Ferdinand Alexander Porsche dies

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the man credited with the design of the original Porsche 911 sportscar has died today at the age of 76.

Born on December 11 1935 in Stuttgart, Porsche was the grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche (the automotive engineer and pioneer who created the Mercedes-Benz compressor and Volkswagen Beetle) and the son of Ferry Porsche.

Porsche followed in the footsteps of his illustrious forebears and designed the 911 in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with the car making its first official appearance at the Frankfurt motor show in 1963.

He also designed a number of racing cars for Porsche, before leaving in 1972 when the company went public. He remained on the supervisory board until the mid-2000s.

A statement from Matthias Müller, chief executive officer of Porsche AG, said: “As creator of the Porsche 911, he established a design culture that molds our sportscars still today. His philosophy of good design is for us a legacy that we will also honour in the future.”