The quantity “597” may sound like the interior codename of a Porsche sports activities automobile from years passed by. But these three digits symbolize a wholly completely different idea. The go-anywhere automobile you see right here was the corporate’s response to a name for tender made by the German military within the early Nineteen Fifties. If you are unfamiliar with the time period, it is basically an invite for suppliers to answer a request made by a authorities or a personal entity.

The German military wanted a light-weight and dependable automobile able to tackling any highway whereas being straightforward to service. The engineers from Zuffenhausen got here up with the 597, nicknamed “Jagdwagen” (German for “hunting car”). Porsche was one of many three German corporations that responded to the decision for tender, together with Auto Union (the precursor to Audi) and Goliath, a subsidiary of the unique Borgward automaker.