.Lefteris.
11th November 2008, 02:35
15 Octoder, 1953 Porsche wheels out its first model to sport the company's now world-famous emblem.
The introduction of the crest came at a time when Porsche was gaining stability in its car production process, signalled by the replacement of the existing three-spoke steering wheel by a two-spoke item, made by VDM. Sitting in the middle of this new wheel was the Porsche emblem, penned by Ferry Porsche himself at the request of American importer, Max Hoffman.
"Like many other kids" Porsche later said, "I liked to sketch coats of arms when i was 11 or 12 years old, so it wasn't hard for me to do."
So easy was it in fact, that he designed the emblem within a couple of minutes on the back of a napkin.
All that was then required was for Ferry Porsche's sketch to be refined by Erwin Komenda before it gained total approval by the city and state authorites.
The black horse on the yellow background in the middle of the crest is the coat of arms for the city of Stuttgart. Porsche also linked it to Francesco Baracca, a World War One aviator, who used the prancing horse as his emblem, a design Enzo Ferrari also featured on his cars.
The background of the Porsche emblem features curving stag horns from the crest of the state of Baden-Wuttemberg, where Stuttgart is located. And sitting atop the emblem, the name that would adorn a whole host of road and racing cars to come: Porsche.
PS Many thanks to GT Porsche mag.
Lefteris
The introduction of the crest came at a time when Porsche was gaining stability in its car production process, signalled by the replacement of the existing three-spoke steering wheel by a two-spoke item, made by VDM. Sitting in the middle of this new wheel was the Porsche emblem, penned by Ferry Porsche himself at the request of American importer, Max Hoffman.
"Like many other kids" Porsche later said, "I liked to sketch coats of arms when i was 11 or 12 years old, so it wasn't hard for me to do."
So easy was it in fact, that he designed the emblem within a couple of minutes on the back of a napkin.
All that was then required was for Ferry Porsche's sketch to be refined by Erwin Komenda before it gained total approval by the city and state authorites.
The black horse on the yellow background in the middle of the crest is the coat of arms for the city of Stuttgart. Porsche also linked it to Francesco Baracca, a World War One aviator, who used the prancing horse as his emblem, a design Enzo Ferrari also featured on his cars.
The background of the Porsche emblem features curving stag horns from the crest of the state of Baden-Wuttemberg, where Stuttgart is located. And sitting atop the emblem, the name that would adorn a whole host of road and racing cars to come: Porsche.
PS Many thanks to GT Porsche mag.
Lefteris