Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche - Ferdinand Porsche's Construction Bureau at Stuttgart

Ferdinand Porsche's Construction Bureau At Stuttgart

During the 1930s, Stuttgart had already established itself as a center for the automobile industry. Germany's most important car companies had settled in the region by then. It was thus an ideal location for the new Porsche design company. When Porsche senior opened his offices in April 1931, his son Ferry was by his side. The firm was called "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH Konstructionsbüro für Motoren, Fahrzeuge, Luftfahrzeuge und Wasserfahrzeugbau", meaning that Ferdinand Porsche's firm specialized in construction and consultation for engines, automobiles, airplanes, and motorboats. Porsche GmbH was founded in 1931 by Adolf Rosenberger, Ferdinand Porsche and Dr. Anton Piëch. While Rosenberger was the financial backer, he also brought technical knowledge and racing skill to the equation. Father and son were accompanied by renowned engineers.

During the early 1930s, Germany's economic crisis was at its peak. The country was about to be politically dominated by the National Socialists, who were about to take the government belligerently. In addition to the financial and political crises, Porsche also faced a lack in personnel, altogether greatly limiting the company's prospects initially.

Nevertheless, Porsche soon obtained contracts from important German automotive firms, such as Wanderer, Auto Union, Zwickau, Zündapp and, starting in 1933, the new German National Socialist regime. Some of these projects had historical impact, such as the mid-engine Auto Union Silver Arrow race cars, designed by Porsche.

Porsche developed a relatively "amicable" relationship with Adolf Hitler, ever since the firm became involved in military projects. In fact, historical evidence points out that Porsche's firm was probably Hitler's favorite. Even though the "friendly" relationship with the Porsches seemed mutual to Hitler himself and others, in reality it was one-sided. The Porsche family was, in fact, somewhat pacifist and did not agree with Nazi ideals. Whether or not Dr. Porsche agreed with Nazi ideology, he eagerly worked for the regime and designed the most effective tanks used in World War II, which calls into question his alleged pacifism. Some accounts have Porsche assisting a Jewish employee to escape Germany. Those accounts are interesting because while there is a grain of truth to them, though they play up Porsche's supposed independence from the Reich they obscure the important role of that Jewish "employee", who was actually Adolf Rosenberger. It's quite likely that Porsche GmbH would not have existed were it not for Rosenberger, who was Dr. Porsche's partner and financial backer, not his employee. Despite Rosenberger's contribution to the development of German automobiles and German auto racing when Hitler came to power in Germany, Rosenberger, a Jew, was arrested for "Rassenschande" (racial crimes), and imprisoned at KZ Schloss Kislau near Karlsruhe. He was released, supposedly due to unconfirmed efforts on his behalf by Dr. Porsche, but he was forced to leave Germany immediately. While in France, Rosenberger represented Porsche GmbH's business interests.

By those years, a newspaper expressed that "in the automobile world, the name Porsche deserves a monument."

Ferry Porsche, at the time, managed a group of departments ranging from design to customer relationship management. They were: "controlling of testing", "coordinating of the design engineers", and "keeping good relations with clients". In 1935, Ferry married Dorothea Reitz, whom he had first met in the corridors of Daimler-Benz, years before. The couple had four children: Ferdinand Alexander (born 1935), Gerhard (born 1938), Hans-Peter (born 1940), and Wolfgang (born 1943), and remained married until her death.

In 1938, when his father moved to the new Volkswagen plant at Wolfsburg, Ferry became deputy manager of the Stuttgart bureau and relocated the design departments to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.