Porsche & Architecture: History of Legendary Style
The very first U.S. Porsche importer had a keen eye for style. But he also played a key part in the brand’s history.
Art, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. But a good design can be appreciated by anyone. That’s why Porsche vehicles have retained much of their basic shape over decades of production, yet they look every bit as beautiful today as they did back then. That same timeless design also still applies to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, a groundbreaking architect and interior designer. Wright’s homes, much like the iconic Porsche 356, look every bit as amazing and futuristic today as they did in the ’50s.
But aside from that lasting appeal, you’re probably wondering just what those two things have in common. Well, the man credited with single-handedly establishing the imported car business in the U.S., Maximilian E. Hoffman, just so happened to own one of the last Wright homes ever built. And the Usonian-style dwelling, located in Rye, New York, inspired the wartime immigrant as much as the classic lines of the Porsche vehicles he sold.
Wright’s designs featured low-profile rooflines and open floor plans — ground-breaking concepts at the time. It’s no wonder that Hoffman, a visionary himself, had such an affinity for them. The Austrian-born Hoffman grew up to run a car dealership and eventually sell high-end sports cars to his clients. But the turmoil of war drove him to Paris, and eventually the U.S. in the 1930s.
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