Erwin Komenda
Encyclopedia
Erwin Komendaex Dr Ferdinand Porsche employee, helped in the design of the bodies for the VW Beetle and various Porsche
sports car
s.
He was born in Weyer
, a little village in Upper Austria
near Steyr
. From 1926 to 1929 he worked as a car-body designer in the Steyr
factories. There he met Ferdinand Porsche
in 1929 when Porsche joined Steyr as technical director. In 1929 Komenda's innovative ideas landed him the post of Chief Engineer for Daimler-Benz
in Sindelfingen
(Germany), a position he held until 1931. During his tenure he managed in most cases to reduce the weight of Mercedes
cars through better design. During that period Mercedes also developed a streamlined car with monocoque
construction. In October 1931, Komenda resigned his most respectable job with Mercedes and joined Ferdinand Porsche's new company, a step into an unknown future.
From 1931 to his death in 1966 Komenda was chief engineer and leader of the Porsche
car-body-construction department.
Komenda developed the car body construction of the VW Beetle
, the most built car body of the last century. He designed with his co-worker Josef Mickl the famous Auto Union
Grand Prix car and the Cisitalia
Grand Prix car.
After World War II
Porsche was (for a short time) headquartered in Gmünd in Austria
, where Komenda and Ferry Porsche designed the first Porsche sports car, the Porsche type 356
. Further 356 variations and developments followed, including the 356 Porsche speedster. Komenda also worked out the design of the Porsche 550 Spyder. Due to his early death his last work for the Porsche company was with the development of the Porsche 911
.
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s.
He was born in Weyer
Weyer
Weyer is a German surname and placename. Etymologically, it appears to be a habitational name meaning "someone living in a place called Weier, Weiher or Weyer"...
, a little village in Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
near Steyr
Steyr
Steyr is a town, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria....
. From 1926 to 1929 he worked as a car-body designer in the Steyr
Steyr-Daimler-Puch
Steyr-Daimler-Puch was a large manufacturing conglomerate based in Steyr, Austria, which was broken up in stages between 1987 and 2001. The component parts and operations continued to exist under separate ownership and new names.-History:...
factories. There he met Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
in 1929 when Porsche joined Steyr as technical director. In 1929 Komenda's innovative ideas landed him the post of Chief Engineer for Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
in Sindelfingen
Sindelfingen
Sindelfingen is a German town near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe that is the site of a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.-History:* 1155 First documented mention of Sindelfingen...
(Germany), a position he held until 1931. During his tenure he managed in most cases to reduce the weight of Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
cars through better design. During that period Mercedes also developed a streamlined car with monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
construction. In October 1931, Komenda resigned his most respectable job with Mercedes and joined Ferdinand Porsche's new company, a step into an unknown future.
From 1931 to his death in 1966 Komenda was chief engineer and leader of the Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
car-body-construction department.
Komenda developed the car body construction of the VW Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
, the most built car body of the last century. He designed with his co-worker Josef Mickl the famous Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
Grand Prix car and the Cisitalia
Cisitalia
Cisitalia was an Italian sports and racing car constructor. The name "Cisitalia" derives from "Compagnia Industriale Sportive Italia", a business conglomerate founded in Turin in 1946 and controlled by the wealthy industrialist and sportsman Piero Dusio...
Grand Prix car.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Porsche was (for a short time) headquartered in Gmünd in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where Komenda and Ferry Porsche designed the first Porsche sports car, the Porsche type 356
Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2 door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports...
. Further 356 variations and developments followed, including the 356 Porsche speedster. Komenda also worked out the design of the Porsche 550 Spyder. Due to his early death his last work for the Porsche company was with the development of the Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
.