The Porsche P1 — which stands for Porsche, number one — as it looks today
Check out the first EVER Porsche — which looks more cart than sports car. The wooden-framed P1, above, was made by Ferdinand Porsche 116 years ago in 1898.
The Porsche P1 taking center stage at the Porsche Museum in Germany, with plastic showing the missing parts
He engraved P1 – which stands for Porsche, number one — on to all the component parts of the vehicle.
The Porsche P1′s engine
The Porsche P1′s wheel and cogs
Its light-weight electic motor weighed just 286lbs and delivered a massive 3hp — although it could reach 5hp for short periods allowing it to reach a top speed of 22mph (35km/h) .
Diagram of the Porsche P1
The dashboard and steering wheel of the Porsche P1
That’s compared to the 911 GT3 of today, below, which delivers 475hp and a top speed of 196mph. However, it had an impressive range of 50 miles (80km).
The modern-day Porsche 911 GT, which can do 196mph compared to the P1′s 19mph top speed
The P1 outclassed all its rivals when it took part in a 40km race at the international motor vehicle exhibition in Berlin, Germany, in September 1899 — winning by 18 minutes in front of its nearest competitor.
The P1 was one of the first vehicles registered in Austria and first took to the streets of Vienna on June 26, 1898. Its official name was the Egger-Lohner electric vehicle, C.2 Phaeton model.
The first sportscar to bear the Porsche name — the Type 356 — was made in 1948, exactly 50 years after the P1 was built.
The P1 had apparently been lying untouched in a warehouse since 1902, before being found only recently. It is now taking center stage at the the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
And it’s all thanks to Ferdinand, below. Thanks, Ferdinand.
Ferdinand Porsche, who created the P1