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Porsche is a German sports car manufacturer owned by Volkswagen. Established in 1931, it is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche and is the namesake of its founder. He is credited for creating the world’s first hybrid car in 1900 and the Volkswagen Beetle. Today, Porsche is well known around the globe for its high-performance sports cars which have earned the respect of both car enthusiasts and track racers alike. Today, the brand has expanded its production to other types of cars as well, including SUVs and sedans.

Porsche was originally founded as a consulting company and initially did not build any motor vehicles. It would soon manufacture its first vehicle, the Porsche 64, in 1939. However, Porsche’s first true production car was the Porsche 356; it was sold to a limited number of customers in 1947. Over the next few decades, due to the effects of the Second World War, Porsche would face difficulty in procuring parts to produce new models. Nevertheless, it manufactured some notable models in the period from 1947-1960, including the 550 Spyder which competed in motor racing.

Following 1960, Porsche would produce what is now its most iconic car- the Porsche 911. In fact, today, Porsche’s name is synonymous with the car. The model was originally meant to be named ‘901’ rather than 911, but due to trademark issues the company opted to pick the latter name. In a survey for the best car of the 20th century, the Porsche 911 came fifth. Since then Porsche has continued to produce newer models and variants of the 911.

Porshce is well known for producing several other notable cars as well. These include the Carrera GT and Carrera S, Boxter, and the Taycan. In in its SUV range, it has produced the Cayenne and Macan, the former having earned significant popularity. In fact, the Cayenne is Porsche’s best selling vehicle today. Porsche’s luxury sedan is the Panamera, first showcased in 2009 and in production since 2010.