Summer Reading: Famed Porsche Illustrator’s Work Finds New Life

Book features 300 images capturing iconic periods tied to the famous sports car brand.

There’s no one who has helped shape the image of Porsche more than Erich Strenger.

Well, aside from some of the brand’s iconic figures like Ferdinand Alexander, Ferry Porsche, and Anatole Lapine, who all guided the design of Porsche cars during the brand’s early years. But even the work of those great Porsche legends owe some of its fame to Strenger.

A graphic designer by trade, Strenger is credited with helping to create a lot of the ads, posters, and brochures used to promote Porsche between 1951 and 1988.

In fact, there’s a good chance that if you collect Porsche memorabilia, you probably own something featuring Strenger’s work.

The famed artist also helped to create the brand’s in-house magazine, Christophorus Zeitschrift für die Freunde des Hauses Porsche, along with Richard von Frankenberg.

Now, some of Strenger’s most memorable pieces have been compiled in a new book called “Erich Strenger: A Graphical Report,” the most comprehensive collection of his Porsche work to date.

The book, published by Delius Kasing, is a broad compilation of Strenger’s artistic pieces through the years, spanning from a hand-drawn brochure for the 356 Coupé to poster illustrations highlighting Porsche’s racing heritage.

Deeper Than the Images

Mats Kubiak, the author of the book, is said to have spent endless hours going through Strenger’s portfolio, selecting some of the most defining pieces of his work to show the full depth of his influence on Porsche’s image.

All and all, there’s a total of 300 illustrations complied in “Erich Strenger: A Graphical Report.”

Kubiak, a communication specialist and avid Porsche fan, also delves into the  history of Strenger’s background, which helped fuel the type of artwork the graphic designer created for Porsche.

Strenger’s 30-year relationship with Porsche started as an independent freelancer working for Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG in the early ’50s.

Strenger, who died in 1993, later went on to start an advertising agency in the heart of Stuttgart, which included a staff of up to eleven employees. It was there, that Strenger went on to create some of his most influential work for Porsche.

“Erich Strenger: A Graphical Report” also focuses on the graphic artist’s unique approaches and methods to creating his work.

Though, it’s the deep, rich history depicted in the illustrations that Porsche enthusiasts will likely find most interesting,

For more information about “Erich Strenger: A Graphical Report” or to purchase the book, click here.