Okla-homey
9/3/2008, 06:18 AM
September 3, 1875: Porsche is born
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4436/por19311945volkswagenbemp2.jpg
133 years ago today, Ferdinand Porsche, engineer and patriarch of Porsche cars, was born on this day in Maffersdorf, Austria. He began his career at the Daimler Company, rising to general director.
In 1901, Porsche introduced the "Mixte" vehicle/transmission concept: the vehicle was equipped with a massive battery-pack, and an internal combustion engine was fitted to a generator to drive the electric hub motors and (for vehicle reliability) a small battery pack.
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7611/por774pxlohnerporschefb1.jpg
Porsche Mixte...the world's first hybrid
Porsche had created the first petroleum electric hybrid vehicle, although since sufficiently reliable gears and couplings weren't available at the time, he chose to make it a series-hybrid, an arrangement currently more common in diesel-electric or turbo-electric railway locomotives than automobiles.
Porsche eventually left Daimler in 1931 to design his own sports and racing cars.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4336/porschelogo6nc5.jpg
During WWII, Porsche accepted projects from Nazi Germany, including the design and construction of Panzers and other military vehicles such as the Tiger tank and the Elefant tank destroyer.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7891/porelefant05ic2.jpg
Elefant
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6033/porpanzervitigeriiporscvb3.jpg
Tiger, Normandy 1944
Perhaps his most famous project was Hitler's "car for the people," the Volkswagen.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5686/por800pxporschetyp12io4.jpg
1933 VW
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/2797/por727pxvwtyp83vrxx9.jpg
1941 VW in Wehrmacht service
Together with his son, Porsche was responsible for the initial Volkswagen plans, but his involvement with Hitler was to cost him dearly. He was arrested by the French after World War II and held for several years before finally being released.
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2737/por08porschegt21600002ok5.jpg
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4436/por19311945volkswagenbemp2.jpg
133 years ago today, Ferdinand Porsche, engineer and patriarch of Porsche cars, was born on this day in Maffersdorf, Austria. He began his career at the Daimler Company, rising to general director.
In 1901, Porsche introduced the "Mixte" vehicle/transmission concept: the vehicle was equipped with a massive battery-pack, and an internal combustion engine was fitted to a generator to drive the electric hub motors and (for vehicle reliability) a small battery pack.
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7611/por774pxlohnerporschefb1.jpg
Porsche Mixte...the world's first hybrid
Porsche had created the first petroleum electric hybrid vehicle, although since sufficiently reliable gears and couplings weren't available at the time, he chose to make it a series-hybrid, an arrangement currently more common in diesel-electric or turbo-electric railway locomotives than automobiles.
Porsche eventually left Daimler in 1931 to design his own sports and racing cars.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4336/porschelogo6nc5.jpg
During WWII, Porsche accepted projects from Nazi Germany, including the design and construction of Panzers and other military vehicles such as the Tiger tank and the Elefant tank destroyer.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7891/porelefant05ic2.jpg
Elefant
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6033/porpanzervitigeriiporscvb3.jpg
Tiger, Normandy 1944
Perhaps his most famous project was Hitler's "car for the people," the Volkswagen.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5686/por800pxporschetyp12io4.jpg
1933 VW
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/2797/por727pxvwtyp83vrxx9.jpg
1941 VW in Wehrmacht service
Together with his son, Porsche was responsible for the initial Volkswagen plans, but his involvement with Hitler was to cost him dearly. He was arrested by the French after World War II and held for several years before finally being released.
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2737/por08porschegt21600002ok5.jpg