Porsche SE or Porsche is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury high performance automobiles, which is majority-owned by the Piëch and Porsche families. Porsche SE holds two chief assets, the first of which is Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG , often shortened to Porsche AG, manufacturer of the Porsche automobile line. The second asset is a majority stake in Volkswagen Group , the largest car manufacturer in Europe, and the third largest in the world. The company is headquartered in Zuffenhausen, a city district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. It was founded in 1931 by Ferdinand... Porsche, an Austro-Hungarian engineer born in Maffersdorf, Austria-Hungary . Porsche is also known for designing the first Volkswagen, but Béla Barényi is credited with having conceived the basic design five years earlier. The company currently produces 911 , Boxster and Cayman sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles. The latest model line, the four-door Panamera saloon , was launched on Monday, 20 April 2009.