Porsche 911 designer dies 06 | 04 | 2012

THE DESIGNER BEHIND the first iconic Porsche 911, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, has died at the age of 76.

The grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche (the automotive engineer and pioneer who created the Mercedes-Benz compressor and Volkswagen Beetle), he was the son of Ferry Porsche.

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Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (pictured with the first 911) was born on December 11, 1935, in Stuttgart, and designed the 911 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It made its first official appearance at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show.

“As creator of the Porsche 911, he established a design culture that molds our sportscars still today," Matthias Müller, chief executive officer of Porsche AG, said. "His philosophy of good design is for us a legacy that we will also honour in the future.”

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Jim McGill