Cartoon stick figure pointing at a chalkboard with “Porsche” written in large chalk letters — representing a blog post about Porsche word mark and design mark trademark registrations.

Trademark: Porsche

First Used: 1949

First Registered: 1976

Current Owner: DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AG [1]

Trademark Type: traditional trademark; word mark; design mark

Registered For: retail automobile agency services and distributorship services in the field of automobile parts; maintenance and repair of automobiles [2]

Design Marks: Porsche Stuttgart Logo [3], Porsche Logo [4], and P Triangle Logo [5]

Brief (and likely incomplete) History [6]:

Let’s get this out of the way first. The official, correct pronunciation of “Porsche” is “POR-shuh,” a two-syllable German word with the emphasis on the first syllable. No matter how you pronounce it, let’s take a look at some history and trademarks!

The PORSCHE® brand’s story begins in 1931, when engineer Ferdinand Porsche founded Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH in Stuttgart, Germany, originally offering design and consulting services for the automotive industry. Before producing cars under its own name, the company helped develop the original Volkswagen Beetle, one of the most recognizable vehicles ever made.

After World War II, Ferdinand’s son, Ferry Porsche, set out to build a sports car bearing the family name, leading to the creation of the Porsche 356 in 1948. Two years later, the first Porsche sports cars reached the United States and quickly won over American enthusiasts with their lightweight design and racing success. The brand’s identity soon became synonymous with precision engineering and performance, culminating in the launch of the iconic Porsche 911 at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 12, 1963 (and on sale in September 1964).

After decades of refining the 911 (the Porsche 911 Configuration is also a registered non-traditional trademark!), Porsche began branching out in the 1990s to reach new drivers while preserving its performance DNA. The Porsche Boxster (the Porsche Boxster Configuration is also a registered non-traditional trademark!), introduced in 1996 (and 1997 in the US), marked a return to a mid-engine roadster and helped revitalize the brand’s finances. The Porsche Cayenne SUV followed in 2002 and quickly became a sales powerhouse. In 2009, the Porsche Panamera brought Porsche’s racing pedigree into the luxury sedan market. The compact Porsche Macan arrived five years later, in 2014, to cement performance SUV leadership, and five years after that, in 2019, the all-electric Porsche Taycan debuted as the first zero-emission Porsche. Together, these models showcase Porsche’s ability to evolve its lineup without sacrificing the spirit that began in Stuttgart nearly a century ago.