INNOVATION AT FULL THROTTLE –
THE BIRTH OF THE PORSCHE 911.
PORSCHE CENTRE
SOUTH LAKES
ISSUE 01
JANUARY 2026
LET’S TORQUE
PORSCHE
A word from
Simon Parker
Centre Principal
of Porsche Centre South Lakes
02
INTRODUCTION
Awards and recognitions
Josh Lucas
Completed his Parts Apprenticeship
James Wills
Completed his Technical Apprenticeship
Freddie Edmondson
Outstanding Year 2 Apprentice Award
Gordon Brakewell, Aaron Jenkins,
Gavin Hutchings and Scott Smith
Bronze & HVT Qualified
Isaac Hunter
Bronze Qualified
Aysha Hammond
Transitioning from Porsche Host to Sales Executive
Upcoming Events
Friday 6 March
International Women’s Day Event in conjunction
with Pink Link at Lakeside Hotel & Spa
Tuesday 2 June
Centre Track Day – Croft Racing Circuit
Sunday 7 June
RENNTAG 2026 at Leighton Hall
Welcome to the very first edition
of our Porsche Centre South Lakes
“Let’s Torque Porsche” Customer Magazine.
This has been something we’ve wanted to create for
a long time, a space where we can share stories from
the world of Porsche, celebrate the cars we all admire,
and keep you up to date with what’s happening here
at the Centre. Most importantly, it’s a way for us to
stay connected with you beyond the showroom.
Each month, you’ll find a mix of:
• Interesting stories from the wider Porsche world
• Updates on the latest models, technology and events
• News and insights from our team here in South Lakes
• And a few moments that remind us why Porsche
ownership is about so much more than just the car.
As the first Porsche Centre in the UK, we’re incredibly
proud of our heritage, but just as proud of the
community that surrounds us today. This magazine is for
you, our customers, and we hope it becomes something
you look forward to receiving each month.
Thank you, as always, for being part of the Porsche
Centre South Lakes journey. I hope you enjoy this first
edition, and I look forward to sharing many more stories
with you in the months ahead.
Warm regards,
Simon Parker
Centre Principal
Porsche Centre South Lakes
03
INTRODUCTION
In the early
1960s...
Porsche set out to create a successor to its
beloved 356 sports car – a successor that would
ultimately become the legendary Porsche 911.
First unveiled in 1963, the 911’s innovative design
and engineering paved the way for one of the
most enduring sports cars in automotive history.
Over the decades, the 911 has continuously
evolved while staying true to its roots, solidifying
its status not just as a car, but as an iconic
design achievement. In this edition we explore
the insider story of how the original 911 was
designed and developed, how it was revealed to
the world,and how it evolved into the motoring
icon we know today.
THE BIRTH OF THE PORSCHE 911
04
Over the decades, the 911 has continuously
evolved while staying true to its roots,
solidifying its status not just as a car,
but as an iconic design achievement.
THE BIRTH OF THE PORSCHE 911
05
CONCEIVING A SUCCESSOR
CONCEIVING
A SUCCESSOR
By the late 1950s, the Porsche 356 had reached the limits of its development, and company leadership
knew that a new model was needed. Ferry Porsche (then company chairman and son of founder Ferdinand
Porsche) laid out clear goals for the new sports car. He wanted it to be a 2+2 coupé (a two-seater with
two small jump seats in the back) with more space and comfort than the 356, but without sacrificing the
sporty character that defined Porsche.
Designing
the First 911.
1959–
1963
06
The Porsche 911 GTS.
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built. Not just for the astonishing T-Hybrid performance that will take you to 62 mph in 3.0 secs,
but for the sheer luxury, exquisite engineering and, above all, motorsport heritage that will make
the hairs on your neck stand tall. The 911 GTS can be personalised to your unique taste with
Exclusive Manufaktur options. Follow the link to enquire now with Porsche Centre South Lakes.
