Ferdinand Porsche's P1 wins the Berlin road race, September 1899 (1899)

Ferdinand Porsche drove the Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton, an electric vehicle he helped design, in a Berlin road race on 28 September 1899. The car won the gold medal, finishing 18 minutes ahead of the second competitor. The vehicle is often called the Porsche P1, though this name is unofficial and based on Porsche's claim that he engraved 'P1' on key components.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton was an electric vehicle built by Egger-Lohner, resembling a horse-drawn carriage with an attached electrical motor. Ferdinand Porsche designed the 'octagon' electric motor, named for its eight-sided housing, and contributed the electric drive train to the project. The vehicle was unveiled in Vienna on 26 June 1898.

Naming. The vehicle is erroneously called the Porsche P1. Porsche claimed that he engraved the code 'P1' (P for Porsche, number 1) onto all key components, giving the vehicle its unofficial name. However, Porsche only contributed the electric motor to the project, reducing the claim that the C.2 is the company's first vehicle.

Race. On 28 September 1899, Porsche drove a C.2 in the Berlin road race. The vehicle won the gold medal and crossed the finish line 18 minutes before the second car. It also came out on top in the efficiency test, where it was recorded as the lowest energy consumption vehicle in urban traffic.

People involved

Sources

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