Examining Porsche

The origins of the company date to the 1930s when German Bohemian automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche founded Porsche with Adolf Rosenberger and Austrian businessman Anton Piëch in 1931. Initially, the company offered motor vehicle development work and consulting. One of the first assignments the new company received was from the German government to design a car for the people, which resulted in the Volkswagen Beetle. After World War II, Ferdinand Porsche was arrested for war crimes. During his imprisonment, his son Ferry Porsche, an SS volunteer, began building his own car, which would result in the Porsche 356.

In 2009, Porsche entered an agreement with Volkswagen to create an 'integrated working group' by merging the two companies' car manufacturing operations. By 2015, Porsche SE, the holding company spun off from the original Porsche firm, had a controlling interest in the Volkswagen Group, which included Audi and Lamborghini as subsidiaries.

Porsche's current lineup includes the 911, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne, and Taycan. The Porsche 356 was road-certified in 1948. In 1964, the company launched the Porsche 911, another air-cooled, rear-engined sports car. The 911 has become Porsche's most well-known model and remains in production. A cost-reduced model with the same body, but with a 356-derived four-cylinder engine, was sold as the 912.

The headquarters and main factory are located in Zuffenhausen, a district in Stuttgart. Cayenne and Panamera models are manufactured in Leipzig, Germany. In 2017, Porsche built the one-millionth 911. In August 2021, Porsche confirmed that it would be setting up a production plant in Malaysia, the first country outside of Europe.

Porsche has a record 19 outright wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Porsche is currently the world's largest race car manufacturer. In 2006, Porsche built 195 race cars for various international motor sports events. In 2010, Porsche launched the Cayenne S Hybrid and announced the Panamera S Hybrid. The Porsche 918 sports car, featuring a hybrid system, was launched in 2014. In 2021, Porsche released an electric mountain bike in partnership with Rotwilde.

In 2025, Porsche's operating profit collapsed by roughly 98%, falling from approximately €5.3 billion in 2024 to €90 million. This resulted in an operating margin of only 0.3%, down from 14.5% in 2024. Global sales were down 10% from 310,718 in 2024 to 279,449 in 2025. Michael Leiters became CEO on January 1, 2026.

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