When you speak of Ferdinand Porsche, two things come to mind. First, and undoubtedly, is the 911. It came from the 356 and the relationship is there to see. And if you’re a petrolhead, the second thing that comes to mind is obviously the Beetle. Who actually first designed the Käfer is debatable, yet Porsche’s importance to the genesis of the car is unquestionable.
So why is there a tank in the picture above? That tank was officially called Panzerjäger Tiger (P) 8.8 cm PaK 43/2 L/71. It was an assault gun/self-propelled anti-tank gun (a “tank destroyer”) that came out in 1943. Yet, it was more popularly known by it’s nickname, the Ferdinand (later on called the Elefant). It was called that because it was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Oh yes, at the time, Porsche had ties with the Nazi government. I for one like to know history, good or bad, so I thought it would be interesting to share this little detail.