Mercedes Benz

This is the story of the 597 Jagdwagen. Things have never been the same for Porsche since it launched the first generation Cayenne SUV back in 2002. Many Porschephiles still haven’t gotten over the fact their beloved sports car brand branched out beyond ass-engined and GT driver’s cars. Their heads nearly exploded when the Panamera arrived in 2009, and ultimately did so upon the Macan’s 2014 debut. But back in the mid-1950s, Porsche designed and built the 597 Jagdwagen, which translates to “hunting car.” It looks very much like a post-WWII SUV, but don’t think of it as the Cayenne’s ancestor. They have absolutely nothing in common, mechanically speaking. The 597 was very much a rough and rowdy SUV without a hint of luxury or comfort. Back then, Porsche was still trying to find its footing in the industry; was it going to stick solely with sports cars, like the 356 and 550 Spyder? Perhaps not. Porsche figured it was worth taking a shot at winning a NATO-issued tende...