Design engineer Professor Dr. Ing. h.c. Ferdinand Porsche, the third of five children, was born in Maffersdorf now Vratislavice Czech Republic on this day.
He began his career at the Daimler Company, rising to general director, but he eventually left in 1931 to design his own sports and racing cars.
Perhaps his most famous project was Hitler's "car for the people," the Volkswagen. Together with his son, Porsche was responsible for the initial Volkswagen plans, but his involvement with Hitler was to cost him dearly. He was arrested by the French after World War II and held for several years before finally being released.