Porsche 911 designer dies at Salzburg

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the designer of the original Porsche 911 and founder of Porsche Design Studio died at Salzburg, Austria. The grandson of Porsche Founder Ferdinand died at the age of 76 and will be interred among close family at Zell am See.

“As creator of the Porsche 911, he established a design culture that molds our sportscars still today,” Matthias Mueller, chief executive officer of Porsche AG, said in an e- mailed statement. “His philosophy of good design is for us a legacy that we will also honor in the future.”

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche designed the first 911 in 1962. Later on he developed racecars for the Porsche company, before leaving in 1972 when the company was restructured into a joint stock firm. He went on to found the Porsche Design Studio, known from its clean design gadgets including harddisk cases, watches and eyeglasses.

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche will be interred among close family members at a ceremony at Zell am See in Austria. A public ceremony will take place at a later date.