Diecast Porsche

Founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, the company has been building exceptional performance cars for many years.  Originally the company was founded to provide consulting to vehicle manufacturers and one of it's first assignments was a huge success; The Volkswagen Beetle.

Following the work done for Volkswagen, Porsche set out to build their first car, the Porsche 64 in 1939 using Volkswagen parts.  During the war Porsche shifted its design efforts to building tanks and eventually Ferdinand Porsche was arrested for war crimes.  He was never tried and was released and started to build his own cars as he wasn't happy with the cars available at the time.

The first Porsche built entirely on their own was the Porsche 356 and it was ready for the road in 1948.  Unfortunately Ferdinand Porsche died after a stroke and did not live long enough to see his company become highly successful.  The 356 was a hit and over 76,000 were built and many are still on the road today.

The Porsche 911 is the car that really brought Porsche into the mainstream and it has become a symbol of success throughout the world today.  First introduced in 1964, the Porsche 911 remains in production today and still retains original styling which makes it highly recognizable. 

Porsche 911

The first generation Porsche was the 911 classic, built from 1964 to 1989.  It included a flat-6 engine mounted in the rear of the car.  Many different engine and transmission configurations were used throughout this time period, but the basic styling stayed the same.  The classic 911 was available in a 2 door coupe, 2 door cabriolet and a 2 door Targa.  An all wheel drive version, called the Porsche Carrera was also introduced.

A major revision was completed in 1989 which saw the introduction of a newer Porsche 911, which would be referred to as the Porsche 964 as a means of differentiating it from the first generation 911.  The facelift integrated the bumpers into the body, but much of the original 911 styling and shape was left unchanged.  This time a flat-6 engine was available which could put out 247hp.

Another revision was completed in 1993 which saw major revisions to the suspension.  This time the car would be called the Porsche 993 for identification purposes and a six speed transmission was added.  The Porsche 993 Turbo was an exceptional car - all wheel drive, twin turbochargers and widened rear arches.  The car could go 0-60mph in just 3.9 seconds and because of braking system enhancements, could stop in just 2.3 seconds from 60mph to 0.

The Porsche 996 version was introduced in 1998 and continued until 2005.  It had a water cooled engine and major performance enhancements.  The windshield was angled more steeply for a more aggressive look and the interior was completely re-designed.   A 3.4L or 3.6L H6 engine was available.  The front end was re-designed and uses the Porsche Boxster front end.  In 2002 a stiffer body was added which helped with both safety and handling.

The current 911 is the Porsche 997 which was built from 2004 and is still in production today.  The newest models are faster, sleaker and wider in the rear.

Porsche Cayenne

Porsche entered the successful SUV market in 2003 with the Porsche Cayenne.  It was priced aggressively for a Porsche and featured a V8 engine and four wheel drive.  The Cayenne shares its platform with the VW Touareg and the Audi Q7. Various engines have been offered including a twin-turbocharged V8 with 550hp.

Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman

Introduced in 1996, the Porsche Boxster is a mid-engine convertible roadster with a flat-6 engine.  Originally it was priced well below other Porsche models, making it available to a wider market.

For those not wanting a convertible, the Porsche Cayman was introduced as a hardtop version of the Porsche Boxster.  Introduced in 2006, it shares a lot with the Boxster.

Porsche Carerra GT

From 2004 to 2006 Porsche introduced a high performance car based on the 911 GT1 and on racing car technology.  It was a 2 door roadster and considered a supercar.  It included a 5.7L V10 which produced over 600hp and could do 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds.  Just 1270 were ever produced and they were sold for a over $400,000.

Other Porsche Models

Porsche has built a number of other models which have had less success than the 911 like the 914, 924, 928, 944 and the 959.  The Porsche 959 was a rare sports car, with only 200 produced.  It was based on the 911 GT1, but was not certified for legal road use in the U.S until 1999.

Make sure that you have a diecast Porsche in your collection!