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Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the design chief credited with the classic 911 sports car and grandson of the carmaker's founder, has died.

Manufacturer Porsche AG said Porsche the craftsman passed away earlier today in Salzburg, Austria.

Known as F.A. by his colleagues, Porsche was head of the company’s design studio in the early 1960s when the company developed the sleek 911 sports car that remains its brand-defining product.

Now in its seventh version, the car is immediately recognisable thanks to its sloping roofline, long, low bonnet and distinct headlights in a classic look that has stood the test of time.

CEO of Porsche AG Matthias Mueller paid tribute, saying: "We mourn the death of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.

"As creator of the Porsche 911 he founded a design company in our culture that shapes our sports cars today.

"His philosophy of good design is for us a legacy that we will continue to do with honour."

(Image: Porsche)

(Image: Porsche)

The 76-year-old had also served as board chairman between 1990 and 1993.

Porsche was the son of former Porsche Chairman Ferry Porsche, who died in 1998.

He was the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who started the company as a design and engineering firm in the 1930s.

"He was a very special man, and the company Porsche was his life and what he stood for," said Guenther Molter, co-author of F.A's father’s Ferry Porsche autobiography.

"He carried on the work of his father in his own way. He realized the Porsche 911, which was his idea."

(Image: VW)

(Image: VW)

(Image: VW)

Born in Stuttgart in December 1935, F.A. was initiated into the family business while still a boy, spending time in his grandfather's workshops and design facilities.

He studied at the Hochschule fuer Gestaltung in Ulm and joined the company in 1958, taking over the design studio in 1962.

Having later founded a design business Porsche Design Studio, Porsche also turned his attentions to designing eyeglasses, watches, mobile phones and pens.

It is believed that he will be buried in a private ceremony in the chapel at Schuettgut, the family's estate in Zell am See, Austria.

A Minutes revving in tribute of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, designer of the 911