Design work began in 1942 at the request of the Waffenamt. Porsche and Henschel designed prototypes by October 1943. Production got under way at Henschel in Kassel in Dec. 1943.
Henschel always had 60 vehicles in construction in it's manufacturing facility. At peak production it took 14 days to construct the Tiger II.
The allied troops nicknamed it the Royal Tiger or King Tiger.