A Porsche never fails to grab the attention of anyone who passes by one. Porsche’s elite reputation wasn’t just formed overnight. For over 80 years, Porsche and its vehicles have been continuously evolving. In 1931, Porsche Automobil Holding SE was founded by a Czech engineer named Ferdinand Porsche after being commissioned to design automobiles for other companies. While Porsche has been globally recognized for its name and beautiful design, another symbol that represents Porsche is the badge on the hood of every car. Prior to this symbolic seal, Porsche cars only bared the name of the automaker, “Porsche.” It wasn’t until 1953 when Porsche first placed a badge on their cars. What isn’t agreed upon is the origin of the idea behind the badge and its design.
Americans contend that the badge was thought up in 1951 when Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferry, came to American to meet with an American Porsche distributor named Max Hoffman. Hoffman believed that the Porsche brand needed a symbol, or a mascot, to be more recognizable and accessible in the minds of consumers. Apparently Ferry ended up sketching something up on a napkin in the restaurant in which they met, then bringing it back to Germany with him to put into production.
Germans believe in a little different story behind the badges creation, contending that an engineer named Franz Xavier Reimspiess worked with Ferdinand before his death in 1951 to create a lasting image for the Porsche brand. Regardless of the two different beliefs behind the badges conception, it began to appear on the company’s automobiles in 1953.
The badge consists of a horse inspired by the Stuttgart city seal, the town Porsche calls home, and the antlers and red and black stripes which were taken from the state crest of Württemberg where the city of Stuttgart is located. Porsche views the wild animal in their badge “as an expression of the company’s forward-thrusting power.” (The News Wheel)
