Intersections: Brand in brief

Brand in brief: Porsche

Porsche cars have a virtually untarnished reputation that's well deserved. With razor-sharp handling and power aplenty, Porsche vehicles offer a driving experience like no other.

For years, the only Porsches available were sleek sports cars, but the manufacturer recently expanded its lineup to include other types of vehicles.

The brand has its roots in the Porsche Engineering Office, founded in Stuttgart, Germany, by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Porsche brought with him years of experience as an automotive engineer; in the 1920s, while employed with Daimler, his skill was tapped to create Mercedes' iconic SS and SSK sports cars.

Porsche has long had close ties with Volkswagen, and the first Porsche vehicles were small two-seat sports cars that were largely based on a VW chassis.

The 1950s saw the birth of two icons, the 356 Speedster with its low-cut windshield and the lightweight, mid-engine 550 Spyder. Both cars helped Porsche rack up wins on the racetrack.

In the mid-'60s, the 356 made way for the revered 911. By the time the '70s rolled around, Porsche had introduced the 914, the mighty 911 turbo, the 924 and the flagship 928 (front-mounted V-8, four-seat coupe).

The '80s saw the birth of the 956, a car that went on to become the most successful race car of all time. The twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive 959 was also launched. The athletic 944 debuted in 1983, as did a convertible version of the 911. The '80s also saw the rebirth of the 924.

By the early 1990s, the 928 had been discontinued and the 944 was replaced by the similar 968. Because of a lack of dynamic product and a tough market climate, Porsche suffered financially.

The company's savior, the Boxster, debuted in 1997 and brought back the spirit of the old 550 Spyder. In 2003,

Porsche did what purists considered a sin as the company produced an SUV, named Cayenne. However, once those enthusiasts discovered the Cayenne's sporting performance (especially in 450-hp turbo form) all was forgiven. Two years later, Porsche brought out the ferocious (605-hp) Carrera GT supercar. Throughout its history, Porsche has exhibited amazing resilience, weathering changes in the economic climate and remaining fully independent from any larger automaker.