The story of Hans Mezger’s dream

You’ve got to know what you want to make your way

When it comes to dreams, you must stick to your guns. Even as a young man Hans Mezger knew this to be true. What did he do with the more than 28 job offers he received from a full range of prestigious companies? Reject them. Why? Because none of them came from the right company. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted Porsche. So, he applied, got accepted and started his career in the company. The ambitious engineer dreamt of building masterful engines for them. This clarity of vision was a good fit with the brand, helping him to achieve his dream multiple times over: creating some of the best engines for the racetrack and the streets across several decades.

An engine-driven legacy

He began his success story at Porsche with the design of the 6-cylinder Boxer engine for the Porsche 911 in 1963. He was part of the team back then and the final design proved to be fundamental to several generations of the Porsche 911. Cementing the car as a fan favourite.

Later, he designed the engine for the Porsche 917 that won Le Mans in '70 and '71. This was the next milestone in his pioneering career at Porsche. It paved the way for yet another project in which he played a major role: The insights gained at the many long-distance races contributed to the development of the first 911 Turbo as serial engine in ‘74. It's safe to say that he was known as an exceptional engineer, who was creating exceptional engines. And yet, one stood out even among such thoroughbreds: the development of the legendary TAG Turbo engine, which won the FIA Formula 1 world championship a full three times in a row from its very first appearance. Mezger played a leading role in this design, and throughout his life, became particularly enthusiastic when talking about it. In many ways, the fulfilment of his dream was also a dream come true for Porsche – especially since Hans Mezger was always firmly associated with the brand throughout his entire professional life. A great honour for the House of Porsche.