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The Porsche Boxster is actually the modern day
reincarnation of the very first car to bear the Porsche badge.
Ferry
Porsche started on the design for the original 356 whilst working on Grand
Prix cars just after world war 2. Working with his father Ferdinand
Porsche, who had earlier designed great cars for Daimler-Benz, Auto Union
Ferry brought us the first real production Porsche - a sleek mid engined
roadster, based on Volkswagen mechanicals.
Porsche No. 1
This classic picture of K45-286 together with Ferry and
Ferdinand represents the starting point of the Porsche organisation as we
know it today. Ferdinand died within a few years of this milestone,
but he had seen a glimpse of the future that would evolve through his son
Ferry. Ferdinand's massive contribution to the motor industry was
set to live on thanks to his own son's innovation.
It wasn't long, however, before practical constraints
forced Ferry to reorganise the 356's layout so that the engine was in the
boot of the car, instead of the middle. Even the Pre-A models of the
early 1950s were four seaters with the gearbox in front of the engine as
this picture of a 1954 Porsche Pre-A 356 shows.
1954 Porsche Pre-A 356
Even the stunning 1955 Speedster, from which the Boxster
derives part of its name, retained the rear engine location, despite
having dispensed with the rear seats.
1955 Porsche Speedster
And of course Porsche's favourite model, the 911 (40
years old in 2003) is famous for its rear engine configuration.
Despite logic which suggests that the heavy engine ought to be between the
axles, generation after generation of Porsche driver has been happy to
master these tail heavy cars - almost as if the challenge of controlling
the mass is part of the appeal of the car.
Porsche 911
Along the way, Porsche have, of course, dallied with the
mid-engine configuration. With the introduction of the Porsche 914
in 1969, and the Porsche 914/6 of the early 1970s, they produced a great
mid-engined targa that would have set the world alight, had it not sent a
mixed message to the buying public.
Porsche 914
Badged as a VW-Porsche, the 914 probably did more for
the reputation of VW, than that of Porsche; and the former went on to
develop the Golf GTi, while the latter struggled for survival.
After the 914 came the front engine 924 and 928, before
the company went back to its roots with the 911.
Amazingly, it was more than 40 years after the original
Porsche, that the company had the ingenious idea of turning round the 911
engine to make a truly great mid-engine roadster. A stunning,
almost Italian looking, concept car hit the shows of 1993, but
practicality prevailed and the 986 Boxster production car of 1996 featured
the 911's front profile, combined with a beautiful rear that emphasised
the engine's mid position.
1997 Boxster
The new car represented a new era for the company.
Cheaper Porsches (relatively speaking) hadn't always resulted in success,
but this one saved the company, and paved the way for the 911 (996) which
featured a more powerful version of the Boxster's water-cooled Boxer
engine.
For almost years, the work of art that that is the 986
Boxster, remained unchanged, and even revisions for 2003 were minor
facelifts because the original was so perfect.
2003 / 2004 Boxster
With the world
expecting a serious revision in 2005, Porsche designers are are facing a
tough challenge. [Lets hope they don't go completely mad and risk another
collaboration with VW, or else take a completely different tack and
develop a monstrous SUV! Or Both]
Here's some pictures of Boxsters
from over the years.
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