Ferdinand Alexander ‘Butzi’ Porsche (1935-2012) | 24h-lemans.com

Photo : – RM Auctions

Grandson of Ferdinand and son of Ferry, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, known by the family nickname “Butzi”, died on the 5th April 5 2012 in Salzburg.

Eldest son of Dorothea and Ferry Porsche, Butzi Porsche was born in Stuttgart on the 11th December 1935. Since childhood, he spent most of his time in the design offices and development workshops in the company of his grandfather Ferdinand. In 1943 the family accompanied the Porsche company’s move to Austria, where he went to school in Zell am See. After returning to Stuttgart in 1950, he attended the private Waldorf school. After leaving school, he enrolled at the prestigious Ulm School of Design. In 1958 he joined the engineering office of what was then Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG.

In 1962 he took over as head of the Porsche design studio, drawing worldwide attention to the Porsche name in 1963 with first showing of the Porsche 911. A master stroke: even today, when it is in its seventh generation, the silhouette of the 911 embodies the image of Porsche. In Formula One, he designed the Type 804 Formula One racing car that was responsible for Porsche’s only F1 win as a constructor at the 1962 French Grand Prix, driven by American Dan Gurney. Ten years later, Butzi Porsche founded the Porsche Design Studio 1972. He designed many accessories for men (watches, glasses, pens), but also many industrial products known under the label “Designed by F. A. Porsche “: “Design must be functional, and functionality must be visually translated by aesthetics,” he said. “A coherent product design must require no ornamentation, and can be enhanced by its own form. “

From 1990 to 1993, F.A. Porsche served as President of the company’s Supervisory Board, playing a major role in Porsche A.G’s eco-nomic turnaround. In 2005, he stood down from his Supervisory Board role in favour of his son Oliver and assumed the mantle of Honorary President of the Supervisory Board. Current CEO of Porsche Matthias Müller: “the creator of the Porsche 911, which established the culture of our company until today. His philosophy of good design is for us a legacy that we will honour for a long time. “

Jean-Philippe Doret
(Source Porsche press release)

PEBBLE BEACH (CALIFORNIA USA), CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE, 18th AUGUST 2011. The Porsche 911, designed by Butzi Porsche, remains symbolic of the German manufacturer. In this picure the personal car of Steve McQueen, used in the opening scenes of the film «  Le Mans » (1970), sold for $1,250,000.