Porsche presented the new sports car for the first time at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 911 standing out from its predecessor in many respects, not only through its fast-revving six-cylinder power unit. And Ferry Porsche was happy to note that "at long last I'm now able to get my golf bag into the car without the slightest problem".The decision in favour of the 911 designed by his oldest son was indeed a truly visionary choice, the new car differing from everything else seen so far not only in terms of styling, but also in technical terms. The introduction of the Porsche 911 was also a bold step for Ferry Porsche in entrepreneurial terms, with the company taking over Reutter & Co. GmbH, the former body supplier, in 1964 in preparing production of the new model series. This was obviously a major step for Porsche, with almost 1,000 employees at Reutter being integrated completely into Porsche KG as fully-fledged members of the workforce.
Ferry Porsche's recognition and acknowledgement of the great potential offered by the innovative concept of the 911 for future success is one of his greatest lifetime achievements. The ongoing success of this model series subsequently resulted from a process of constant evolution making the Porsche 911 the perfect sports car: "Looking back at the 911, I know that the concept of this model was definitely quite questionable. But today the long and really unusual lifecycle of the 911 makes me proud that ultimately I was right in my opinion of the car."
Ferry Porsche was also open at all times to unusual and even risky ideas. Building the VW-Porsche 914, for example, the company launched a joint venture with Volkswagen in 1969 in an attempt to win over new market shares beneath the Porsche 911 through an inexpensive sports car for a broader segment. While sometimes criticised for its design and image, the 914 most definitely became a success in the market, sales of almost 120,000 units making it the most successful sports car in the early `70s.
Ferry Porsche himself also drove a 914 which he received as a gift from his employees on the occasion of his 60th birthday - although in this case the sports car, while hardly modified externally, came with the three-litre eight-cylinder power unit otherwise featured in the Type 908 racing car; albeit slightly de-tuned for everyday use: Maximum output of this unique car bearing the registration number S-R 3000 and licensed by individual homologation was 260 bhp. And this very special 914/8 was by no means a gift just for the private Porsche garage, with Ferry Porsche covering more than 10,000 kilometres in the car. From then on it became a tradition at Porsche to give the man at the top a very special, customised birthday car on the occasion of his most important anniversaries. So when asked by a journalist whether he would buy a Porsche himself, Ferry Porsche had a very easy answer: "No, I just have to wait until my next birthday."