The new 911 will have its first public outing at the Frankfurt Motorshow (IAA) on Tuesday 15th Spetember, some 50 years since it was first unveiled, under a different name; the 901.
However, French carmaker Peugeot objected to Porsche using any three-digit number where the middle number was 0, asserting ownership of the naming rights. So, Porsche simply replaced the middle 0 with a 1 upon its market launch in 1964 and the Porsche 911 was born.
Faced with the task of creating a worthy successor to the 356, Porsche spent six years developing the 901. Ferry Porsche demanded a car with more interior space, more output and a lower production cost, while retaining the characteristics of a true Porsche.
A lot was done to the design in particular. The silhouette, which is still legendary to this day, is owed to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. He joined Porsche in 1957 after leaving his studies at Ulm School of Design during the first semester.
The 901 was the fourth car designed by Ferdinand Alexander and it became an immediate icon.