ポルシェのお誕生日：2025年はツッフェンハウゼン工場の75周年

The day the Porsche 356 was completed at the Zuffenhausen factory

As many of you may already know, June 8th is what could be called "Porsche's birthday."

The reason why June 8th is Porsche's birthday is because on June 8th, 1948, the Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster obtained its general operating license, and the first Porsche bearing the "PORSCHE" badge was born into the world.

In the last few years since I met and fell in love with Porsche, on June 8thHost a Porsche girls' party and celebrate with everyone(In reality, he was just drinking lol) and since 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of his birthday, various celebratory events will be held around the world.

On the same day, Mission X was announced.There was also ~ ^^

June 8th is Porsche's birthday, but in fact, April 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory, so I would like to write about that today to commemorate its birthday.

Porsche was founded in Zuffenhausen in 1938

Porsche was founded in Zuffenhausen in 1938 as a construction office, and in-house production of Porsche cars began after World War II.

On June 8, 1948, the Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster received its general operating license, and the "Porsche" was born. The first 52 rear-engine 356s with emergency seats in the back were hand-built in Austria with aluminum bodies between 1948 and 1950.

These later became the basis for the 356 mass-produced in Stuttgart, Germany.

Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen 356 production (1950)

The first German-made Porsche was born on April 6, 1950

So, the first Porsche 356 produced in Germany was completed 75 years ago on April 6, 1950. From that day on, Zuffenhausen became the center of Porsche sports car production.

Porsche was born on June 8, 1948. The first Porsche born at the Zuffenhausen plant was born two years later on April 6, 1950.

Expansion of the factory and the path to the birth of the 911

Since mass production of the Porsche 356 began at the Zuffenhausen plant 75 years ago, the plant has been the heart of Porsche, producing the 911, 718 series, and Taycan.

For Porsche, the Zuffenhausen plant "is and will continue to be the home of Porsche sports cars and the embodiment of pioneering spirit, cutting-edge production technology and manufacturing quality."

Since the first Porsche 356 was completed at the Zuffenhausen factory on April 6, 1950, the factory produced 317 Porsches by the end of that decade. That's an incredible number.

Later, when the handover of Werk 1 (first factory) was delayed by the US military government, Porsche commissioned renowned architect Rolf Gutbrod to design Werk 2 (second factory).

The factory, built on land sold to Porsche by Reutter, began operations in 1952 and was further expanded in 1954.

At the end of 1955, Porsche returned to Werk 1 in Zuffenhausen, where the design department, commercial department, repair shop for the company and for customers, and test and development department for race cars were located.

Meanwhile, production, sales and spare parts supply remain with Werk 2.

Engine production began at Werk 3 (factory number 3) in 1960, and on December 1, 1963, Porsche acquired Reutter's body manufacturing division, along with approximately 1,000 employees.

This resulted in almost doubling the number of employees and securing the Zuffenhausen site, and the first 911, known as the "901", was shipped from Zuffenhausen that same year.

Approximately 78,000 356s were produced by the time production ended in 1965, and Porsche continued to expand and modernize the facility over the following decades.

In the 1950s, Porsche introduced a production method that is still used today: flexible production of multiple variations on a common line.

For example, for the 356, the coupe, cabriolet, roadster, and speedster were all finished separately and simultaneously.

This efficient and high-quality multi-product production is still a feature of the headquarters factory today, and today, all 911 models (from Carrera to GT models and Cup cars) are produced on a single line, and the interior tailoring is also done in the factory's saddle department (a dedicated leather craftsman department).

The 911's mainstream presence and subsequent expansion

In the 1960s, the 911 replaced the 356 as the main model and production expanded.

New production buildings were constructed and engine manufacturing was separated offsite, while new halls were added to Werk 2. In 1969 Building 41 was completed as a multi-story final assembly building, further increasing production efficiency and capacity.

In 1973, around 4,000 employees worked for Porsche, and by the end of the 1980s this number had more than doubled between Zuffenhausen (production), Weissach (research and development) and Ludwigsburg (offices).

As production volumes increased, the Zuffenhausen site gradually expanded, and in the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to the 911, the front-engine models 928/944/968 were also manufactured there.

In the 1980s, body production in Zuffenhausen was again reaching its limits and an expansion of the production facilities was necessary, so in 1988 the flexible body production facility Werk 5 was built, with its iconic 35m-high transfer bridge over the busy Schwieberdinger Strasse to the final assembly line at Werk 2.

With the arrival of the Taycan, next-generation production begins

Since then, the Zuffenhausen site has continued to evolve by undergoing renovations, expansions and the construction of new buildings in order to meet demands for precision, efficiency and flexibility.

A key turning point was the start of mass production of the electric vehicle Taycan in 2019.

This transformation includes the construction of a new body shop in Werk 5, a state-of-the-art paint shop in Werk 1, a modular assembly building on Ade Strasse in Werk 2, and a second transport bridge on Schwieberdinger Strasse as the cornerstone of the new production logistics.

Where Porsche combines high technology and craftsmanship

Porsche says Zuffenhausen is a symbol of precision, innovation and exceptional craftsmanship, combining tradition with cutting-edge production technology.

Driverless transport systems, a central factory cloud and the use of artificial intelligence are just a few of the innovative technologies used in the production of sports cars "Made in Zuffenhausen".

In addition, the company has two engine factories on a site of about one square kilometre north of Stuttgart, which produce boxer engines for sports cars, V8 engines for four-door internal combustion models, and electric motors for the Taycan and Macan EVs.

The facility also houses three other manufacturers: Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, which customizes Porsches to meet customer needs; the Sonderwunsch department, which creates even more unique Porsches; and CFRP Manufaktur, which assembles exterior body parts for special lightweight sports car models such as the 911 S/T and 911 GT3RS by hand, off the regular production line.

There is also a factory in Leipzig.

Alongside Zuffenhausen and Weissach, Leipzig also plays an important role for Porsche.

The Cayenne was first produced here from 2002 to 2016, and the Carrera GT rolled off the line from 2003 to 2006. Wait, the Carrera GT was made at the Leipzig plant? I didn't know that!

Furthermore, the Panamera has been produced in Leipzig since 2009, and the Macan since 2014. The Leipzig plant was expanded between 2011 and 2014 to produce the Macan, and is now fully operational.

So, the Zuffenhausen plant, which is a very important production base for Porsche sports cars, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Porsche is currently in a difficult situation, with many employees at these factories having their employment contracts not renewed. But first, we would like to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Zuffenhausen plant and today, June 8, 2025, the birthday of Porsche.

Congratulations ^^

Porsche exists as Porsche, and I am grateful that I was able to meet Porsche and have had many wonderful experiences with it since then.

Exhibitor:(Official)Porsche has been manufacturing in Zuffenhausen for 75 years

Rika (911supercars.com)

I'm Rika, the author of this article. Since I got my hands on a Porsche 911, I've been completely hooked on Porsches and I can't stop loving them, so I started this blog. My favorite cars are the 911 Carrera (2/991), 911 Carrera Cabriolet & 911 Carrera T (1/992), GT3 (1/997) and 718 Cayman GT4 RS.