Porsche Centre South Lakes
1 Electric Drive
Carnforth
Lancashire
LA6 1FW
01524 911 911
info@porschesouthlakes.co.uk
www.porschesouthlakes.co.uk
Enquire now
CONCEIVING A SUCCESSOR
In essence, the next Porsche had to be modern
and improved in every way, yet still recognisably
a Porsche. Ferry’s wishlist for the 356’s successor
included several key points:
• Occasional four-seat layout: A two-seater cabin with two
small rear jump seats for children or luggage, providing
greater interior room than the 356.
• Improved comfort and practicality: Easier entry and more
passenger space for comfort on longer trips, addressing
some of the 356’s ergonomic limitations.
• Continuity of Porsche style: An evolutionary design
that “retains the previous Porsche line” – in other words,
not a radical departure in appearance – and a decidedly
sporty character, true to the brand’s image.
• Greater performance: A more powerful engine for higher
output and better top speed, to move the new car beyond
the performance of the old four-cylinder models.
• Efficient production: Lower production costs through
modern engineering and manufacturing, ensuring the car
was financially viable to build.
08
DESIGNING THE FIRST 911 – 1959–1963
In 1959, a young designer named Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche –
Ferry’s own son – rose to the challenge of designing the new car.
Porsche had no formal styling department at the time, so design
work was part of the engineering office. Ferry Porsche solicited
ideas from various engineers and external designers, but none
of their proposals fully satisfied him; as he put it, as nice as some
designs were, they just “were not a Porsche”.
It was the fresh vision of 25-year-old Butzi Porsche, a
recent hire at the family firm, that finally captured Ferry’s
imagination. In 1959, Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi”
Porsche crafted a 1:5 scale model of a sleek coupé
(internally code-named Type 754 T7) that came much
closer to his father’s vision for the new car. This early
concept was a four-seater with a slightly longer
wheelbase, and it already featured many of the design
cues that would define the 911 – a low bonnet flanked
by raised fenders, upright headlights, a curved fastback
roofline, and an elegant, sloping rear.
However, the initial four-seat prototype wasn’t quite the
“full-throttle” sports car Porsche wanted. Butzi Porsche
later admitted that the larger 4-seat design “didn’t work”
aesthetically. Accommodating two adults in the back
required a taller roof and bulkier profile, which clashed
with the lithe, fastback styling Ferry insisted upon.
As Butzi humorously recounted, “The funny thing
was that if we did a four-seater, everybody wanted
a two-seater, and if we designed a two-seater,
they wanted a four-seater. The idea was not so much
a new car, but how to change the 356.”
These requirements set
the stage for what would
become the Porsche 911.
09
Porsche decided on a 2+2 layout –
keep the tiny rear seats for
occasional use, but shorten the
wheelbase for a sportier proportion.
The Type 754’s wheelbase was
cut from 2.4 m down to 2.2 m,
giving the car tighter dimensions
and a more agile stance.
With this change, the fundamental
shape we now know as the 911
was set. By December 1959,
Butzi Porsche and the team had
completed a full-scale model of the
revised design, which “apart from a
wraparound rear window, is the 911”
in its profile.
Ferry Porsche and the board approved this design,
recognising its perfect balance of new and familiar
elements. In 1961, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – at just
26 years old – was appointed head of Porsche’s design
model department to finalise the car’s development.
In the end,
compromise was key:
10
CONCEIVING A SUCCESSOR
This engine, often
called Mezger’s first
masterpiece, defined
the 911’s character
for decades to come.
Meanwhile, engineering work was underway on an
all-new powerplant to propel the new sports car.
Hans Mezger, a talented engineer in Porsche’s
ranks, was tasked with developing the engine for
the 356’s successor. The aging four-cylinder from
the Volkswagen Beetle heritage had reached its
limits, so Mezger opted for a completely new
six-cylinder boxer (flat-opposed) engine with
a larger displacement. This six-cylinder promised
more horsepower and smoother operation –
a necessity for higher performance.
The result was a 2.0-litre air-cooled flat-six that
produced 130 horsepower, nearly 50% more
power than the top pushrod engines in the late
356s, while maintaining bulletproof reliability
with features like dry-sump lubrication.
In pairing Butzi’s timeless body design with
Mezger’s new flat-six engine, Porsche had the
core ingredients for a sports car that would
stand the test of time.
