The Death and Rebirth of the Porsche 911

The mid-Seventies was a difficult time for Porsche. The German brand found itself caught off-guard by—or intentionally disregarding—a series of global changes, including a dramatic rise in oil prices, a stagnating economy, and increased consumer and government concern over fuel economy, tailpipe emissions, engine and exhaust noise, and occupant safety.

The Porsche 911 of the time had clamorous, air-cooled, rear-mounted engine. Its compact size and intentionally difficult handling characteristics—the back end would swing out if a driver let off the accelerator in turns, surprising many—made it particularly unfit for meeting these new requirements. The model, already a decade old, was cut off from new investment by the automaker, and by the middle of the decade, sales began to erode. This only reinforced its vulnerability.

Add to that, the Porsche family had withdrawn from the management structure of the company in 1972, and technical operations were consolidated under Ernst Fuhrmann, who had been the lead engineer on the brand’s signature performance and racing vehicles, including the 911 Turbo, 934, and 935.

Under Fuhrmann’s aegis, Porsche began development of a new family of vehicles that would attempt to address the 911’s shortcomings and offer a viable replacement. These cars would undo decades of Porsche tradition by placing a water-cooled engine up front. They would also feature cutting-edge, crash-resistant design, something unavailable in the 911, an anachronism that could trace its roots back to the Nazi’s rattletrap Volkswagen, which company founder Ferdinand Porsche had designed for Adolf Hitler.