Hans Mezger, now 89, deserves most of the credit for the 901 engine. Since nothing hindered Porsche from retaining the 901 code for internal use, the 911’s flat-six engine was so named. The 901 became the 911 before it reached European customers in ’64 and U.S. Peugeot, however, objected to the name on the grounds that it owned rights to all three-digit model designations with a zero in the middle. The defining moment was the 1963 Frankfurt motor show, when Porsche debuted the successor to its four-cylinder 356 sports car and called it the 901.
This magnetic combination has attracted parishioners to the Porsche faith since 1965. Vastly exceeding what you’d expect from a layout that descended from the VW Beetle, the 911 engine provides sparkling performance and a vivid personality. This engine has its crankshaft in the middle, with three cylinders laid flat on each side. The 911’s heart and soul is a rear-mounted six with cooling provided by fins and a fan. Car enthusiasts have dialed 911 more than a million times in the past half century, not for emergency assistance but to own the car that most succinctly defines Porsche’s essence.
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