( CNN ) -- Ferdinand Alexander Porsche , who designed and unveiled to the world the first Porsche 911 , has died in Salzburg , Austria , a spokesman said . He was 76 . The death was announced Thursday by Matthias Muller , president of Porsche AG , who credited the late designer with establishing a `` design that is a legacy . '' Porsche gained worldwide recognition at the age of 27 when he unveiled the first Porsche 911 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963 . Recalling the design process , Porsche said : `` Right from the start the specification was that the car had to be instantly recognizable as a Porsche from its silhouette . '' The two-door luxury coupe initially was called the Porsche 901 , until a patent issue with Peugeot forced a change in name . In addition , Porsche also designed the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS , a Formula One racing car that has been praised for its sleek , forward design . Porsche was born in Stuttgart , Germany , on December 11 , 1935 , to Dorothea and Ferry Porsche . He was named for his grandfather , Ferdinand Porsche , according to the company . As the story goes , he spent much of his time in the engineering and development offices of his grandfather , who is credited with the original design of the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1930s . F.A . Porsche , as he was referred to by his colleagues , joined the company at the age of 22 and soon developed one of the first clay models of the successor of the Porsche 356 , the company 's first production automobile , according to Muller . In 1962 , he took over as the head of the Porsche design studio and one year later unveiled what became the Porsche 911 . Porsche , who later served as president of the company , is credited with playing a major role in reshaping it in the 1990s and guiding it through an economic turnaround , according to Porsche AG . Porsche will be buried in a private ceremony in Zell am See , Germany , the company said . An official service will be held in Stuttgart at a later date . People we 've lost in 2012 : The lives they lived .
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche dies at the age of 76 , the company says . Porsche unveiled the first Porsche 911 in 1963 . He also designed the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS .