Porsche celebrates 75 years at Zuffenhausen

Porsche is celebrating 75 years of car-making at Zuffenhausen.

Since the first Porsche 356 rolled off the brand's main factory in Zuffenhausen in 1950, the Stuttgart borough has become its main centre of production: The 911, which has been in series production there since 1964, the 718 model line, and the all-electric Taycan.

Over the decades, the Zuffenhausen site has been continuously modernised through a series of conversions, expansions, and new builds

Initially starting out in Zuffenhausen in 1938 as a construction office, car production under the Porsche name only came into fruition after the Second World War, with the first 52 units of the rear-engine 356 with rear emergency seats being built by hand with aluminium bodies in Austria between 1948 and 1950.

After returning to Swabia, Porsche's own plant was occupied by the Allies. While the actual construction office was located in a barrack on Schwieberdinger Strasse, Porsche rented space in the Reutter Plant II across the street for engine production and assembly. In return, Reutter was commissioned to build the finished, painted, and fully equipped bodies.

On 6 April 1950, the first Porsche 356 was completed, and by the end of the year, 317 units had been built. As early as the 1950s, Porsche produced Coupe, Cabriolet, Roadster, and Speedster variants of the 356 and by the end of production in 1965, produced about 78,000 units of the model.

Porsche describes the Zuffenhausen site as a symbol of precision, innovation, and exquisite craftsmanship

In 1963, the first 911 (known then as the 901) rolled off the production line in Zuffenhausen and in the 1970s and 1980s, front-engine models such as the 928, 944, and 968 were manufactured alongside the 911 at the site.

Another significant change was the preparation for the start of production of the all-electric Taycan, which went into series production in 2019.

Alongside Zuffenhausen and Weissach, Plant Leipzig also plays a key role in the world of Porsche, with the Cayenne rolling off the line there from 2002 to 2016. It was joined by the Carrera GT from 2003 to 2006. The Panamera sports sedan has been built there since 2009, as well as the Macan since 2014.

With this 75^th anniversary, Porsche is not only celebrating its impressive past; it is also looking towards the future.