5 Porsche Little Known Facts
Think you know everything about Porsche? Here are a few interesting facts you might not be aware of.
1. World's First Hybrid Electric Vehicle
You might think that hybrid electric vehicles are a relatively new technology, but you'd be very wrong. Ferdinand Porsche himself created the world's very first hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the "Semper Vivus," way back in 1899. Porsche introduced the electric car, which used wheel hub motors to drive the front wheels, to the world in 1900. And the innovation didn't stop there, as he later added all-wheel drive and another world first - four wheel brakes.
>>Join the conversation about Porsche Little Known Facts right here in the Rennlist Forum!
2. The First Sports Car Was Mid-Engined
The Porsche 356/1, which served as the prototype of sorts for the 356, was the first "real" Porsche branded car produced by Ferdinand Porsche. But while everyone thinks of the 356 as a rear engine car, the 356/1's engine was mounted behind the driver and in front of the rear axle. So why didn't the mid-engine design make it to production? It was more expensive, and Porsche wanted to make room for a rear seat.
>>Join the conversation about Porsche Little Known Facts right here in the Rennlist Forum!
3. A Seatmaker Manufactured Porsche Bodies
Early on, Porsche contracted out the production of its 356 bodies to a company called Reutter Carrosserie Werke. Porsche bought the body making component of the company in the early 1960's, at which time they changed their name to Recaro. The same Recaro that is well known for producing some of the best car seats in the world today.
>>Join the conversation about Porsche Little Known Facts right here in the Rennlist Forum!
4. The 911 Wasn't Always Called the 911
Porsche originally intended to call its iconic sports car the 901, and actually built a few dozen cars with that nameplate. But after Peugeot claimed ownership of any three number model using "0" as the middle digit, Porsche replaced that zero with a one. Today, the few 901's produced bring big bucks at auction when they pop up.
>>Join the conversation about Porsche Little Known Facts right here in the Rennlist Forum!
5. The First 917's Are Called "Secretary Cars" For a Reason
The first 25 917 race cars are often referred to as "secretary cars," which might not make much sense for such a blazingly fast and bodacious ride. But the name came about because Porsche had to scramble to get the cars assembled so that they would satisfy FIA homologation rules. To do so, they grabbed everybody they could to help - including office workers, bookkeepers, and yes, secretaries.
>>Join the conversation about Porsche Little Known Facts right here in the Rennlist Forum!
For help with maintenance of your Porsche, check out the how-to section of Rennlist.com