World’s First Porsche Rediscovered in Warehouse

The “P1”, the automobile designated by its German makers as the world’s first Porsche automobile, has been rediscovered in a warehouse in Austria. The vehicle was thought to have been abandoned and lost, but it has been sitting hidden in the Austrian warehouse since 1902. Among its unique features is an electric engine weighing almost 290 pounds and an ability to reach a speed of 22 miles per hour. The car was created by Ferdinand Porsche back in 1898, heralding a new age of transportation by replacing horse-drawn carriages with vehicles run using electricity and gasoline.

In 1899, Porsche was at the wheel when his “P1” model participated in an electric car test race in which each vehicle held three passengers and had to complete a 24 mile course. The “P1” managed to cross over the finish line a full 18 minutes before the second place vehicle and half of the vehicles participating in the race broke down along the way and were unable to complete the course. A relative of Ferdinand Porsche has purchased the rare vehicle for an undisclosed amount and plans on exhibiting it for the first time at the Porsche Museum in Germany later this week.

On The Web:
World’s First Porsche
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/01/29/268186276/missing-for-112-years-first-porsche-is-found-in-warehouse