Porsche Tiger and Ferdinand Tank Destroyer: VK 4501 (P)/Porsche Type 101 and the Panzerjager Ferdinand/Elefant

Ferdinand Porsche, an Austrian engineer, founded an automotive consultation firm that grew into today's Porsche AG. During WWII, his firm designed military vehicles for the Wehrmacht, including the VK 4501 (P) Tiger prototype and the Ferdinand tank destroyer. Fröhlich's study is based on original reports, manuals, and technical drawings and provides insight into the armament procurement process in the Third Reich.

Format: Hardback
Length: 496 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2022
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd

Ferdinand Porsche, an Austrian engineer born in 1875, played a significant role in the automotive industry during the interwar period. He founded an automotive consultation firm that later transformed into the renowned Porsche AG automotive company. Porsche's firm was responsible for designing the iconic Volkswagen Beetle, a simple yet influential model that is still widely recognized today.

During World War II, Porsche's firm was instrumental in designing military vehicles for the Wehrmacht. This work, a follow-up to author Michael Fröhlich's book on Porsche's massive Maus tank, delves into the firm's other armored-vehicle designs, with a special emphasis on the VK 4501 (P) Tiger prototype and the Ferdinand tank destroyer.

VK 4501, the designation for the prototypes competing to become the Panzer VI Tiger, represented a groundbreaking concept in armored vehicle design. Porsche's design featured a novel gasoline/electric hybrid power plant, which was innovative for its time. However, the Tiger contract eventually went to Henschel, although the VK 4501 (P) prototypes provided valuable insights into the armament procurement process in the Third Reich.

The hull/chassis design from VK 4501 (P) was later repurposed for a large tank destroyer named after the designer, Ferdinand. These imposing vehicles, known as Elefant, saw combat on multiple fronts and played a crucial role in the war effort. Fröhlich's study, which is now available in English for the first time, is grounded in original reports, manuals, and technical drawings, providing a detailed and authoritative account of Porsche's contributions to military vehicle design during World War II.

Weight: 2990g
Dimension: 312 x 237 x 39 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780764363511