Ferdinand Porsche: Genesis of Genius

Every once in a while a man or woman comes along who wants to shake the tree, turn convention on its side, or just to improve the way we do things. Having written several books on the Porsche marque, when the opportunity arose to review Karl Ludvigsen’s book, Ferdinand Porsche: Genesis of Genius, I naturally grabbed it with both hands. Quite apart from my admiration for Ludvigsen’s work, the prospect of learning a little more about Ferdinand Porsche the thinker, the visionary, the innovator, was not an opportunity to be missed. Not much has been written on his early years, nor on the sheer scale and variety of Professor Porsche’s creations and developments, and so when this book arrived it was with some eagerness and enthusiasm that I dived straight in.

Few today realise the significance of the legacy of Ferdinand Porsche, the inspiration and founder of the Porsche sports cars that we know and love. Growing up in an era when motoring experimentation and development was carried out by pioneers in a fledgling industry, this was the environment in which Ferdinand Porsche thrived. Much of Porsche’s work during the period 1910-1930s had such a significant impact on the motor industry that we are still reaping the benefits of this progress today.