Porsche family tree

[Big_Mac]

I associate Ferdinand and Ferry with the earlier cars and Butzi with the 901 and 904, but at what point did the 'family' bow out of the Porsche business? Or correct me if they are still involved in the 'Porsche Design' or consultancy (e.g. latest Harley Davidson motor)?

I believe that head of Volkswagen-Audi-Skoda-Seat-Bugatti-Lamborghini-Bentley(!) is a descendent of Ferdinand but haven't seen this confirmed on a family tree. Anyone got one and know what each of this successful family is linked to?

[Jack Olsen]

1972.

From Bruce Anderson's site:

"The old Professor Ferdinand Porsche had two children, Ferry Porsche and his sister Louise Piëch who was five years Ferry’s senior and each of them had four sons. When their father died, Ferry Porsche and his older sister Louise Piëch each received half the shares of the Porsche company. Louise agreed to let Ferry run Porsche, but she insisted that her own children be given as much chance as Ferry's sons to take the helm when the time came for him to step down. Two of their children appeared to have both the talent and drive necessary to eventually take over the family business: Ferry's son Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) and Louise's son Ferdinand Piëch who worked together at Porsche to create the 911. Butzi was responsible for the body design while his cousin Ferdinand was responsible for the mechanicals including the brilliant air-cooled six cylinder 911 engine.


Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche working on 911 design.

During the sixties several of the family members from both branches of the family were involved in the direct management of Porsche and although both sides of the family wanted their family owned company to succeed the competitiveness between the family members of the Porsche and Piëch families was causing decisions to be made that were not in the best interest of their business. The family members presence was also effectively blocking the rise of others within the company who may have been better qualified to administer the companies future.

In 1971, because of the great competitiveness between the Porsche and Piëch families, Ferry Porsche asked the family members to consider stepping down from their positions within Porsche. The Porsche and Piëch family members withdrew from active management in 1972 and retreated from their positions on the management board to the supervisory board. As members of the supervisory board they still had decisive influence over approving management board positions and Dr. Ferdinand Porsche assumed the post Chairman of the supervisory board. At this time they hired Ernst Fuhrmann to be their chairman of the management board and the company was converted from a limited partnership (KG) to a stock company, an Aktiengesellschaft or AG.

In 1972 Porsche opened their Weissach research and development facility. Weissach is world famous for research and development for both themselves for their Porsche automobiles and other auto makers. Weissach has helped to support Porsche AG during some of their lean years and 30% of all work there is done for other manufacturers, governments and NATO. On April 25, 1984 one third of the Dr. Ing. hcF Porsche AG stock was offered to the public in the form of non-voting preferred stock.

Ferry Porsche was awarded and honorary doctorate by the Technical University of Vienna in 1965 and was awarded the honorary title ‘Professor’ in 1984 on his 75th birthday. Unfortunately Professor Ferry Porsche passed away this past Spring on March 27, 1988 at the age of 88 at the family’s vacation home in Zell am See, Austria and did not live to see his namesake car turn 50 on June 8, 1998

The oldest sons, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and Ferdinand Piëch have both gone on to be very successful in their own right. Ferdinand Porsche (Butzi) Created the Porsche Design company in Stuttgart to do industrial design work. Designing any number of significant products including his very popular watches and eye glasses. Ferdinand Piëch has progressed up through the VW-Audi organization to become the CEO of Volkswagen turning around the fortunes of this once failing company."

[Rob McKibbon]

Great Info thanks Jack!
Lots of great photos on the website link (Bruce Anderson) I like the look of this 904, looks like a blast to drive. Never seen one of these before?