Avatar photoKieron Fennelly·
People & Profiles
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Ernst Fuhrmann – the inspiration behind the 911 Turbo

Ernst Fuhrmann at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 June 1977
Ernst Fuhrmann at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 June 1977

Porsche’s first CEO is frequently maligned as the man who tried to kill off the 911. There is far more to his Porsche career than this misconception as he was the inspiration behind the 911 Turbo.

1975 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0
This Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 was the personal transport of Ernst Fuhrmann – photographed in Weissach in 1975

Viennese Ernst Fuhrmann was one of Ferry Porsche’s first post war employees, joining the Konstructionsbüro, then based in Gmünd in 1947. The pair worked together on several major projects, including the Cisitalia 360 racing car, a dauntingly complex 1500 cc supercharged flat-12 with four-wheel drive. Then the company moved back to Stuttgart and production of what would become known as the Type 356 got underway.

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