DESIGNING THE FIRST 911 – 1959–1963
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DEBUT OF THE 901: A NEW PORSCHE IS UNVEILED (1963–1964)
After several years of intensive
development, Porsche was
ready to show its new creation
to the world.
1963–
1964
12
DEBUT OF THE 901: A NEW PORSCHE IS UNVEILED (1963–1964)
It was presented as the direct successor to the Porsche
356, and there was “no better opportunity to present
the new Porsche to the public” than the high-profile
Frankfurt show. The stakes were high – the 356
was a beloved sports car and “a real crowd pleaser”
of its era, so its replacement had to impress.
Porsche’s leadership knew this and spared no effort to
make the new model a worthy heir. In fact, it had taken
six years of design and engineering to bring the 901 to
that Frankfurt stage, ensuring that it met Ferry Porsche’s
demanding criteria of more space, power, and practicality
while remaining “a true Porsche”.
The car displayed at Frankfurt in 1963 was a pre-series
901 prototype – close to production-ready, though
still with some details to be finalised. Visually, however,
it already carried the iconic silhouette that we recognise
today. Show-goers marvelled at its sleek fastback
profile and longer, more sculpted shape compared to
the petite 356.
The new model was slightly larger overall, providing a
roomier cabin and trunk, thanks in part to its MacPherson-
strut front suspension which allowed a wider front
luggage area. It retained hallmark Porsche features
(like the round headlights and rear-engine stance) but
with a fresh, modern interpretation by Butzi Porsche.
Under the engine lid sat the heart of Porsche’s future:
the newly developed 2.0L flat-six, which delivered about
130 hp and promised a top speed in excess of 200 km/h
– impressive figures for the time.
The prototype, initially code-named 901, made
its public debut at the Frankfurt International
Auto Show (IAA) on September 12, 1963.
Importantly, the car also featured
a new 5-speed manual transmission
(unusual in an era when many sports
cars had four gears) to fully exploit
the engine’s power band.
In short, the 901 represented a quantum leap in
engineering over the old 356, while still clearly
evolved from it – exactly what Porsche’s sales
department had asked for.
13
DEBUT OF THE 901: A NEW PORSCHE IS UNVEILED (1963–1964)
Here was a German sports car that combined racing-
inspired performance with everyday usability –
innovation at full throttle, wrapped in an elegant form.
The automotive press recognised that the new six-cylinder
Porsche would secure the marque’s future, with one
report calling the 901 “the future of the company.”
Porsche’s confidence in the new model was so high that,
just to enable its production, the company had purchased
its longtime bodywork supplier, Reutter, in mid-1963,
integrating the coachbuilding capacity needed to build
the new car’s unibody structure.
By the time the 901 was ready for sale in 1964,
Porsche had effectively bet the company’s future on
its success – and it would soon prove to be a wise bet.
One unexpected hiccup came from the model’s name.
Porsche had intended to sell the car as the “901”,
continuing its numeric naming convention. However,
Peugeot raised an objection at the last minute: the
French carmaker had a trademark claiming rights to
three-digit car names with a zero in the middle
(e.g. “something0something”)*. Peugeot’s protest meant
Porsche needed a quick rebrand before series production.
Public and press reaction at Frankfurt
was overwhelmingly positive.
14
DEBUT OF THE 901: A NEW PORSCHE IS UNVEILED (1963–1964)
The solution was elegantly simple.
Replace the zero with a “1”. On October 22, 1964,
Ferry Porsche officially decreed that the 901 would
henceforth be known as the Porsche 911. Fortunately,
this change was easy to implement (brochures and
manuals were updated by literally dropping in the new
digit), and the numerical name “911” would soon become
synonymous with Porsche excellence. The first examples
delivered to customers in late 1964 carried 911 badges,
and that iconic number has stuck ever since.
With its commercial launch in 1964-65, the Porsche
911 began appearing on roads around the world – and it
did not take long for it to earn acclaim. Drivers and
reviewers were impressed by the car’s combination of
performance and refinement.
Here was a lithe sportscar that could sprint from 0-60
mph in under 9 seconds and cruise comfortably with two
(small) passengers on a weekend getaway. It was both an
heir to the 356’s legacy and a bold step forward.
