the Targa name, Porsche Newsroom
• Celebrating 20 years of the Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche unveils new 992 911 Sport Classic, Goodwood Road & Racing
• 1995 Porsche 911 GT2, RM Sotheby's
• Porsche 904, Wikipedia

When was the Porsche 901 unveiled?

At the Frankfurt motor show (IAA) on 12 September 1963. It was the long-awaited successor to the 356: a 2+2 fastback coupé with a 2.0-litre air-cooled flat-six in the tail.

The shape was drawn by Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche, Ferry Porsche's eldest son. The car shown in Frankfurt was a pre-series vehicle, and it took another year to reach production. The engine was entirely new: a 1,991 cc air-cooled flat-six with dry-sump lubrication and one camshaft per cylinder bank, producing 130 PS at 6,200 rpm. It drove through a new five-speed gearbox.

From 356 successor to 901

The brief was evolution, not revolution. Ferry Porsche's own wish list asked for two seats plus two comfortable occasional seats and easier entry, while the sales department wanted to keep the familiar Porsche line. Several outside designers submitted proposals, but Ferry rejected them as not being a Porsche. The breakthrough came in 1959, when F.A. Porsche produced a model of a coupé close to his father's ideas.

An early four-seat study followed, but Ferry insisted on a fastback, so the car became a 2+2. Development of the production car began in 1962, and the first 901 prototype drove out of the Zuffenhausen gates on the evening of 9 November 1962. To make series production possible, Porsche took over its body supplier Reutter in 1963.

"901" was not a random marketing number. It was the car's type number in Porsche's internal sequence of design projects, the same system that gave the 356 its name.

Why did Peugeot object to the name 901?

Because Peugeot had been naming its cars with three digits and a central zero since the 201, launched at the Paris Salon in October 1929. The 301 and 401 followed, and post-war models such as the 404 kept the pattern. Peugeot claimed the exclusive right to that pattern in France, so a Porsche "901" sold there would have fallen inside it.

Porsche's own account says its development department had researched the name in advance. Peugeot's argument was not about the number 901 itself but about the principle of the middle zero. The objection reached Porsche in early October 1964, around the car's appearance at the Paris Motor Show.

Porsche could, in theory, have used a different name only in France. It chose instead to rename the car 911 for every market.

How did the 901 become the 911?

By changing one digit: the middle zero became a one. Ferry Porsche gave the order on 22 October 1964.

Porsche's own histories differ on who had the idea. One credits chief designer F.A. Porsche, who simply doubled the "1"; another says the sales management team proposed it. Both agree on the main advantage: swapping a single character meant the print layouts already prepared for brochures, advertising and owner's manuals did not have to be redone.

The timing was awkward. The "901" lettering had already been designed and the first posters and brochures had been printed. Production had started on 14 September 1964, so the first cars had been built as 901s.

The old number did not vanish. The engine and many part numbers kept the 901 prefix, and enthusiasts still call the early 911 gearbox the "901" transmission.

How many Porsche 901s were built?

Porsche's classic pages say 82 cars were produced as 901s before the name changed. They were built between 14 September and mid-November 1964. According to the Porsche Museum, customer cars made up to that point were manufactured as 901s but sold as 911s.

One survivor is now famous. Chassis 300 057, known as "Number 57", was taking shape on the production line on 22 October 1964, the very day the name changed. It was found in a barn in Brandenburg in 2014 by a television crew, bought by the Porsche Museum for EUR 107,000 and restored over three years before going on display in December 2017. You can see where it sits in the story on the My Hangar Porsche timeline.

Why are the 912, 914 and 924 numbered the way they are?

Because Porsche kept using its type numbers as model names, but stopped putting a zero in the middle of road-car names.

• 912: the four-cylinder version of the new car was developed alongside the 901 as the 902. It never went on sale under that name; it arrived in April 1965 as the 912, with the 356's 1.6-litre four-cylinder and 90 PS.
• 914: the mid-engined sports car developed with Volkswagen and shown at the 1969 IAA was sold as the 914/4 and 914/6.
• 924: the front-engined, water-cooled entry model of 1975 was also named after its internal type number.

The middle zero did survive on the race track. Porsche's 1960s competition cars carried type numbers 904, 906, 907, 908 and 909, but the road-legal 904 was sold as the Carrera GTS and the 906 as the Carrera 6. If you want to know what those names mean, see Porsche names explained.

Did the 911 name come from the US emergency number?

No. The name was settled in October 1964, while AT&T only announced 911 as an emergency number for the United States in January 1968, and the first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama, on 16 February 1968. The 911 name is older than the American emergency number.

Test your memory of these dates in the My Hangar Porsche quiz, and follow the car's evolution in Porsche 911 generations explained.

FAQ

What was the Porsche 911 originally called?

The Porsche 901. It was shown under that name at the Frankfurt IAA in September 1963, and the first production cars were built as 901s from 14 September 1964.

Why did Porsche change the name from 901 to 911?

Peugeot objected because it claimed the rights in France to car names made of three digits with a zero in the middle. Porsche replaced the zero with a one and renamed the car 911 for all markets.

How many Porsche 901s were made?

Porsche puts the figure at 82 cars produced under the 901 designation before the name changed in autumn 1964.

Was the 912 ever called 902?

Only internally. The four-cylinder model was developed as the 902 alongside the 901, but it was launched in 1965 as the 912 and never sold as a 902.

Sources

• 1963: The middle zero moment, Porsche Newsroom
• Evolutionary history of the 911: from Type 754 to 901, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche 901, Porsche Classic (Porsche Cars North America)
• Restoration of Number 57, Porsche Newsroom
• Porsche four all: celebrating the 912E, 912 and 914, Classic & Sports Car
• Axon's Automotive Anorak: Peugeot, 90 years of naming by number, Goodwood Road & Racing
• 50 years of 911: the small town that revolutionized emergency response, UPI
• Porsche 911 (classic), Wikipedia