Ferdinand Porsche (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was an
automotive engineer and founder of the
Porsche car company. He is best known for creating the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle (
Lohner-Porsche), the
Volkswagen Beetle, the
Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, several other important developments and Porsche automobiles. In addition, Porsche designed the 1923 Benz Tropfenwagen, which was the first racing car with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.