Here’s Ferry Porsche presiding over what looks like a management meeting. He’s flanked by his oldest son, design director Ferdinand Alexander – or Butzi as most people now call him – and his nephew, technical director Ferdinand Piëch. On the left, the young man with the very 1960s haircut is Hans Michel Piëch, Ferdinand’s younger brother and opposite him, the only man in the room not called Ferdinand or Piëch, is Heinz Branitzki, the company accountant.
The meeting appears to have reached a pause. Chairman Ferry looks quizzical, and well he might. The year is 1967 and he’s having to devote more and more energy to arbitrating disputes between people rather than managing the business. This was the problem with a family firm.
In his will, Dr Porsche had split…