The Automobile Year book for 1964 praised the 911’s
“high level of finish and civility” for a sports car, and
competitive drivers soon found that, once mastered,
the 911’s rear-engine handling made it a potent
machine on track and rally stage alike.
In short, the 911 was “an icon straightaway – a car
for eternity,” as one retrospective put it. The world had
gained a new sports car legend.
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EVOLUTION OF AN ICON: 911 DERIVATIVES AND LEGACY UP TO TODAY
The Porsche 911 did not merely survive after
its 1960s debut – it thrived, evolving through
continuous innovation. “Evolution, not revolution”
became the guiding principle for Porsche’s
development of the 911 over the ensuing decades.
While other sports cars would come and go, the
911’s core concept remained intact: a compact 2+2
coupe with a flat-six engine hanging off the rear
axle, delivering a unique blend of performance,
durability, and everyday usability.
As Porsche’s current design chief Michael Mauer
has noted, each generation of 911 serves as a
chapter in an ongoing story, “undergoing continuous
refinement, while preserving its distinctive
rear-engine layout and silhouette.”
This faithful adherence to the original ethos
has solidified the 911’s stature as one of the
most enduring designs in automotive history.
Evolution of an Icon.
911 DERIVATIVES AND LEGACY UP TO TODAY
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EVOLUTION OF AN ICON: 911 DERIVATIVES AND LEGACY UP TO TODAY
911 Targa
From the mid-1960s onward, Porsche introduced a
steady stream of 911 variants and improvements, which
helped cement the model’s legendary status. By the end
of the 1960s, the 911 lineup had expanded to include
higher-performance versions like the 911S (with a more
powerful engine and upgraded handling) and different
body styles. In 1967, Porsche unveiled the 911 Targa,
a semi-convertible with a removable roof panel and
a trademark stainless-steel roll bar – an innovative
response to safety concerns of the era, and a design
credited to Butzi Porsche’s forward thinking.
The 911 also quickly proved its mettle in motorsport:
early on, it scored victories in rallies (a Porsche 911
won the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in 1968) and
endurance races, showcasing the car’s robustness and
speed. These exploits in competition only enhanced
the 911’s reputation among enthusiasts.
996 911
Today, well over 60 years since the first sketches and
models were made, the Porsche 911 is in its eighth
generation (the current Type 992 model, launched in
2019). It has spawned countless derivatives – from
convertibles and targas to hardcore GT3 and GT2
race-bred versions – and it serves a global community of
passionate owners and fans. Through all these iterations,
the 911 has never lost the essence of Butzi Porsche’s
original creation. It’s often said that the highest praise
one can give a new 911 is that “it’s still a 911.”
Few automobiles in history have achieved this level
of continuous development without losing their core
identity. The very name “911” has become shorthand
for a pure driver’s car, a perfect balance of innovation
and tradition. From its birth in 1963 to the present day,
the 911’s journey has indeed been innovation at full
throttle – and it shows no sign of hitting the brakes.
Carerra RS
Through the 1980s and 1990s, the 911 continued to
advance. Porsche incrementally modernised the car
with each generation: adding innovations like galvanised
rust-resistant bodies, improved suspensions and brakes,
electronic fuel injection, and eventually all-wheel drive
(introduced on the 911 Carrera 4 in 1989). Yet throughout,
the shape and spirit remained unmistakable.
Even a major change in 1998 – switching from the
traditional air-cooled engine to a water-cooled engine in
the 996-generation 911 – did not break the car’s
lineage. The silhouette, the driving feel, and the engine
note might have evolved, but one could still immediately
tell a 911 at a glance or from the driving experience.
As Butzi Porsche himself explained, the 911’s longevity
came from adherence to timeless design principles.
“Good design should be honest and functional,”
he emphasised. Butzi believed a car’s shape should
be harmonious, balanced, and modest – not overly
aggressive or trendy – so that it never goes out of style.
“Catch a glimpse of the silhouette and you know it’s a
911,” he said, underscoring that the car’s identity is
instantly recognisable. This philosophy helped the 911
remain relevant year after year.
17
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