RIP Ferdinand Porsche

[dave thompson]

Designer of the 911. Interesting family and interesting cars.

I never had a 911, only an early 356. The 911's really caught my eye, they still do.

[Bob Loblaw]

Inspired designer. Took what was right from the 356, improved everything else. The original Targa with the foldable canvas/plastic rear window is poetry, IMO.

Owning a 911 is on my bucket list but will probably have to wait till the kids are out of college. Bikes are expensive enough for now, especially since I can't seem to stop breaking them. :mad:

BL

[Mike748]

A brilliant and talented member of a brilliant and talented family. The 911 design was definitely his masterpiece. Here's one of mine

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e109/Mike748/026.jpg

[Ahneida Ride]

911 was best looking car ever !

[Fixed]

Designer of the 911. Interesting family and interesting cars.

I never had a 911, only an early 356. The 911's really caught my eye, they still do.

the essence of hip
imho

[Louis]

Designer of the 911.

I just read somewhere that they wanted to call it the 901, but Peugeot already had that number, so they bumped it up to 911. And thus, history is made.

[christian]

Peugeot actually had the trademark on all integer-zero-integer model nomenclatures. But I guess i'd rather have a 911 than a 404 break.

[Ken Robb]

Peugeot actually had the trademark on all integer-zero-integer model nomenclatures. But I guess i'd rather have a 911 than a 404 break.

AMEN! Brother!:banana:

[tuxbailey]

I want to own one, one of these days...

[Nooch]

Peugeot actually had the trademark on all integer-zero-integer model nomenclatures. But I guess i'd rather have a 911 than a 404 break.

so that's why mazda had to cop the 323 and 626, eh? Porsche had 9xx, peugot at x0x? interesting..

I'd still rather a 911 over anything.. i drove a '97 for my 21st birthday, was a friend's father's, and they were about to pack it up and take it to a track day.. ripped around backcountry mass. with a ***** eating grin on my face for an hour.. the last year of the air-cooleds, i think if i ever bought one it would be air-cooled, the sound just made such an impression..

[R2D2]

The 911 design is immortal.
I had a beat 912 for a time.
It was basically a surplus 356 engine in a 911 body.
The 911 really needed the six.
The flat four in the 912 didn't have enough power for the heavier body.
BUT they didn't oversteer as badly.
The biggest lesson you learn in a Porsche is hit the power and not the brake when starting to break loose. The rear just scoots back in place and the car starightens right out.

[avalonracing]

Here's one of mine

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e109/Mike748/026.jpg

Is that your 914 also?
My step-father had a 914 that I stupidly took out a couple of times before I had my license. That was a cool little car and I still think underrated and unloved my many. But it handles like nobody's business and has a targa top, to me, that's a fun car.

[goonster]

Peugeot actually had the trademark on all integer-zero-integer model nomenclatures.
Not really a trademark issue, since you can hardly claim a number series for products you haven't made yet. Porsche simply decided to defer to the second oldest car maker's convention.

For a man who wasn't really a through-and-through car guy (he spent the greater part of life designing sunglasses and such), Butzi Porsche sure left his mark in the automotive world. The 904 is also a truly great design.

http://porschew.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/porsche-904-.jpg

[Bob Loblaw]

I fell in love with early Porsche's when my dad got a '55 Speedster, which he has now owned for over half its life. To me the early 911's are the standard.

I had a 914 also for a few years, sold it to finance a two-month trip to Europe. I loved driving it, but you had to either lift the car or drop the engine or both to do pretty much anything, including change the oil.

Still, I miss that car, the sound, the bedframe-on-casters ride, the smell of it like oil and hot metal, and and the rumble of the engine through seat, pedals, steering wheel and shifter.

BL

Is that your 914 also?
My step-father had a 914 that I stupidly took out a couple of times before I had my license. That was a cool little car and I still think underrated and unloved my many. But it handles like nobody's business and has a targa top, to me, that's a fun car.

[fourflys]

you know Porsche also designed the VW Bug when he was basically forced to by Hitler... that's the main reason it's aircooled and rear engine...

and yes, a 911 is on my bucket list... almost got one a couple years ago (early 90's model), but maintenance costs scared me away...

[goonster]

you know Porsche also designed the VW Bug
Not the Porsche that just passed away.

[fourflys]

Not the Porsche that just passed away.

true, the other Ferdinand was the VW designer... just thought it was interesting none the less...

[Mike748]

Is that your 914 also?
My step-father had a 914 that I stupidly took out a couple of times before I had my license. That was a cool little car and I still think underrated and unloved my many. But it handles like nobody's business and has a targa top, to me, that's a fun car.

No, my 914 is blue. Fun car but not nearly as beautiful as the 911.

[dd74]

I had a '74 911 which was the last year cars did not have to be smog-certified in California. I modified it a bit with SC and Carrera parts, and eventually took on a 225+ hp 2.7 engine with Webers. That car screamed at Willow Springs Raceway, which eventually was the only place I could really drive it, which ironically is why I sold it.

The fact about the Porsche 911, particularly the air-cooled models, is they are the toughest most reliable vehicles in almost any driving circumstance, whether in city traffic or on a race track.

Porsche even quoted Carroll Shelby in an advertisement where he said if there was ever a 48-hour race, Porsche would be the only car that could stand up to it.

[rounder]

I would just like to drive one someday. Never expect to own one. RIP Ferry Porsche.

[54ny77]

he's rolling in his grave after seeing that panamera. :bike:

[alancw3]

i have become less of a car guy as i have aged BUT my fantasy car is a 2002 911 GT2. just love that car! such understated elegance with the horsepower and handling to back it up.

[fourflys]

he's rolling in his grave after seeing that panamera. :bike:

agree 100%!

[GuyGadois]

I fell in love with early Porsche's when my dad got a '55 Speedster, which he has now owned for over half its life. To me the early 911's are the standard.

I had a 914 also for a few years, sold it to finance a two-month trip to Europe. I loved driving it, but you had to either lift the car or drop the engine or both to do pretty much anything, including change the oil.

Still, I miss that car, the sound, the bedframe-on-casters ride, the smell of it like oil and hot metal, and and the rumble of the engine through seat, pedals, steering wheel and shifter.

BL

Your 914 drove on rails. I did not like it, though, when we would drive it in the rain. I still remember the days taking that corner going into Acuson in the rain and not knowing which way the nose was going to end up.

GG