Ferdinand Porsche

1875-1951

He may have given his name to one of the most desirable car brands ever, but Ferdinand Porsche had already established himself as an engineering giant long before the first 356 was made. Indeed, its basis was the Volkswagen Type 1 that he had designed before the war. Porsche had previously worked for several firms, including Mercedes-benz, where he came up with the iconic supercharged SSK.