Do any detailed biographical works exist on this great and influential designer?
I've only been able to find a few brief web sites with high-level details of his life.
Erwin Komenda Info?
Started by
diego
, May 10 2003 15:41
4 replies to this topic
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#2
Holger Merten
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Posted 10 May 2003 - 22:13
Diego, some words of Kommenda. He was part of the core team of Porsche, responsible for the bodywork of the AU Silverarrows. He started after WW2 working for Porsche and finished his carreer with the 911, while Ferry Porsche decided, that the design of Butzi would be better than Kommdas ideas.
Kommenda had a special career, and it's interesting that a guy like him stayed with Porsche and never joined another "team".
Kommenda had a special career, and it's interesting that a guy like him stayed with Porsche and never joined another "team".
#3
Hans Etzrodt
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Posted 11 May 2003 - 06:20
Dr. Erwin Kommenda was not only the body designer of the Porsche design team in Stuttgart but described by Ferdinand Porsche as a technical pilar of the company. He was responsible in 1933 and thereafter for the weight-saving body panels of the 750 kg Auto Union grand prix cars. Dr. Kommenda also signed responsible after WW II for refining the curved lines of the various Typ 356 Porsches for the fifties. The first alu-bodies were influenced and made by Reutter in Zuffenhausen. Those had to be changed for new production to steel-bodies of Kommenda's refinements but made by Reutter.
#4
diego
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Posted 11 May 2003 - 17:08
Yes -- thank you for your information on Komenda.
I'm actually looking for a published, indepth biography. Could be a book or a magazine article.
I'm actually looking for a published, indepth biography. Could be a book or a magazine article.
#5
Holger Merten
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Posted 12 May 2003 - 11:14
Diego here some additional facts about Komenda biography:
Erwin Komenda, born 1904 (Weyer/Austria) drew the body plans for the VOLKSWAGEN beetle, for the for the Volkswagen swimming cars during WW” and after 1945 for the Porsche 356 and the 911.
Everything in Kommendas training turned around metal. First in the technical school for iron and treatment of steel (1917 to 1920), afterwards with the course of building of cars at the technical trade museum in Vienna (class of H. Feldwabel, 1921/22). Besides that the 16 year old Komenda drew at that time in the “Wiener Karrosseriefabrik” tools for the automobile production, before he designed bodies.
In Steyr Komenda met for the first time the legendary Ferdinand Porsche, which should open 1930 in Stuttgart a design-engineering department (the official Porsche foundation of a firm followed in April 1931). At that time the Austrian changed to Stuttgart Sindelfingen to Daimler Benz AG, where the he worked as a chief designer of the development department for bodies. And only one year later became Komenda deputy boss of the design department. Under his lead many vehicles with revolutionary technology developed: Independent suspension for example.
1931 he changed to Ferry Porsche in the Porsche “Kontruktionsbüro”. Up to its death in the year 1966 Erwin Komenda should remain as a chief designer director/conductor of the body design department. He was responsible for all models, which were developed in this period.
His first project with Porsche was the development of the body for the Auto Union Grand Prix car. A task, that Komenda, like Ferry Porsche told later, "brilliantly solved". The chassis from duralumin weighed only 45kg.
His most famous construction should be the Volkswagen, which become the beetle. The beetle was also one of the first cars, with which the doors for safety reasons were fastened in front. Sneezing realms arrive to the Komenda was also in the construction of the Porsche 356, 550 Spyder and 911. Erwin Komenda succumbed 1966, briefly before his retirement to a cancer suffering.
Erwin Komenda, born 1904 (Weyer/Austria) drew the body plans for the VOLKSWAGEN beetle, for the for the Volkswagen swimming cars during WW” and after 1945 for the Porsche 356 and the 911.
Everything in Kommendas training turned around metal. First in the technical school for iron and treatment of steel (1917 to 1920), afterwards with the course of building of cars at the technical trade museum in Vienna (class of H. Feldwabel, 1921/22). Besides that the 16 year old Komenda drew at that time in the “Wiener Karrosseriefabrik” tools for the automobile production, before he designed bodies.
In Steyr Komenda met for the first time the legendary Ferdinand Porsche, which should open 1930 in Stuttgart a design-engineering department (the official Porsche foundation of a firm followed in April 1931). At that time the Austrian changed to Stuttgart Sindelfingen to Daimler Benz AG, where the he worked as a chief designer of the development department for bodies. And only one year later became Komenda deputy boss of the design department. Under his lead many vehicles with revolutionary technology developed: Independent suspension for example.
1931 he changed to Ferry Porsche in the Porsche “Kontruktionsbüro”. Up to its death in the year 1966 Erwin Komenda should remain as a chief designer director/conductor of the body design department. He was responsible for all models, which were developed in this period.
His first project with Porsche was the development of the body for the Auto Union Grand Prix car. A task, that Komenda, like Ferry Porsche told later, "brilliantly solved". The chassis from duralumin weighed only 45kg.
His most famous construction should be the Volkswagen, which become the beetle. The beetle was also one of the first cars, with which the doors for safety reasons were fastened in front. Sneezing realms arrive to the Komenda was also in the construction of the Porsche 356, 550 Spyder and 911. Erwin Komenda succumbed 1966, briefly before his retirement to a cancer suffering.
