Porsche

Engineering whiz Ferdinand Porsche could count the Volkswagen “People’s car” among his consultancy designs before his first eponymous production car appeared in 1950 – the 356. A Speedster version in 1954 put Porsche on the map in the US, though it was the 356’s larger successor of 1963 that became the brand’s icon. The rear-engined 911 was relatively practical for everyday use yet stunningly quick – especially in Turbo form initiated in 1975 – and is essentially unchanged today in both design and engineering philosophy. The motorsport-inspired RS version was introduced in 1973 and continues to have its own dedicated global series, while other memorable race cars include the 917 that was the first Porsche to win Le Mans (in 1970). Porsche had good cars but bad profits by the ’90s, so built the entry-level Boxster followed by the controversial but ultimately successful Cayenne SUV in 2002. Porsche now sits under the vast Volkswagen Group umbrella after its own failed attempt to take over VW.