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Birthday congratulations to Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, who is 70 years old on Friday. A popular member of the global Porsche community, Ferry’s youngest son has some great Porsche friends around the world – I’ve seen his signature on many a 911 bonnet.

Wolfgang was born on the 10 May 1943, at the family estate in Zell am See. The family returned to Stuttgart in 1950, where Wolfgang attended the Waldorf School. Graduating from Heppenheim’s Odenwald School in 1965, Wolfgang initially served an apprenticeship before studying Business Administration at the University of Economics in Vienna, where he received a Doctorate of Commercial Science in 1973.

This was the year after Ferry’s decision to remove the third generation of Porsches from day-to-day company management. Wolfgang became the importer of Yamaha motorcycles into Austria, a business he ran for 27 years. In 1976, he joined Mercedes’ sales management hierarchy, where he stayed for five years until 1981.

The Doctor’s Porsche career began in 1978, when Wolfgang was appointed to the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG: a board he has chaired since 2007. He is the Chairman of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, and has earned further boardroom experience with Porsche’s Austrian holding company, Eterna Watches (previously owned by the Porsche family) and Volkswagen AG.

Following Ferry’s death in 1998, the family made Wolfgang their spokesman: a role he has always fulfilled with grace, despite complex family politics. “We’re just a small automaker from Stuttgart,” is one of the painter and father of four’s favourite sayings, as he constantly emphasises the shared purpose which surpasses all infighting.

In 2005, the Austrian Chancellor bestowed the “Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria” upon Wolfgang Porsche, the highest honour of his homeland. As an important part of Porsche heritage and with so many years spent forging the company’s history, he has certainly earned that at least.

Happy Birthday Dr Porsche! May we all live to see the same fine age.