CURRICULUM
VITAE
Personal
Information:
Nationality:
Austria
Place of residence: Stuttgart (D) and Weyer /Enns (Upper Austria)
Place of birth/date: April 6th, 1904 in Jauern at the Semmering
(Austria)
Parents: Franz Komenda (machinist in Weyer) and Leopoldine Komenda,
born Wipplinger (upper classes)
Married to Auguste Komenda, born Hauptmann, since 1920
2 children: Ingrid Komenda-Steineck and Erwin Komenda
-Elementary
school in Weyer
-Citizen school in Steyr
-1916 -1920: Four year technical college for iron processing in
Steyr
-1920: Car construction course with Josef Feldwabel in the trade
technological museum Vienna, XX district
Profession:
1920
-1926: Car bodywork factory in Vienna XX, construction designer
1927 -1929: Steyrer factory, Upper-Austria: Komendas area of
responsibility extended from the construction office up to the
manufacturing facilities. In Steyr Erwin Komenda came up with the
idea of a streamlined small car with rear motor drive. He worked in
Steyr with Bela Barenyi and Ferdinand Porsche who was the technical
director for Steyrer. Other teammates at Steyrer were Josef
Zahradnik, Karl Fröhlich, Karl Wilfert and Josef Kales. Komenda was
so innovative that he was promoted to the chief designer of the
German Daimler-Benz AG in Sindelfingen. His development project at
that time was the Steyr type XXX that got 300 kg lighter than its
predecessors by a new Komenda design.
1929 -1931: Chief designer for the test and development department
of the Mercedes-Daimler-Benz AG in Stuttgart/Sindelfingen.
1931 -1966: Chief designer and head of the bodywork construction
department at the Porsche construction office. Responsible for
calculation and development technology.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENTS
the
‘swimming car’ and the ‘bucket car’ (kübelwagen)
(World War II military craft)
Porsche
3561946
Komente signed in Gmünd first ideas to the Porsche 356, later Komenda
developed the 356-Variantes and Speedster (American Roadster)
Porsche
904: Designed
car body material. The vehicle body was made of metal reinforced synthetic resin.
and
Porsche 911: Leader
of the car body development department.
Inventor of the 911 body construction (self-supporting vehicle body).
Komenda also developed the Targa security bow.
Komenda
was a man who thought technically but brought forth artistic
creations. Over 100 patent applications show
his progressive work. Komenda was an active worker up to his early
death in 1966. His life's work ended with the
development of the great Porsche 911 - with the Porsche 911 Porsche has achieved strong sales for
the last forty years.


