Powerful Tribes – Porsche’s Team of Engineers

a Message from NEAL

Sometimes the right chieftain, with the right mission, is able to harness the efforts of the right tribe, at the right time. And–by working together in harmony–they are able produce something groundbreaking and timeless that is far more than the sum of its constituent parts.

In the late 1940s, Ferry Porsche was able to do this with his tribe of German engineers. They gave the world the Porsche 356, a light, nimble, and durable marvel of engineering. And as is so often the case in reviewing the breakthroughs of great tribes throughout history, they had neither an unlimited budget nor unlimited time for carrying out their mission. But they were somehow able to produce the first car to bear the Porsche name in a small town in the Austrian alps, working out of an old lumber mill, while living in cramped wooden barracks.

Their triumph is a reminder to us all that with both our personal and tribal missions, we can use our resourcefulness to overcome a lack of resources.

Wishing you fulfillment,

Powerful Tribes – Porsche

In the 1940s most automobiles were essentially gigantic hunks of metal. Drivers were enclosed in tons of steel as they lumbered down the road, until Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche changed the game through creating the car of his dreams. Ferry and his tribe of German engineers launched a mission that has continued for over 75 years–of developing nimble lightweight cars dynamic enough for racing, but also reliable enough for everyday use.

After World War II ended–as demand for cars surged–Ferry started production of the Porsche 356 in the wooden sheds of a former sawmill in Gmünde, Austria. Beginning in the winter of 1947, with limited resources, his team built forty-nine air-cooled 356s by hand. They were lightweight roadsters with aluminum bodies and 4-cylinder air-cooled engines mounted in the rear. Yet they were much more than the sum of those parts.

It was one of history’s great examples of a tribe and a product becoming closely intertwined through highly focused work under austere conditions. Previously Porsche had been known more for building tanks and tractors. The 356 was the first car to bear the Porsche name, and it also laid down the design language and philosophy for all future Porsches.

From the start it was all about the driver and the feeling of driving the car. The engineering was superb, the handling light and nimble. The car had everything a driver needed, but nothing extra. It was simple, elegant, and reliable. The Porsche 356’s success on the racetrack, particularly in endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, positioned Porsche as a dominant force in international motor sport.

In 1950 production moved to Stuttgart, Germany, where Porsche expanded significantly and established its new headquarters. The 356 quickly gained popularity due to its combination of sporting performance, lightweight construction, elegant design, and durability. And, its versatility rapidly transformed Porsche into one of the world’s great sports car brands.

As Ferry Porsche said, “I was looking for the sports car of my dreams, and I couldn’t find it. So, I built it.”

“I was looking for the sports car of my dreams, and I couldn’t find it. So, I built it.”

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