It was on this day in 1949 that the first car to carry the Porsche family name was introduced at the prestigious Geneva Auto Show - the Porsche 356.

Having spent two years in prison for his part in assisting Nazi Germany’s war effort, Ferdinand Porsche - already famous for designing the Volkswagen Beetle - joined forces with his son Ferry to build a prototype which would carry the family name.

The result was the Porsche 356, a stylish, aerodynamic roadster which drew widespread acclaim and was soon in high demand after going into full-scale production at new premises in Stuttgart later that year.

An increasingly frail Ferdinand Porsche suffered a stroke in 1950 which disabled him until his death the following year.

Meanwhile, Ferry Porsche capitalised on the success of the 356 and went on to build the Porsche company into the empire it is today before dying in 1998.

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