Ferdinand Porsche- Genesis of Genius

In Ferdinand Porsche - Genesis of Genius, author Karl Ludvigsen reveals a dynamic young innovator who helped to chart the course of the automobile through the first decades of the twentieth century. As early as 1900, at the age of 25, Ferdinand Porsche pioneered hybrid technology to power his automobile designs. Once gasoline gained dominance as the power-source of choice, Porsche became relentless in his goal to design the fastest and most durable automobiles in Europe.

Porsche’s engineering brilliance did not stop at the automobile. He also made significant contributions to the early development of airplane engines and military transport vehicles. And in addition to his hands-on style of engineering, Ferdinand Porsche was a tireless managing executive in the automotive industry.

Click here to view an excerpt from this book:
Chapter 6 - Racing in Their Blood: 1909-1911

Ferdinand Porsche - Genesis of Genius explores in depth the unique combination of ambition, determination and genius that were the genesis of an automotive dynasty which has continued to thrive and expand for over a century.

"So, the man who had such influence on our abiding passion is brought vividly to life, thanks in no small part to the huge amount of new material that Karl Ludvigsen has so painstakingly unearthed through sheer hard slog and weighty research. . . . This book meets all the criteria of written greatness and is without parallel." - Porsche Post

Download a PDF of the press release about the IAMA awards here (843 kb)

570 B/W and color photos & illustrations, including:

• 7 specially-commissioned 18.5 in. x 12 in. full color foldout drawings of some of the most important early car designs of Ferdinand Porsche by renowned Swiss automotive artist Wolfgang Franke
• 9.5 in. x 12 in. full color plate insert showing engine detail from the 1910 Prince Heinrich car
• Reproductions of original pages from Ferdinand Porsche’s original handwritten notes
• Many previously unpublished photos from the Porsche family archives

Chapter 3: Electrifying Automobiles 1900-1905

In neat sketches in his own notebook, Porsche worked out the electrical connections that would be needed to control the forward speeds of his powerful Panhard-powered Mixtes of 1905.

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