Good Design is Honest

"The design culture established by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the creator of the 911, still defines the shape of Porsche sports cars today."

Matthias Müller, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG, said this in his tribute to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.

Born in Stuttgart on December 11, 1935, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, known as the designer of the Volkswagen Type 1, the "Beetle"—one of history's most successful mass-produced cars—and the Tiger tank during the war. From a young age, he spent his days surrounded by automobiles at his grandfather's design office and factory.

In 1943, to escape wartime bombing, he moved with his family to Austria. After returning to Stuttgart in 1950, F.A. Porsche studied industrial design at the Ulm School of Design after attending Waldorf School. In 1958, he began working in the design department of Porsche KG (as it was then known), managed by his father.

At Porsche KG, he played a central role in the development project for the successor to the first car to bear the Porsche name, the "356" series, designed by his father, Ferry Porsche. In 1961, he unveiled a model known as the "695" or "T7 Prototype." This was the precursor to the original "911," the "901," which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963.

F.A. Porsche also designed the F1 car "804," born in 1962, and the Porsche's first mid-engined sports car, the "904" or "Carrera GTS," which debuted in 1964.


Following the incorporation of Porsche KG into a stock company, he retired from active management and established "Porsche Design Studio" in his hometown of Stuttgart in 1972. After relocating to the current headquarters in Zell am See, Austria, in 1974, he spent decades designing men's accessories such as watches, glasses, and writing instruments. Under the brand name "Design by F.A. Porsche," he also designed numerous household goods and consumer products, including cameras, computer peripherals, and knives.

His creed was: "Design must be functional, and to be functional, it must be aesthetically pleasing. It's unacceptable if you have to explain it first." He believed that "correctly designed products need no decoration. Their form alone should enhance their presence," and held the conviction that "good design is honest."

Even after retiring from active management, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche continued to contribute to Porsche's car designs and maintained a close relationship with Porsche AG throughout his life as a member of the Supervisory Board.

He will now rest eternally in the grounds of Schüttgut in Zell am See.